Segobriga
Segobriga came to be an important Roman city located on a hill near the present town of Saelices (Cuenca, Spain). Archaeology has revealed the remains of an impressive set of buildings conserved and visible today in the Archaeological Park.
History
The first mention we have of Segobriga is a brief reference by the Greek geographer [[Strabo{]], that Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius fought in the Wars of Sertorius, in the Celtiberian region around Bílbilis and Segobriga. This ancient area of the Olcade tribe was thus razed in these wars and replaced by Roman Segobriga.
Writing in the first century BC, Sextus Julius Frontinus mentions Segobriga twice in his work Strategemata. He describes the attack by the Lusitanian Viriatus against Segobriga (146 BC) which was allied to Rome:
1) "Viriatus, arranging his troops in ambush, sent a few to steal cattle from the Segobrigenses; they like to go in large numbers to punish, they ran, fleeing ..."
2) "Viriatus turned back and ran into unsuspecting Segobrigenses, when most were busy at their sacrifice".
Pliny, in his Naturalis Historia, mentions the exploitation of lapis specularis, a variety of translucent gypsum much appreciated at the time for the manufacture of window glass and an important part of the Segobriga economy. This material was mined in "100,000 places around Segobriga" and Pliny assures us that "the most translucent of this stone is obtained near the city of Segobriga and extracted from deep wells".
After the Roman conquest in the Celtiberian Wars of the early second century BC, Segobriga must have been an hill fort or Celtiberian town. After the wars of Sertorius, it became the centre of that part of the plateau with control of a large territory.
In the time of Augustus around the year 12BC, it ceased to be stipendiary city which paid tribute to Rome, and became a municipium, governed by Roman citizens, with notable city status which led to an economic boom. A program of monumental building was completed in the Flavian period of the 80'sAD, and public buildings and the city wall can be admired today. The city was an important centre of communications. At this time the city was allowed to issue currency in its mint.
Archaeology indicates that in the third century the wealthy elite were still living in the city, but in the fourth century they abandoned its attractions, evidence of inexorable decline and its gradual conversion into a rural centre.
Buildings
Celtíberian
- Necropolis (extramural).
Roman
- Wall and the North Gate
- Amphitheatre
- Theatre
- Monumental Fountain
- Gym and the spa theatre
- Forum
- Acropolis
- Cave shrine of Diana (extramural)
- Aqueduct (extramural)
- Quarries (extramural)
- Circus (extramural): The most recent research has determined that this building was built on a cemetery, but never reached completion.
Visigothic
- Basilica of the Greek Head (extramural)