Migration Era Hispania

[EmperorBatman999]

I'm in the planning phase of a possible mod to diversify the Roman emergent states and I wanted to get an idea of the cultural individuality of the Roman provinces and what these differences might mean for the roster of a Roman break-off state so that they have more than legionaries to build their rosters on.

So the current focus of research right now is Hispania, but I may use this thread later for other regions as well.

So how prominent would the Iberian tribes be at this point? Using the Cantabri as a starting point, I was able to gather that particular people was able to keep its culture preserved alongside its mythological beliefs until final conquest by the Visigoths. I also know that the folks that made the Brytenwalda mod for Mount and Blade: Warband and the Viking Conquest DLC also feature Cantabrians to a small extent. The Basque seem to be similar in preservation of their culture through the Empire, and they still are rather distinct from the rest of the Spaniards even today.

Particularly, I want to find things in reference to the already-present Iberian cultures and the attitude of Hispano-Romans. The Visigoths, Vandals, Suebi, and others are going to make a strong appearance later, but since their arrival is not guaranteed in every campaign, having those units isn't really realistic. And Romans get their own unique Foederati system already where they can recruit from travelling hordes.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

The Iberian tribes were gone. The basques were kinda-sorta still around and their modern identity would develop as a result of the barbarian invasions, but Spain had been Romanized long, long ago.

IIRC Guy Halsall gives quite a long passage on the state of early 5th century spain in Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West.

[Geronimo2006]

The Iberian tribes were gone. The basques were kinda-sorta still around and their modern identity would develop as a result of the barbarian invasions, but Spain had been Romanized long, long ago.

IIRC Guy Halsall gives quite a long passage on the state of early 5th century spain in Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West.

Wikipedia mentions the remergence of the Hispano-Celtic Astures and Cantabrii before they were conquered by the Visigoths. The Astures were conquered by Sisibut in the 6th century. The Celtic tribe the Cantabri are mentioned as enjoying a reemergence in the Migration Period before being conquered in the 6th century by the Visigoths. They are also heard of again (not sure what context) in the Visigoth wars against the Vascones in the 7th century. Wikipedia also says they kept their Celtic language, religion and customs until the Islamic conquest of Iberia.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Wikipedia mentions the remergence of the Hispano-Celtic Astures and Cantabrii before they were conquered by the Visigoths. The Astures were conquered by Sisibut in the 6th century. The Celtic tribe the Cantabri are mentioned as enjoying a reemergence in the Migration Period before being conquered in the 6th century by the Visigoths.

This is probably some sort of Celtic or Spanish nationalism or whatever leaking into Wikipedia. Late Roman/Migration Era authors will often refer to cities/areas by their ancient Celtic names as a method of classicization. The reality is that there were no such thing as the Cantabri or Astures in 6th century Spain, or not in any Celtic form. In a Hispano-Romano-Germanic form, sure.

[Geronimo2006]

Wikipedia says the Cantabri were only Latinised after the Islamic conquest of Hispania. Collins (1990) is cited.

Romanization[edit]

Although the Romans founded colonies and established military garrisons at Castra Legio Pisoraca (camp of Legio IIII Macedonica – Palencia), Octaviolca (near Valdeolea – Cantabria) and Iuliobriga (Retortillo – Reinosa), Cantabria never became fully romanized and its people preserved many aspects of Celtic language, religion and culture well into the Roman period. The Cantabri did not lose their warrior skills either, providing auxiliary troops (Auxilia) to the Roman Imperial army for decades and these troops participated in Emperor Claudius' invasion of Britain in AD 43–60.
Early Middle Ages[edit]

The Cantabri re-emerged,^[24] like also their neighbors the Astures, amid the chaos of the Migration Period of the late 4th century. Thenceforward the Cantabri started to be Christianized and were violently crushed by the Visigoths in the 6th century.^[25] However, Cantabria and the Cantabri are heard of many decades later in the context of the Visigoth wars against the Vascones (late 7th century).^{[citation needed]} They only became fully Latinized in their language and culture after the Muslim Conquest of Iberia in the 8th century.^{[citation needed]}

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Notice the poor sourcing of that description...

[Geronimo2006]

It should be remembered that Gaulish is supposed to have survived until 500AD so it would not be unprecedented for Celtic languages in continental Roman empire to still be lingering around a bit.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

It's not impossible, but it's clear that they were overwhelmingly dominated by Latin and the last vestiges of them disappeared by 700.