Tarraco - The Period of Caesar Augustus

The Period of Caesar Augustus

In the year 27 B.C. Emperor Augustus went to Spain to monitor the campaigns in Cantabria. However, due to his poor health he preferred to stay in Tarraco. Apparently, Augustus had built an altar in the city, and a story of the rhetoric Quintilian mentions that the inhabitants of Tarraco complained to Augustus that a palm tree had grown on the altar He replies that would mean it was not used very often.

Soon after the old he became the via Herculea in Via Augusta. A milestone, found in Plaza del Toros, mentioned that highway between 12 and 6 B.C., leading Barcino to the northeast and Dertosa, Saguntum and (Valentia) to the south.

In the presence of Augustus the Spanish provinces were organized again. The Hispania Ulterior was divided into new provinces Baetica and Lusitania. Tarraco became the capital of Hispania Citerior, also known as Hispania Tarraconensis.

The city flourished under Augustus. The writer Pomponiu Mela it describes in the 1st century as follows: "Tarraco is the richest port on this coast" (Tarraco urbs est en his oris maritimarum opulentissima). Tarraco under Augustus and Tiberius minted own coins with depictions of the imperial cult and the inscription CVT, CVTT o CVTTAR.

After the death of Augustus in the year of 14 D.C., the emperor was officially deified and in 15 D.C. was erected a temple to bless him, probably in the eastern neighborhood or near the forum of the colony, as mentioned by Tacitus in his annales.