Constructing identities within the periphery of the Roman Empire: north-west Hispania

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the interaction and process of change that took place in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula as the area came under the control of the Tarraconensis province during the administrative reorganisation of Hispania by Augustus. Following a general cultural description of the region, further detail will be offered of its integration into the bracarensis conventus. The unique characteristics of the local pre-Roman communities and their systems of power led to a particular evolutional process in the region. After describing the main changes in the cities and the territories, we will highlight the negotiation processes underlying the adaptation to the Roman way of life, through which new places, new symbols and new narratives related to identity emerged.