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40-594: The city was situated at the junction of several important routes. It sat near a crossing of the Guadiana river. Roman roads connected the city west to Felicitas Julia Olisippo (Lisbon), south to Hispalis (Seville), northwest to the gold mining area, and to Corduba (Córdoba) and Toletum (Toledo). Today the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain and

80-410: A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. The theatre was built from 16 to 15 BC and dedicated by the consul Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa . It has seating for around 6000 spectators. It was renovated in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD, possibly by the emperor Trajan or Hadrian . Later, it was renovated again between 330 and 340 during the reigns of Constantine and his sons, when a walkway around

120-580: A current bullring . This site has rendered prime examples of the remnants of Mithraism . According to professor Jaime Alvar Ezquerra of the Charles III University of Madrid , the oldest Mithraeum artefacts are observed outside of Rome and Mérida "is at the head of the provincial places where the cult is encountered". These are currently located in the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, including

160-453: A ford of the river Guadiana , which offered as a support a central island that divides it into two channels. The original structure did not provide the continuity of the present, as it was composed of two sections of arches joined at the island, by a large Starling . This was replaced by several arcs in the 17th century after a flood in 1603 damaged part of the structure. In the Roman era the length

200-465: A gable. It is mainly built of granite. An entrance arch, possibly to the provincial forum. It was located in the Cardo Maximus , one of the main streets of the city and connected it to the municipal forum. Made of granite and originally faced with marble, it measures 13.97 metres (45.8 ft) high, 5.70 metres (18.7 ft) wide and 8.67 metres (28.4 ft) internal diameter. It is believed to have

240-482: A marketplace, a forum was a gathering place of great social significance, and often the scene of diverse activities, including political discussions and debates, rendezvous, meetings, et cetera. In that case, it supplemented the function of a conciliabulum . Every municipality ( municipium ) had a forum. Fora were the first of any civitas synoecized whether Latin, Italic, Etruscan, Greek, Celtic, or other. The first forums were sited between independent villages in

280-572: A satisfactory state. Despite its name, wrongly assigned on its discovery, the building was dedicated to the Imperial cult . It was built in the late 1st century BC or early in the Augustan era. In the sixteenth century AD it was partly re-used for the palace of the Count of Corbos. Rectangular, and surrounded by columns, it faces the front of the city's Forum. This front is formed by a set of six columns ending in

320-518: A triumphal character, although it could also serve as a prelude to the Provincial Forum. Its name is arbitrary, as the commemorative inscription was lost centuries ago. This building was found fortuitously in the early 1960s, and is located on the southern slope of Mount San Albín. Its proximity to the location of Mérida's Mithraeum led to its current name. The whole house was built in blocks of unworked stone with reinforced corners. It demonstrates

360-519: A valued nature conservation character to the region. In Spain, three autonomous communities, (Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Andalusia) (comprising the provinces of Ciudad Real , Badajoz , and Huelva ) are crossed by the Guadiana. Meanwhile, in Portugal the river crosses the regions of Alentejo and Algarve , and the districts of Portalegre , Évora , Beja and Faro . There are over 30 dams on

400-632: Is semiarid with an average annual temperature of 14 to 16 °C (57 to 61 °F). The river empties into the Gulf of Cádiz between Ayamonte and Vila Real de Santo António, the two highly touristic regions of the Algarve and the sea-side of Andalusia . There it forms a saltmarsh estuary . The estuary has a maximum width of 550 metres (1,800 ft), and its depth ranges from 5 to 17 metres (16 to 56 ft). Tides are semi- diurnal , ranging from 0.8 to 3.5 metres (2.6 to 11.5 ft); their upriver propagation

440-593: Is an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border , separating Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain) from Alentejo and Algarve (Portugal). The river's basin extends from la Mancha and the eastern portion of Extremadura to the southern provinces of the Algarve; the river and its tributaries flow from east to west, then south through Portugal to the border towns of Vila Real de Santo António (Portugal) and Ayamonte (Spain), where it flows into

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480-571: Is limited by falls situated 76 kilometres (47 mi) from the mouth at Moinho dos Canais. In the lower estuary there are nature reserves covering a total of 2,089 hectares (5,160 acres); in Spain, the Marismas de Isla Cristina and, in Portugal, the Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António (English: Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve ); they give

520-725: The Gulf of Cádiz . With a course that covers a distance of 829 kilometres (515 mi), it is the fourth-longest in the Iberian Peninsula , and its hydrological basin extends over an area of approximately 68,000 square kilometres (26,000 sq mi) (the majority of which lies within Spain). Ptolemy's Geography recorded the Celtiberian name as Anas , meaning a marshy area or bayou . The Romans adapted this name as [Flumen Anās ] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |links= ( help ) , which

560-519: The Portico of Pompey ( Porticus Pompeii ). The structure was the forebear of Julius Caesar's forum and others to follow. Other major fora are found in Italy. However, they are not to be confused with the piazza of the modern town, which may have originated from a number of different types of ancient civic centers, or more likely was its own type. While similar in use and function to fora, most were created in

