Valentia (ancient city of Nearer Spain)
Valentia, located on the eastern coast of Nearer Spain (Hispania Citerior, later Tarraconensis), is an ancient city that has a rich and complex history. Originally founded as a Greek settlement, it later came under Carthaginian control. Significant historical events include the establishment of a Roman colony around 60 BC, under the leadership of Decimus Junius Brutus, who settled former soldiers in the area. Valentia played a pivotal role during various conflicts, particularly during the revolt led by Quintus Sertorius, and was eventually captured by Pompey the Great in 75 BC.
The city's significance grew under Roman rule, especially during the reign of Augustus, who solidified its colonial status. By the third century AD, Valentia emerged as a key center of trade and administration between the Ebro and Jucar rivers, surpassing the nearby city of Saguntum. In 413 AD, the city fell into the hands of the Visigoths. Today, remnants of its ancient structures can be seen, with fragments incorporated into later churches, while archaeological finds reveal a deep history beneath the modern city. Valentia's legacy reflects a blend of cultural influences and historical transformations over the centuries.
Subject Terms
Valentia (ancient city of Nearer Spain)
(Valencia)
A city on the eastern coast of Nearer Spain (Hispania Citerior, later Tarraconensis) beside the mouth of the river Turis (Turia). Originally a Greek settlement, Valentia later became Carthaginian. Although alternative locations have been suggested, this is probably the Valentia at which, according to Livy, Decimus Junius Brutus planted the former soldiers of Rome's nationalist enemy Viriathus in 138 BC; whereupon the town issued its own bronze coinage until the following century.
Its citizens subsequently supported Quintus Sertorius in his revolt against the central government. After heavy fighting in the area, the town was captured from his lieutenants by Pompey the Great in 75; but the conquest of the fertile adjoining plain long eluded him. Although the sources are conflicting, Valentia seems to have become a Roman colony, perhaps c 60, serving as an important station on the coastal road between Carthago Nova (Cartagena) and Tarraco (Tarragona). The prosperity of the town, however, dates from Augustus, who confirmed its colonial status. In the third century AD it replaced Saguntum (Saguntum) as the most important center between the rivers Iberus (Ebro) and Sucro (Jucar). In 413 it passed into Visigothic hands. Fragments of ancient buildings are incorporated in later churches, and finds of Roman Republican objects appear at a depth of twelve feet beneath the modern surface.