Byzantine Spain – New Perspectives

Jamie Wood, University of Lincoln, UKjwood@lincoln.ac.uk / @woodjamie99

Byzantine territories in Hispania

according to Thompson (1969: upper map) and

Arce (2011: lower map)

The frontier question

L. Garcia Moreno, ‘Estudios sobre la organisacionadministrativa del Reino Visigodo de Toledo’, Anuario de historia del Derecho Espanol 44 (1974), pp. 5–157

G. Ripoll Lopez, ‘On the Supposed Frontier between the Regnum Visigotho- rum and Byzantine Hispania’, in W. Pohl, I. Wood and H. Reimitz (eds), The Transformation of Frontiers from Late Antiquity to the Carolingians (Leiden, 2000), pp. 95–115

J. Wood, 'Defending Byzantine Spain: Frontiers and Diplomacy', Early Medieval Europe 18.3 (2010), 292-319

Archaeological evidence

L. Garcia Moreno, ‘Colonias de comerciantesorientales en la Peninsula Iberica. S. V–VII’, Habis 3 (1972), pp. 127–54

P. Reynolds, Hispania and the Late Roman Mediterranean: Ceramics and Trade, London: Duckworth, 2009

J. Vizcaíno Sánchez, La presencia bizantina en Hispania (siglos VI-VII). La documentaciónarqueológica, Murcia: Universidad de Murcia, 2009

Plan of the walls of the Cerro Cepero-Bastiforum area, based on analysis of ceramic

materials collected in the excavation campaign of 2006. © CEAB

Cerro del Quemao (BAZ-060), Basti. © CEAB

El Tolmo de Minateda, Albacete

L. Abad Casal and S. Gutiérrez Lloret, ‘Iyih (El Tolmo de Minateda, Hellín, Albacete). Una civitasen el limes visigodo-bizantino’, Antigüedad y Cristianismo 14 (1997), 591-600.

Discriptio Hispaniae I

The whole of Hispania has the shape of a triangle according to the disposition of its land. It is surrounded by the Ocean sea from two sides, that is to say, from north and south. From the east, instead, it is delimited by the Tyrrhenian sea. The first of these angles points to the territory of Narbonenses. The second angle points northwest, where Brigantia and his soaring lighthouse is situated. Its third angle is in Gades, where the Pillar of Hercules is located. At the same time, there are two Hispaniae inside this triangle: Citerior Hispania and Ulterior. Carthage delimits Citerior Hispania. Here Julius Caesar, vanquisher of Franks, Gepids, victorious both in Africa and Europe, established the boundaries of castles and fortified? towns that belonged to metropolitan jurisdiction and surveyed the rivers that flow into the Ocean. Regarding the boundaries of Palentia's, Carthage's or the Celtiberians' territories, over the Superior Province whose name is Gallicia, we preserved all boundary stones built there. Furthermore, the river Ebro, which divides clearly the Province of Iberia, flows through three hundred twenty eight miles. It flows across Numantia, Vardulia and Cantabria, whose land extends to Metropolitan Carthage.

Discriptio Hispaniae II

Because all trifinia come from Carthage. Unto this boundary comes the river Baetis, where Corduba is situated, and (this territory) receives the name of Carthage. Further comes the Baetica, which reaches as far as the Gaditan fen. Beyond that comes Augusta Emerita which receives also the name of Lusitania. Its boundaries run to the metropolitan city of Bracara, to which Gallicia belongs. There are some boundary stones from the latter which run along stone-pavedroads that are marked by miliaria inscribed with the name of Caesar, [and] the divine Constantine. Because all trifinia come from the above mentioned Carthage. (Its territory) reaches the territory of Tormogi, who receive the name of Oretani. Then goes further to a main arca (quadrangular landmark?) which is in the territory of Salamanca, near to the river Duero. At that point is located this arca with four built sides that point as follows: to the right, Lusitania, beyond that, the Baetica; (UNKNOWN ABBREVIATIONS: H L M HT QS QS) to the left, the Gallicia; Asturias, Cantabria as much as Vasconia, on that side which reaches Carthage at east. Then landmarks which have carved stones every sixty (miles or yards?) run unto a stone pile. Then every thirty (miles or yards) unto a stone carved with that time emperor's name and the authority of the senate. This is not an arca but a trifinium. From that point, at the east, come the first woods of Pyrenees. At north, a hill surges which leads through the Vaccaei to the Cantabrians and the Astures.In turn, the above mentioned Hispania Ulterior borders to the Vaccaei, the Celtiberians and the Oretani at the east; at north and west to the Ocean sea, at the south to the Gaditan strait of the Ocean, through which the sea gets inside the earth.

Some recent bibliographyR. Andreu Edició crítica, traducció i estudi de l’Ars Gromatica siueGeometria Gisemundi. Doctoral Thesis. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. 2013D. Claude, ‘Die diplomatischen Beziehungen zwischen demWestgotenreich und Ostrom (475–615)’, Mitteilungen des Institutsfur Osterreichische Geschichtsforschung 104 (1996), pp. 13–25M. Vallejo Girvés, Bizancio y la España tardo antigua, Alcalá de Henares: Universidad de Alcala de Henares, 1993 M. Vallejo Girves, ‘Commentiolus, Magister militum Spaniaemissus a Mauricio Augusto contra hostes barbaros. The Byzantine Perspective on the Visigothic Conversion to Catholicism’, Romano-Barbarica 14 (1996–7), pp. 289–306M. Vallejo Girvés, Hispania y Bizancio: Una relación desconocida, Madrid: Akal, 2012J. Vizcaino Sanchez, ‘Bizantinos en Hispania. Un problemarecurrente en la arqueologia Espanola’, Achivo espanol de arqueologia 75 (2002), pp. 313-332