Epigraphy, ethnography and identity in the inland of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

The Imperial-period epigraphy shows the survival of the organization of the communities in gentes, linked to the Iberian Peninsula map drawn up during the Roman conquest. The mention made by prominent members of the Hispano-Roman elite to their ethnic membership reflects their proud claim to an identity once established in the past, which does not exclude their status as Roman citizens. However, the sources do not provide information on whether these gentes came from pre-Roman communities or whether they were a result of the Roman rule. This paper aims to analyze the role of Rome in the ethnographic map-making and the image of these gentes relying on the information provided by classical authors.