This document provides an overview of Spanish history from ancient times to the Middle Ages. It discusses how history is measured in years, decades, centuries, and millennia. It then describes some key periods and events in early Spanish history, including the Roman Empire in Hispania, the fall of the Western Roman Empire and establishment of the Visigothic Kingdom, the Muslim conquest in the 8th century AD and creation of Al-Andalus, and the beginning of the Reconquista by Christian kingdoms starting in the 8th century to take back land from Muslim rule.

1. WHAT´S UP HISTORY
What is history?
When did human history begin?

2. History is the story of the
past.
 Our history began 2 million years ago
when the first humans appeared on
Earth.

4. How do we measure history?
 We use YEARS and DECADES (10
years)
 For longer periods we use
CENTURIES (100 years)
 MILLENIUMS (1000 years)
“We live in the year 2015= 2 milleiums,
21 centuries and 15 years”.

5. But if human beings
appeared 2 million years
ago…
why is just the year 2015?

6.  We divide our history into two main
periods.
BC AD

7.  The birth of Jesus Christ is used by
historians as the dividing point of
WORLD HISTORY.
 Jesus Christ was born in AD 1 (Anno
Domini).

9. CHAPTER 1: ANCIENT
TIMES

10. Spanish history before the Middle
Ages

13. And suddendly…

14. The romans came along…

15. The Roman Empire
Hispania

16. A VERY ADVANCED
SOCIETY
Celts and Iberians were romanised. They
started to adopt their laws and rules and
speak their language, LATIN.

17. CHAPTER 2: The Middle
Ages

18. When did the Middle Ages
begin?
 It began when the Roman Empire fell
in 476 AD. It was in the 5th century.

19. THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE

20. Four Germanic tribes settled in
Spain…

21. VISIGOTHIC KINGDOM
 In the 6th century
the Visigoths
established their
kingdom and
their capital in
Toledo.
 They were
Christians and
built their own
churches.

22. And suddendly…

23. In AD 711, Muslims from North Africa
invaded the Visigoth Spain and
conquered most of the Peninsula.
They created a new state called
AL-ANDALUS.

24. In the north of the Peninsula,
some Christian kingdom were
formed.

26. THE RECONQUISTA (8th
century)
 Between the 8th and 10th centuries,
the Christian peoples in the north of
the Iberian Peninsula created small
independent kingdoms. They all
wanted to recover their land and
started to expand south reconquering
Muslim territories.
Let´s have a look at the different
stages!!

27. 8th century: the beginning of the
Reconquista
In AD 722, don Pelayo, the ruler of the Kingdom of Asturias,
defeated the Muslim army at the BATTLE OF COVADONGA.

28. 11 th century: conflicts and taifas
Al-Andalus is divided into independent kingdoms called Taifas.
Christians take advantages of their conflicts and expand south.
In 1085, Alfonso VI, the king of León and Castilla, conquered
Toledo.

29. 13 th century: Christians take
control
In 1212, the combined forces of the Christian kingdoms
defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
This was the most important defeat since little by little
Andalucía was conquered by the different kings.

30. Los Reyes Católicos
 The Christian Kingdom united by
Fernando II of Aragón, and Isabel I
of Castille.

31. The Alhambra

32. 15th century: the victory
In 1492, the Reyes Católicos conquered the Kingdom of
Granada.

33. To be continued…