Editing Carthago Nova (section)

== History ==

=== Origin === 
[[File:Augusto cartagena.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Augustus]] wearing a toga. Roman Theatre Museum.]] [[File:Lingotesplomocarthagonova.jpg|thumb|240px|Lead ''lingots'' from the mines of Cartago Nova.]] Cartago Nova was founded around 227&nbsp;BC by the [[Carthaginian general]] [[Hasdrubal the Fair]], son-in-law and successor of [[Hamilcar Barca]], father of [[Hannibal]]. Cartago Nova became the most important of the Carthaginian cities on the peninsula, owing to its strong position and a well-built wall, and it was provided with harbors, lagoons, and silver mines.<ref>Estrabón: ''Geografía'', III, 4–6, siglo I.</ref> In Cartago Nova and the surrounding towns, salted fish abounded, and it was the principal emporium both for goods arriving by sea destined for inland residents, and for inland products intended for overseas trade.

However, it seems that the city was not founded entirely ''ex novo'', but rather built on an earlier [[Iberians|Iberian]] or possibly [[Tartessos|Tartessian]] settlement. There is evidence of commercial exchanges with the [[Phoenicians]] dating back to the 8th century&nbsp;BC along the entire coastline. In addition, Cartagena has traditionally been associated with the city of [[Mastia]] mentioned by the Greco-Latin poet [[Rufius Festus Avienus|Avienus]] in the work known as the ''[[Ora maritima]]'', which contains the oldest preserved accounts of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], and also cited in the [[Second Treaty of Rome-Carthage]] in 348&nbsp;BC as "Mastia Tarseion" (Mastia of the Tartessians).

All of the present coastline of Cartagena and [[Mazarrón]] was highly coveted in Antiquity for its important mineral deposits of lead, silver, zinc, and other minerals. Exploitation and trade in minerals from the [[Sierra minera de Cartagena-La Unión|Cartagena mines]] and Mazarrón are documented from Phoenician times.

After the [[First Punic War]], the Carthaginians lost their main stronghold in the Mediterranean: the island of [[Sicily]]. The only undefeated Carthaginian general in this conflict with the Romans, [[Hamilcar Barca]], went to the Iberian Peninsula with the intention of forming a personal dominion for the [[Barcid]] family—of which he was the head—somewhat apart from the direct control of the Senate of [[Carthage]], making Cartago Nova the center of his military operations and enabling him to control the mineral wealth of the southeast of the peninsula. Following Hamilcar’s death in a clash with local tribes, his son [[Hannibal]] assumed his position, intending to raise an army powerful enough to face the Romans. Thus, Qart Hadasht became the main city of the Carthaginians in Hispania. From there, Hannibal departed with his elephants on his famous expedition to Italy; he crossed the [[Alps]] at the start of the [[Second Punic War]] in 218&nbsp;BC.

=== Conquest by Rome and Republican period === 
[[File:Altar of Jupiter (Roman theatre, Cartagena).jpg|thumb|240px|Altar of Jupiter discovered in the Roman theatre. Roman Theatre Museum.]] Undoubtedly, the first Roman interest in [[Hispania]] was extracting profit from its legendary mineral wealth, especially the mining deposits of the [[Sierra minera de Cartagena-La Unión|Cartagena]] and Mazarrón region, then under [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] control.

The Roman general [[Scipio Africanus]] took Qart Hadasht in 209 BC, renaming it Cartago Nova as a ''civitas stipendaria'' (tributary community).<ref>{{Cite book|page=32|chapter=Cartagena y su término de la Edad Media al siglo XIX|first=Ángel Luis|last=Molina Molina|title=Estudios sobre Desarrollo Regional|year=2008|publisher=Universidad de Murcia |isbn=978-84-8371-794-3|url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/2754227.pdf}}</ref> Later, it received [[Latin Right|Latin rights]] under [[Julius Caesar]] and became a [[Roman colony]] in 44 BC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.regmurcia.com/servlet/s.Sl?sit=a,75,c,373,m,1871&r=ReP-7509-DETALLE_REPORTAJESPADRE|title=Historia de Cartagena- Antigüedad - Región de Murcia Digital|language=es|access-date=2020-02-01}}</ref> The settlement developed into one of the most important Roman cities of Hispania. Administratively, it belonged to the Roman province of [[Hispania Citerior]].

