Editing Catalonia (section)

=== Pre-Roman and Roman period ===
[[File:PuentedelDiablo edited.jpg|thumb|[[Les Ferreres Aqueduct|Aqüeducte de les Ferreres]], [[Roman aqueduct]] in [[Tarragona]] ]]
In pre-Roman times, the area that is now Catalonia was populated by the [[Iberians]]. The Iberians tribes – the [[Ilergetes]], [[Indigetes]] and [[Lacetani]] (Cerretains) – also maintained relations with the peoples of the Mediterranean. Some urban agglomerations became relevant, including Ilerda ([[Lleida]]) inland, Hibera (perhaps [[Amposta]] or [[Tortosa]]) or Indika ([[Ullastret]]). Coastal trading colonies were established by the [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]], who settled around the [[Gulf of Roses]], in Emporion ([[Empúries]]) and [[Roses, Girona|Roses]] in the [[Colonies in antiquity|8th century BC]].

After the Carthaginian defeat by the [[Roman Republic]], the north-east of Iberia became the first to come under Roman rule and became part of [[Hispania]], the westernmost part of the [[Roman Empire]]. [[Tarraco (Tarragona)|Tarraco]] (modern [[Tarragona]]) was one of the most important Roman cities in Hispania and the capital of the [[Roman province|province]] of [[Tarraconensis]]. Other important cities of the Roman period are Ilerda (Lleida), Dertosa (Tortosa), Gerunda (Girona) as well as the ports of Empuriæ (former Emporion) and Barcino ([[Barcelona]]). As for the rest of Hispania, [[Latin law]] was granted to all cities under the reign of [[Vespasian]] (69–79{{nbsp}}AD), while [[Roman citizenship]] was granted to all free men of the empire by the [[Edict of Caracalla]] in 212{{nbsp}}AD (Tarraco, the capital, was already a colony of [[Roman law]] since 45{{nbsp}}BC). It was a rich agricultural province (olive oil, wine, [[wheat]]), and the first centuries of the Empire saw the construction of roads (the most important being the [[Via Augusta]], parallel to Mediterranean coastline) and infrastructure like [[Aqueduct (water supply)|aqueducts]].

Conversion to [[Christianity]], attested in the 3rd{{nbsp}}century, was completed in urban areas in the 4th{{nbsp}}century. Although Hispania remained under Roman rule and did not fall under the rule of [[Vandals]], [[Suebi]] and [[Alans]] in the 5th{{nbsp}}century, the main cities suffered frequent sacking and some [[deurbanization]].