600-473: The peristyle house with interior garden and a room of the famous western sector Cosmogonic Mosaic, an allegorical representation of the elements of nature (rivers, winds, etc.) overseen by the figure of Aion . The complex has been recently roofed and renovated. As mentioned above, it is not considered the actual Mithraeum but a domus . The remains of the Mithraeum are uphill from it in a plot corresponding to

640-413: The stoas used for open stalls. But such fora functioned secondarily for multiple purposes, including as social meeting places for discussion. Many fora were constructed at remote locations along a road by the magistrate responsible for the road, in which case the forum was the only settlement at the site and had its own name, such as Forum Popili or Forum Livi . In addition to its standard function as

680-586: The Elder , was that the river originated from the Lagunas de Ruidera and divided into two branches: the Upper Guadiana (Spanish: Guadiana Viejo ) and the Guadiana, while separated by a subterranean course. This legend developed from a misguided belief (which persisted until the 19th century) that the river appeared and disappeared over time, because of its subterranean tributary. In fact, no subterranean course exists, and

720-413: The Guadiana is the highest waterfall is Southern Portugal called Pulo do Lobo . The ecosystem has Mediterranean hydrological characteristics, including high variation in intra- and inter-annual discharge, large floods and severe droughts. This variability is a consequence of considerable variation in rainwater supply averaging around an annual mean of 400 to 600 millimetres (16 to 24 in). The climate

760-552: The Middle Ages and are often not a part of the original city footprint. Fora were a regular part of every Roman province in the Republic and the Empire , with archaeological examples at: In new Roman towns the forum was usually located at, or just off, the intersection of the main north–south and east–west streets (the cardo and decumanus ). All fora would have a Temple of Jupiter at

800-456: The belief that the Lagunas de Ruidera is the source is also controversial. toponymically and traditionally the Upper Guadiana, which runs from Viveros ( Albacete ) until Argamasilla de Alba ( Ciudad Real ) had been identified as the main branch of the Guadiana. But even hydro-geological characteristics indicate that the Upper Guadiana may not be the principal river within the system. Another of

840-515: The building are unworked stone and granite for the seating. Both buildings have preserved their identifying epigraphs of the original gens (families) who owned them, the gens Voconia and the gens Iulia . Recently, the area has been arranged as a promenade and park about the relation to death of Mérida inhabitants. Quotations of Epicurians and Stoics are displayed in panels, and tomb remains and trees are mixed with panels explaining Roman funerary practices . Two Roman mausoleums are also on

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880-524: The city's entire population, more or less. Like most circuses throughout the Roman Empire, Mérida's resembled a scaled-down version of Rome's Circus Maximus . The bridge can be considered the focal point of the city. It connects to one of the main arteries of the colony, the Decumanus Maximus , or east-west main street typical of Roman settlements. The location of the bridge was carefully selected at

920-409: The city. The arcade is fairly well preserved, especially the section that spans the valley of the river Albarregas. It is known as Acueducto de los Milagros (English: "Miraculous Aqueduct"), because it seems a miracle that it is still standing. This aqueduct brought water from streams and underground springs located north of the city. The subterranean part of the aqueduct is very well preserved, but

960-406: The fate of the city. The amphitheatre was dedicated in 8 BC, for use in gladiatorial contests and staged beast-hunts. It has an elliptical arena, surrounded by tiered seating for around 15,000 spectators, divided according to the requirements of Augustan ideology: the lowest seats were reserved for the highest status spectators. Only these lowest tiers survive. Once the games had fallen into disuse,

1000-478: The latest remains found in excavations as recently as 2003. He notes that some of the sculptures being discovered at the site are in very good condition, leading him to believe they were "hidden on purpose". The Columbaria are two roofless funeral buildings, part of a necropolis outside the walls of the Roman city. Both are the best examples of funerary constructions in Emerita. The materials used for manufacturing of

1040-457: The monument and new decorative elements were added. Subsequently, with the advent of Christianity as Rome's sole state religion, theatrical performances were officially declared immoral: the theatre was abandoned and most of its fabric was covered with earth, leaving only its upper tiers of seats ( summa cavea ). In Spanish tradition, these were known as "The Seven Chairs" in which it is popularly thought that several Moorish kings held court to decide

1080-614: The origin theories, postulated that the Cigüela and Záncara rivers were the sources of the Guadiana. Today, they are considered integral parts of the river's headwaters and important tributaries, but not necessarily the exact origin. The Ciguela's source is in Altos de Cabreras ( Cuenca ) and pertains to the Sistema Ibérico , at an elevation of 1,080 metres (3,540 ft). Its course is 225 kilometres (140 mi) long, receiving contributions from

