Task 4 Society and Economy of the Iberian peninsula

4.1 Roman society in the Iberian peninsula

• Most of the population were free people:
  There were Patricians and citizens that came from Rome.
  Native nobility preserved some privileges.
  Most of the people were Plebeians. All the Roman people from the Iberian peninsula became citizens after the issue of the Edict of Caracalla, 212 AD.
  Slaves were common in Roman Iberian peninsula and they had no rights. They could also be freed by their masters and they became liberti.

4.2. Roman economy in the Iberian peninsula

The main economic activities were similar to the rest of the Empire:
Agriculture:The main crops were the Mediterranean triad: wheat, vines, and olive trees. These products were mainly exported to the city of Rome.
Mining: Spain was rich in minerals and that fact attracted Romans. Mines were owned by the Senate or the emperor. Gold, silver, lead, mercury, copper and iron were the main minerals that were extracted in Iberian mines.
Crafts industries: They produced pottery (amphorae) and oil, wine, salted fish, and garum, a really appreciated sauce.
Trade: It was important in Iberian economy. Most of the products that were traded were raw materials that were taken to Rome. Luxury products were imported from Rome and other Eastern provinces. There was a dense network of roads to enhance trade. Major ports were built in some Spanish Roman cities such as Gades (Cádiz), Tarraco (Tarragona), and Carthago Nova (Cartagena).