Justin´s "Epitome" as a Mine of Historiographical Themes. Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans in the city of Gades.

Abstract

Book 44 of Justin´s Epitome of Trogus Pompey´s Philippic History was a valuable source of inspiration for late medieval and Renaissance historians who tried to build a past for the Iberian Peninsula; a past which had not caught the attention of ancient authors before the Second Punic War. In this paper we focus on a particular theme, out of several that were taken from this work by Spanish historians: the arrival of the Carthaginians to the Peninsula as allies of the Gaditanians in their war against the natives. This theme was fully developed in the work of Florián de Ocampo, court historian to Charles V, who used it as basis to build a true epic saga full of wars, conquest and betrayal, culminating in the arrival of the Romans. His version inspired later historians and local chroniclers, even though it cast a shadow over the city of Cadiz´s origins. Our purpose is to deeply explore the development of this historical construction, and determine to what extent was Justin the model for each of its different elements.