1120-628: The period, known only through archaeology. After the rise of the Roman Republic , the most noted forum of the Roman world—the Roman Forum in Rome itself—served as a model of new construction. By the time of the late Republic, expansions refurbishing the forums of the city had inspired Pompey Magnus to create the Theatre of Pompey in 55 BC. His theatre included a massive forum behind the theatre arcades known as

1160-715: The prefix guad- such as the hydronyms Guadalquivir , Guadalete , and Guadarrama . The Guadiana flows east to west through Spain and south through Portugal, then forms the Spanish-Portuguese border; it flows into the Gulf of Cádiz , part of the Atlantic Ocean, between Vila Real de Santo António (Portugal) and Ayamonte (Spain). It is 818 kilometres (508 mi) long, of which 578 kilometres (359 mi) are within Spanish territory, 140 kilometres (87 mi) within Portugal, while 100 kilometres (62 mi) are shared between

1200-402: The river basin. The following are the dams on the Guadiana river itself: Forum (Roman) A forum ( Latin : forum , "public place outdoors", pl. : fora ; English pl. : either fora or forums ) was a public square in a municipium , or any civitas , of Ancient Rome reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, along with the buildings used for shops and

1240-460: The rivers Jualón, Torrejón, Riánsares, Amarguillo and Záncara . The union of the rivers Ciguela and Záncara permits the replenishment of the waters in the Tablas de Daimiel National Park , a wetland that was designated for protection by the Spanish government in 1973 (situated in the municipalities of Villarrubia de los Ojos and Daimiel , in the province of Ciudad Real). From its origin/spring runs from

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1280-636: The same site. During the 1970s this was the slum dwelling of a tin-worker's family. The area is accessed through the Mérida Mithraeum House. These are the protected sites of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida as listed by UNESCO : Guadiana The Guadiana River ( / ˌ ɡ w ɑː d i ˈ ɑː n ə / GWAH -dee- AH -nə , US also / ɡ w ɑː d ˈ j ɑː n ə / gwahd- YAH -nə , Spanish: [ɡwaˈðjana] , Portuguese: [ɡwɐdiˈɐnɐ] )

1320-508: The southern Iberian plain in a direction east to west, to near the town of Badajoz , where it begins to track south leading to the Gulf of Cádiz. The Guadiana marks the border of Spain and Portugal twice as it runs to the ocean: first, between the River Caia and Ribeira de Cuncos , then later from the River Chança until its mouth. The river is not used to completely mark the boundary between

1360-458: The stone of the upper tiers was quarried for use elsewhere. The circus of Augusta Emerita was built some time around 20 BC, and was in use for many years before its dedication some thirty years later, probably during the reign of Augustus' successor, Tiberius . It was sited outside the city walls, alongside the road that connected Emeritus in Corduba ( Córdoba ) with Toletum ( Toledo ). The arena plan

1400-493: The structure built to cross the Albarregas valley is not. The only surviving elements of that structure are three pillars and their arches located next to the monument of the Roman circus and near to another aqueduct built in the 16th century, partly composed of material reused from the Roman aqueduct. This temple is a municipal building belonging to the city forum . It is one of the few buildings of religious character preserved in

1440-647: The two nations. About 82 percent, 55,444 square kilometres (21,407 sq mi), of its basin is in Spain, while about 17 percent, 11,560 square kilometres (4,460 sq mi) is in Portugal. The exact source of the river in Castilla-La Mancha is disputed, but it is generally believed to spring in the Ojos del Guadiana  [ es ] , Villarrubia de los Ojos municipal term, Ciudad Real Province , Castile–La Mancha, about 608 metres (1,995 ft) in elevation. A classic theory introduced by Pliny

1480-503: The two states; between the Olivenza ravine and the Táliga ravine, the border still remains a disputed section claimed de jure by both countries and administered de facto by Spain (as part of the Spanish autonomous community of Extremadura ). For the most part, the Guadiana is navigable from the Atlantic Ocean until Mértola , a distance of 68 kilometres (42 mi). North of Mértola on

1520-585: Was etymolygised as the "River of Ducks." After the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula , the name was extended and referred to as Wadi Ana , later passed on to Portuguese and Spanish settlers as the Ouadiana , and later just Odiana . Since the 16th century, the name slowly evolved to take on the form Guadiana , a cognitive variation that developed from many Andalusi river place-names beginning in wadi using

1560-474: Was extended several times, adding at least five consecutive sections of arches so that the road is not cut during the periodic flooding of the Guadiana. The bridge spans a total of 792 m, making it one of the largest surviving bridges of ancient times. This aqueduct dates from the early 1st century BC, and was part of the supply system that brought water to Mérida from the Proserpina Dam located 5 km from

1600-463: Was of elongated U-shape, with one end semicircular and the other flattened. A lengthwise spina formed a central divide within, to provide a continuous trackway for two-horse and four-horse chariot racing . The track was surrounded by ground level cellae , with tiered stands above. At some 400m long and 100m wide, the Circus was the city's largest building, and could seat about 30,000 spectators –

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