Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis, later mostly just Tarraconensis, was a Roman province in what is now Spain and Portugal. It included the north and east of Spain and northern Portugal to Douro. Southern Spain, now Andalusia, was the province of Hispania Baetica. Central and Southern Portugal to the east bordering Spanish regions including Mérida, Talavera de la Reina and Salamanca, but without Toledo, formed the province of Lusitania.
In the Republican period dominated by the Romans areas of the Iberian Peninsula was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior ( north and east ) and the Hispania ulterior ( south and west). On the Mediterranean coast, the border was south-west of Carthago Nova (now Cartagena) and proceeded from there towards the west -northwest. Through the provincial reform under Emperor Augustus was the Hispania ulterior shortly before the Christian era divided into two parts, Hispania Baetica and Lusitania, while Hispania Citerior the first remained unchanged. It was just like the imperial province of Lusitania, while the Baetica to the senatorial provinces belonged. In a later step emperor Augustus carried out a boundary shift, the Hispania Citerior was still increased at the expense of Baetica something; since the limit was on the coast near the present city of Almería and proceeded from there in North West direction. Since the seat of the governor of Hispania Citerior the city of Tarraco was, today Tarragona in Catalonia, it soon began to call this province Hispania Tarraconensis. The official name in the titulary of the governor, however, was still Hispania Citerior. The governor was an imperial legate consular rank. The province was divided into seven judicial districts: Tarraco, Carthago Nova (Cartagena), Caesar Augusta ( Saragossa ), Clunia (Coruña del Conde ), Lucus Augusti (Lugo), Asturica Augusta ( Astorga ) and Bracara Augusta ( Braga).
60-68 was the future emperor Galba governor of Tarraconensis; he rebelled against Emperor Nero in the year 68, and then became his successor.
Emperor Caracalla ( 211-217 ) separated from the Hispania Citerior or Tarraconensis a new province, the Hispania nova Citerior Antoniniana, from the north of the Duero was located in the northwest of the peninsula. Their existence is accessible only from inscriptions and their extent is not known, because it has already been reunited at the latest in the thirties of the third century with the Tarraconensis.
In the period 283-289 increased the Emperor Diocletian at its regional reform, the number of provinces. The former territory of Hispania Citerior fell apart in late antiquity now in three provinces, the Gallaecia (Galicia ), which Carthaginiensis with capital Carthago Nova and the Tarraconensis with capital Tarraco (Tarragona ). This new Tarraconensis comprised only Citerior the north-east of the former Hispania. Whether she handed in the west to Villaviciosa, and to the upper reaches of the Esla or whether Cantabria was part of Gallaecia, is unclear. The limit for Carthaginiensis was north of Segobriga, Segontia ( Siguenza ), Uxama ( Osma ) and Clunia (Coruña del Conde ).
In the 5th century, the Tarraconensis was repeatedly drawn through barbarian invasions affected, with last penetrated the Visigoths as new men, but did submit an extended period nor Roman suzerainty. The last emperor, who entered the province at the head of an army, was 461 Majorian; the last emperor, who was at least recognized in inscriptions in the Tarraconensis, was around 470 Anthemius.