The Basques and the Romanization of Ancient Hispania

The Basques in Roman Times

In Roman times, the Basques were the inhabitants of the future Navarre, reaching as far as Oiasso (Irun). Beyond them were the Varduli, Caristii, and Autrigones, who would later form the 'Vasconized' Basque Provinces.

The Basques did not confront the Romans but were their allies and even became adherents of Pompey, who founded Pamplona (Pompaelo) in 75 BC on the Basque city of Iruña. The Romans granted them territories and cities along the Ebro that had previously been Celtiberian, such as Calahorra (Calagurris) and Alfaro (Gracchurris), and lands east of the Iberians beyond Jaca and Alagón.

Romanization in Hispania

Romanization is the process of integrating peoples, such as those in Hispania, into the civilization of ancient Rome in all respects, including language. The peoples of Hispania not only learned Latin but also made it their own, eventually forgetting their pre-Roman tongues. However, the Basques were an exception, maintaining and developing their language alongside the Latin romance of Navarre, its later derivative.

Phases of Romanization

Initially, the peoples of Hispania were subjects of Romanization. In a second phase, the Romanized Hispanic peoples became active creators of culture and civilization within the Roman world.

Hispania (Spain) emerged as a unified entity during the Roman period, which lasted seven centuries (218 BC – 476 AD). The state was Roman, and Hispania was integrated into it as a collection of provinces. This same entity, known as Hispania, would later have its own state with the Visigothic monarchy: the Kingdom of Hispania.

The Roman religion, which had been superimposed on pre-Roman beliefs, gave way to Christianity. This transition from Roman times to the Visigothic era was fundamental to the origin of Europe. The result was an integration of three elements: classical Greco-Roman civilization, Christianization, and the entry of Christianized 'barbarians' into that classical civilization. The foundations of Europe were laid during the Roman Empire, and its genesis culminated in the Middle Ages.

This process also marked the genesis of Spain as a set of Christian kingdoms, which were part of the original fabric of Europe. It involved the integration of pre-Roman Hispanic peoples into the classical, and later Christian, civilization that began with Roman Hispania. This process was completed with the integration of Christianized invaders.

The Romanized Basque City of Andelos

Andelos was a Romanized Basque city located in Muruzábal de Andión (Mendigorría). Its most important archaeological remains, besides the houses and streets, include:

• The hydraulic complex, with dams, a canal, a reservoir, an aqueduct siphon, and a distribution tank with stopcocks and lead pipes.
• The mosaic of "The Triumph of Bacchus".
• The bronze plaque with an inscription dedicated to the god Apollo.