=== High Empire === 
The Roman prosperity of Cartago Nova was primarily based on the exploitation of the [[silver]] and [[lead]] mines of the [[Sierra minera de Cartagena-La Unión|Cartagena mining area]]. Around 40,000 [[Slave|enslaved people]] are said to have worked in these mines, which had been exploited since Phoenician times, with Rome continuing extensive extraction.

In 44 BC, the city was granted the title of a [[Roman colony]] under the name ''Colonia Vrbs Iulia Nova Carthago'' (C.V.I.N.C), made up of citizens with full [[Roman citizenship|Roman rights]].

In 27 BC, [[Augustus]] reorganized Hispania, and the city was included in the new imperial province of ''[[Hispania Tarraconensis]]''.

From the [[Roman Republic|Republican]] era, there was a [[Amphitheatre of Cartagena|Roman amphitheatre]] in the city. However, it was under Augustus that Cartago Nova underwent an ambitious urban and monumental development program, which included the construction of an impressive [[Roman Theatre, Cartagena|Roman theatre]] and a large [[Augusteum and Forum of Roman Cartagena|forum]].

Between the reigns of [[Tiberius]] and [[Claudius]], Hispania Tarraconensis was divided into seven juridical convents, one of which was the ''Conventus Iuridicus Carthaginensis'', with its capital in Cartago Nova.

Beginning in the 2nd century, like other cities of Hispania, the city experienced a slow economic and demographic decline. The entire eastern sector of the city was abandoned, including the forum built in the time of Augustus. The city contracted into the area spanning from the [[Castillo de la Concepción (Cartagena)|Concepción hill]] to El Molinete. One reason for the decline appears to have been depletion of the local mines.

=== Late Empire: Creation of the Carthaginensis province === 
[[File:Estatua de joven con clámide (20230520 190917).jpg|thumb|240px|A youth with a ''chlamys'' from the [[Roman forum, Cartagena|Roman forum]]. Archaeological Museum of Cartagena]] [[File:Rea teatro romano cartagena.jpg|thumb|240px|''Rhea Silvia''. Roman Theatre Museum]] This downturn was slowed in 298, when Emperor [[Diocletian]] divided [[Hispania Tarraconensis]] into three provinces, creating the Roman province of ''[[Carthaginensis]]'', with its capital in Cartagena.

A large part of the eastern sector of the city was rebuilt using materials from the Augustan buildings, as was the case with the monumental market built over the remains of the Roman theatre, or the [[Roman Baths of Cartagena|baths on Calle Honda]].

Commercial activity in the city shifted to the production of ''[[garum]]'', a fermented fish sauce; numerous remains of such facilities have been found along the coast. An example of the shift from mining to garum production can be seen in the [[Villa romana del Paturro|Roman villa of Paturro]].

Around 425, the city was devastated and plundered by the [[Vandals]] before they moved on to [[North Africa]].

Nevertheless, the city must have recovered to some extent. In 461, Emperor [[Majorian]] assembled a fleet of 45 ships in Cartagena, aiming to invade and recover the [[Vandal Kingdom]] of North Africa for the Empire. The [[Battle of Cartagena (461)|Battle of Cartagena]] ended in a serious defeat for the Roman navy, which was completely destroyed.

=== Late Antiquity === 
After being sacked by the Vandals around 439, and following the collapse of the [[Western Roman Empire]] in 476, the city fell under Visigothic control, although it retained a strongly Romanized population. In the midst of Visigothic internal conflicts in the mid-6th century, one faction appealed for help to the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] Emperor [[Justinian I]]. After a brief campaign, he seized a significant strip of southern Spain and established the city as the capital of the province of [[Spania]], renaming it [[Carthago Spartaria]]. The [[Bishop of Cartagena]] then became the metropolitan bishop of this Byzantine province.