The ancient form of the Nearer Spain, like that of many other provinces, is somewhat changed, since the time when Pompey the Great, upon the trophies which he erected in the Pyrenees, testified that 877 towns, from the Alps to the borders of the Farther Spain, had been reduced to subjection by him. The whole province is now divided into seven jurisdictions, those of Carthage943, of Tarraco, of Cæsar Augusta944, of Clunia945, of Asturica946, of Lucus947, and of the Bracari948. To these are to be added the islands, which will be described on another occasion, as also 293 states which are dependent on others; besides which the province contains 179 towns. Of these, twelve are colonies, thirteen, towns with the rights of Roman citizens, eighteen with the old Latian rights, one confederate, and 135 tributary.

The first people that we come to on the coast are the Bastuli; after whom, proceeding according to the order which I shall follow, as we go inland, there are the Mentesani, the Oretani, and the Carpetani on the Tagus, and next to them the Vaccæi, the Vectones, and the Celtiberian Arevaci. The towns nearest to the coast are Urci, and Barea949 included in Bætica, the district of Mavitania, next to it Deitania, and then Contestania, and the colony of Carthago Nova; from the Promontory of which, known as the Promontorium Saturni950, to the city of Cæsarea951 in Mauritania, the passage is a distance of 187 miles. The remaining objects worthy of mention on the coast are the river Tader952, and the free colony of Ilici953, whence the Ilicitanian Gulf954 derives its name; to this colony the Icositani are subordinate.

We next have Lucentum955, holding Latian rights; Dianium956, a tributary town; the river Sucro957, and in former times a town of the same name, forming the frontier of Contestania. Next is the district of Edetania, with the delightful expanse of a lake958 before it, and extending backward to Celtiberia. Valentia959, a colony, is situate three miles from the sea, after which comes the river Turium960, and Saguntum961 at the same distance, a town of Roman citizens famous for its fidelity, the river Uduba962, and the district of the Ilergaones963. The Iberus964, a river enriched by its commerce, takes its rise in the country of the Cantabri, not far from the town of Juliobriga965, and flows a distance of 450 miles; 260 of which, from the town of Varia966 namely, it is available for the purposes of navigation. From this river the name of Iberia has been given by the Greeks to the whole of Spain.

Next comes the district of Cossetania, the river Subi967, and the colony of Tarraco, which was built by the Scipios as Carthage968 was by the Carthaginians. Then the district of the Ilergetes, the town of Subur969, and the river Rubricatum970, beyond which begin the Laletani and the Indigetes971. Behind these, in the order in which they will be mentioned, going back from the foot of the Pyrenees, are the Ausetani972, the Lacetani973, and along the Pyrenees, the Cerretani974, next to whom are the Vascones975. On the coast is the colony of Barcino976, surnamed Faventia; Bætulo977 and Iluro978, towns with Roman citizens; the river Larnum979, Blandæ980, the river Alba981; Emporiæ982, a city consisting of two parts, one peopled by the original inhabitants, the other by the Greek descendants of the Phocæans; and the river Ticher983. From this to the Venus Pyrenæa984, on the other side of the Promontory, is a distance of forty miles.

I shall now proceed to give an account of the more remarkable things in these several jurisdictions, in addition to those which have been already mentioned. Forty-three different peoples are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Tarraco: of these the most famous are—holding the rights of Roman citizens, the Dertusani985 and the Bisgargitani; enjoying Latian rights, the Ausetani, and the Cerretani, both Julian and Augustan, the Edetani986, the Gerundenses987, the Gessorienses988, and the Teari989, also called Julienses. Among the tributaries are the Aquicaldenses990, the Onenses, and the Bæculonenses991.

