At its base the Roman Empire was organized according to its cities and the territories that surrounded them. In those places of the Empire where there were no cities, or where they were not sufficiently important, the Roman state struggled to create them. But what was the condition of the cities of Baetica? In the following pages we will present the most relevant data about the principal cities of this part of the Empire. In this way it becomes possible to estimate the intensity of the transformations that took place during Late Antiquity.

Both historical and archaeological information clearly show that, upon Rome's arrival in 208 BC, western Baetica already boasted a dense network of important cities and settlements. To a certain extent, a great part of Carthage's success in the Iberian Peninsula was due to it being able to take advantage of such a structure. In fact, it would be impossible to understand either the Second Punic War or the magnitude of the menace posed to Rome by Hannibal Barca if this reality is not grasped. The region was extraordinarily wealthy in metals, grain, olive oil, and mercenaries. The agreements that the Barcas established with the various local powers of the region allowed them to channel these resources into their struggle against Rome. Undoubtedly the Roman state was eventually able to win the war because it seized Hannibal's supply base, that is, southern Hispania.

The conquest of the territory was not easy for Rome, and many Baetican cities became Roman tributary towns (civitates stipendiariae), owing to their opposition to the conquest. However, Rome also found support in the struggle against the Carthaginians, and other cities were conferred the title of allies of Rome (civitates foederatae). The battle of Baecula (211 BC) took place in the vicinity of the city of Castulo and was an essential Roman victory that facilitated control of a region endowed with great silver mines. Nevertheless, the territory was not completely subdued until the decisive battle of Ilipa (207 BC). Rome's leaders were quick to understand that, if they had the intention of dominating the territory, they needed to establish permanent bases there.