Catalonia

Catalonia stands apart from the rest of Spain. Catalans speak their own language. They are not dancing flamenco preferring sardana – the group dance similar to the Greek sirtaki. The corrida is not popular here. Catalans lose temper when someone calls Catalonia Spain. The Catalan blood is striving for independence and superiority. Such attitude to themselves goes back to the times of the Great Roman Empire.

Spain consists of some provinces and each province is different from other by its own temper and spirit. The relations between provinces are equable but every province tries to emphasize its independence and individuality.

Spaniards like jokes and their favourite jokes regard to their neighbours, in other words the inhabitants of other provinces. The resident of Valencia will make fun of the Castilian; the Castilian will laugh the inhabitant of Andalusia. They say if a fly appears in a glass of wine, the Castilian will ask to change the glass, the Aragoness will drink with the fly; and the Catalan will fish out the fly and will make it to spit out the wine it swallowed.

By the way “Catalan” is an appellative for inhabitants of Spain. Catalans are known for their proud, intolerance towards neighbours, avidity and supernormal independence. Probably there is an element of truth in such statements though it doesn’t derogate their perfections.

The third century B.C. was great and tragic for Catalonia. In this part of the Iberian Peninsula Carthaginians and Romans were fighting for domination in the Mediterranean world. Punic wars were finished with the clear victory of Romans and the Great Empire had been governing the conquered territory for six centuries. Romans brought here their language, laws, culture and religion. But the end of the Punic wars didn’t bring the peace to Iberia. Infighting began in the Empire.

The contemporary Catalonia was divided between Roman governors; every governor had his own opinion about the future of Empire and some of them even were striving to rule Rome.

The region Taracco was supporting Julius Caesar and the province Lerida was on the side of Pompey Magnus. The fight for power turned into the bloody war in which won Caesar; he became to rule the Roman province he established the Union of Hispanic Cities which became a colony of the Roman Empire. The center of the Union was Taracco (contemporary Tarragona).

The glory Caesar brought to Taracco involved the city in many troubles. The documents found much later after Caesar’s governing testified about high taxes the province inhabitants had been paying to Rome. No wonder that the contemporary Tarragona honors the Caesar’s nephew Octavian August, but not Caesar. Octavian was who brought down taxes and made Taracco non-official capital of the Roman Empire.

Some years later in 61 A.D. the peace in the Roman Empire was broken by new fight for power. Taracco was again involved in the fight. To be continued.

Source: http://limerex.com