Editing History of Spain (section)

==Early history of the Iberian Peninsula==
{{Further|Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula}}

Before the [[Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula|Roman conquest]] the major cultures along the Mediterranean coast were the [[Iberians]], the [[Celtiberians|Celts]] in the interior and north-west, the [[Lusitanians]] in the west, and the [[Tartessos|Tartessians]] in the southwest. The seafaring Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Greeks successively established trading settlements along the eastern and southern coast. The [[paleohispanic script|development of writing in the peninsula]] took place after the arrival of early Phoenician settlers and traders (tentatively dated 9th century BC or later).<ref>{{cite journal|page=117|title=Origin and development of the Paleohispanic scripts: the orthography and phonology of the Southwestern alphabet|first=Miguel|last=Valério|journal=Revista portuguesa de arqueologia|issn=0874-2782|volume=11|issue=2|year=2008<!--|107–138-->|url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/3339686.pdf}}</ref>
[[File:Bronce luzaga.jpg|thumb|Illustration depicting the (now lost) [[Luzaga's Bronze]], an example of the [[Celtiberian script]].]]
The south of the peninsula was rich in archaic Phoenician colonies, unmatched by any other region in the central-western Mediterranean.{{Sfn|Aubet|2006|p=36}} They were small and densely packed settlements.{{Sfn|Aubet|2006|p=37}} The colony of [[Gadir]]—which sustained strong links with its metropolis of [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]]—stood out from the rest of the network of colonies, also featuring a more complex sociopolitical organization.{{Sfn|Aubet|2006|pp=44–45}} [[Archaic Greece|Archaic Greeks]] arrived on the Peninsula by the late 7th century BC.{{Sfn|Blázquez|1988|p=}} They founded [[Greek colonies]] such as [[Empúries|Emporion]] (570 BC).{{Sfn|Blázquez|1988|p=11}}

The Greeks are responsible for the name ''Iberia'', apparently after the river Iber ([[Ebro]]). By the 6th century BC, much of the territory of southern Iberia passed to [[Ancient Carthage|Carthage]]'s overarching influence (featuring two centres of Punic influence in ''Gadir'' and ''Mastia''); the latter grip strengthened from the 4th century BC on.{{Sfn|Prados Martínez|2007|p=87}} The [[Barcids]], following their landing in Gadir in 237 BC, conquered the territories that belonged to the sphere of influence of Carthage.{{sfn|Wagner|1999|pp=263–264}} Until 219 BC, their presence in the peninsula was underpinned by their control of places such as [[Carthago Nova]] and Akra Leuké (both founded by Punics), as well as the network of old Phoenician settlements.{{Sfn|Prados Martínez|2007|p=85}}
[[File:Iberia 300BC-en.svg|thumb|left|350px|The Iberian Peninsula in the 3rd century BC]]

The peninsula was a military theatre of the [[Second Punic War]] (218–201 BC) waged between Carthage and the [[Roman Republic]], the two powers vying for supremacy in the western Mediterranean. Romans expelled Carthaginians from the peninsula in 206 BC.{{sfn|Wagner|1999|p=264}}

The peoples whom the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] met at the time of their invasion were the Iberians, inhabiting an area stretching from the northeast part of the Iberian Peninsula through the southeast. The Celts mostly inhabited the inner and north-west part of the peninsula. To the east of the [[Meseta Central]], the [[Sistema Ibérico]] area was inhabited by the [[Celtiberians]], reportedly rich in [[precious metal]]s (obtained by Romans in the form of [[tribute]]s).{{Sfn|Lorrio|1997|p=36}} Celtiberians developed a refined technique of iron-forging, displayed in their quality weapons.{{Sfn|Lorrio|1997|p=40}}

The [[Celtiberian Wars]] were fought between the advancing [[Roman legion|legions]] of the Roman Republic and the Celtiberian tribes of Hispania Citerior from 181 to 133 BC.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Grout|first=James|title=The Celtiberian War|url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/hispania/celtiberianwar.html|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Romana|publisher=University of Chicago|year=2007|access-date=2008-06-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Major Phases in Roman History|url=http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~corbett/clab42/RomChron.htm|work=Rome in the Mediterranean World|publisher=University of Toronto|access-date=2008-06-08}}</ref> The Roman conquest of the peninsula was completed in 19 BC.