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Roman Spain

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Submitted By nissirivs
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“All roads lead to Rome.” This proverb, intended to speak upon a universal destination today, holds just as much validity in its literal sense and historical origin. The Roman Empire was the center of all civilization during the height of its reign. Conquering the regions around them as early as 300 BC, the Roman Empire spread from modern day Germany in the east to modern day Spain west of them. Spain, known then as the Iberian Peninsula or Hispania, was vulnerable to the relentless armies of the empire because its geography hindered it from protecting itself on its three exposed coasts. Despite this fact, it would take the empire almost two centuries to conquer the entirety of the Iberian Peninsula. Once it was conquered, however, the culture of Hispania would be greatly affected by the influence of the Romans for the next 600 years. Much of the customs, religious practices, and laws still practiced in Spain are a result of this influence. Famous for their ability to establish an efficient infrastructure, the Romans created roads and bridges during and after the conquering of Hispania. This infrastructure was essential in uniting the peninsula that had since been divided by geographical obstacles. It was also crucial in that it allowed trade to flourish both within Hispania and between other geographic areas within the entire empire. This not only allowed the peninsula to become an economic force, but also furthered the mixing of all the cultures that existed under the vast Roman Empire. Today, modern roadways in Spain often run parallel to the ancient Roman roads and the layout of historical cities remain the same as they did during the empire. In addition to the transportation infrastructure, Romans recognized the need of a water supply for those cities not situated on a waterway. Just as was done in Rome, they constructed aqueducts that supplied water to some

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