a. In August 218 AD, the Roman army led by Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio landed at the port of Emporion, from Massalia. For the first time the Roman legions put their foot in the Iberian Peninsula. Upon arrival, the country was a vast field bristling with fortified villages inhabited by people who were beginning to look up over the fences of their pens and fences from their gardens to look into a higher world. His eyes had opened the Carthaginians, who were making their bandit warriors of their kings and generals, they had put in contact with other men and other land and had given the first inkling of what was an organized state, a greater community. Only when Six centuries later, Rome's power in Spain no longer feel the country will again become a field sembraddo of walled towns and oppressed by the terror inspired by the barbarian invaders. But we'll get to that.
Between these two moments that I have described, peninsular peoples lived one of the most extraordinary experiences of its history. On the work of Rome, the people are fully incorporated into peninsular state life, the English economy was integrated into the economic mechanism Mediterranean, classical culture opened new horizons for their spiritual development ... in short, everything would be influenced by the fruitful encounter with the Roman people.
However, when the augurs who accompanied the Roman troops took up the flight of birds and the entrails of victims, in that August of 218 to predict the future that awaited them, even they could venture what was going to happen. That company appeared to have no purpose for them other than head off reinforcements and supplies from Hispania, Hannibal could be sent to you. And with that single idea, the head of the forces gave his troops the order to move towards the Ebro
Rome needed to expand their bridgehead ampuritana with a band covering the eastern coast from the Ebro River to the Pyrenees. Presumably coastal colonial cities verifications immediately on the Roman side to throw off the yoke of Carthage. But there were others who also resisted, and the Romans had to take them by force. Among them was Cissa (perhaps Tarragona). While the Romans were preparing to take it, were presented Hannibal Carthaginian troops had left in the Catalan area of \u200b\u200bAnnona orders. The Ilergetes, with their king Indibil forward, also had joined them. The victory of that first clash was Roman and the same result, Scipio took everything that the soldiers had left the Alps had been left in trust for them not the way during their march. With the advent of winter, military operations were halted and both contestants were devoted to preparing the next season.
... but Hannibal, meanwhile, despite the lateness of the season, rushing recklessly over the Alps in late September in a place increasingly slow and dangerous, whose problems were accentuated by the harassment of the Alpine tribes. The lack of pasture for elephants made some of them die during the dangerous crossing. And ultimately, the army suffered such losses that, when they reached the valley of the Po, its strength had been reduced by almost fifty percent.
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