Cæsar Augusta, a free colony, watered by the river Iberus, on the site of the town formerly called Salduba, is situate in the district of Edetania, and is the resort of fifty-five nations. Of these there are, with the rights of Roman citizens, the Bellitani992, the Celsenses993, a former colony, the Calagurritani994, surnamed the Nassici, the Ilerdenses995, of the nation of the Surdaones, near whom is the river Sicoris, the Oscenses996 in the district of Vescitania, and the Turiasonenses997. Of those enjoying the rights of the ancient Latins, there are the Cascantenses998, the Ergavicenses999, the Graccuritani1000, the Leonicenses1001, and the Osicerdenses; of federate states, there are the Tarragenses1002; and of tributaries, the Arcobrigenses1003, the Andologenses1004, the Aracelitani1005, the Bursaonenses1006, the Calagurritani1007, who are also surnamed the Fibularenses, the Complutenses1008, the Carenses1009, the Cincenses1010, the Cortonenses, the Damanitani1011, the Larnenses1012, the Lursenses1013, the Lumberitani1014, the Lacetani, the Lubienses, the Pompelonenses1015, and the Segienses.

Sixty-five different nations resort to Carthage1016, besides the inhabitants of the islands. Of the Accitanian1017 colony, there are the Gemellenses, and the town of Libisosona1018, surnamed Foroaugustana, to both of which have been granted Italian1019 rights. Of the colony of Salaria1020, there are the people of the following towns, enjoying the rights of ancient Latium: the Castulonenses, also called the Cæsari Venales, the Sætabitani1021 or Augustani, and the Valerienses1022. The best known among the tributaries are the Alabanenses1023, the Bastitani1024, the Consaburrenses1025, the Dianenses1026, the Egelestani1027, the Ilorcitani1028, the Laminitani, the Mentesani1029, both those called Oritani and those called Bastuli, and the Oretani who are surnamed Germani1030, the people of Segobriga1031 the capital of Celtiberia, those of Toletum1032 the capital of Carpetania, situate on the river Tagus, and after them the Viatienses and the Virgilienses1033.

To the jurisdiction of Clunia1034 the Varduli contribute fourteen nations, of whom we need only particularize the Albanenses1035, the Turmodigi1036, consisting of four tribes, among which are the Segisamonenses1037 and the Segisamaiulienses. To the same jurisdiction belong the Carietes1038 and the Vennenses with five states, among which are the Velienses. Thither too resort the Pelendones of the Celtiberians, in four different nations, among whom the Numantini1039 were especially famous. Also, among the eighteen states of the Vaccæi, there are the Intercatienses1040, the Pallantini1041, the Lacobrigenses, and the Caucenses1042. But among the seven peoples belonging to the Cantabri, Juliobriga1043 is the only place worthy of mention; and of the ten states of the Autrigones, Tritium and Virovesca1044. The river Areva1045 gives its name to the Arevaci; of whom there are six towns, Segontia1046 and Uxama1047, names which are frequently given to other places, as also Segovia1048 and Nova Augusta, Termes1049, and Clunia itself, the frontier of Celtiberia. The remaining portion turns off towards the ocean, being occupied by the Varduli, already mentioned, and the Cantabri.

Next upon these touch the twenty-two nations of the Astures, who are divided into the Augustani1050 and the Transmontani, with the magnificent city of Asturica. Among these we have the Cigurri1051, the Pæsici, the Lancienses1052, and the Zoëlæ1053. The total number of the free population amounts to 240,000 persons.

The jurisdiction of Lucus1054 embraces, besides the Celtici and the Lebuni, sixteen different nations, but little known and with barbarous names. The number however of the free population amounts to nearly 166,000.

In a similar manner the twenty-four states of the jurisdiction of the Bracari contain a population of 175,000, among whom, besides the Bracari1055 themselves, we may mention, without wearying the reader, the Bibali, the Cœlerni, the Gallæci, the Hequæsi, the Limici, and the Querquerni.

The length of the Nearer Spain, from the Pyrenees to the frontier of Castulo, is 6071056 miles, and a little more if we follow the line of the coast; while its breadth, from Tarraco to the shore of Olarson1057, is 3071058 miles. From the foot of the Pyrenees, where it is wedged in by the near approach of the two seas, it gradually expands until it touches the Farther Spain, and thereby acquires a width more than double1059.

Nearly the whole of Spain abounds in mines1060 of lead, iron, copper, silver, and gold; in the Nearer Spain there is also found lapis specularis1061; in Bætica there is cinnabar. There are also quarries of marble. The Emperor Vespasianus Augustus, while still harassed by the storms that agitated the Roman state, conferred the Latian rights on the whole of Spain. The Pyrenean mountains divide Spain from Gaul, their extremities projecting into the two seas on either side.