HI´SPALIS
HI´SPALIS (
Ἵσπαλις: also HISPAL, Mela, 2.6,
Sil. Ital. 3.392: Eth.
Hispaliensis, Adj. Hispalensis:
Sevilla), one of the chief cities of Hispania Baetica, stood on the left bank of the Baetis (
Guadalquiver), about 500 stadia from its mouth; but still within the tidal part of the river, which was navigable for large vessels up to the city: so that it had, to a great extent, the advantages of a sea-port.
It was made a colony by Julius Caesar; and although an attempt seems to have been made to exalt the neighbouring colony of Baetis above it, the very site of which is now doubtful, it ranked, in Strabo's time, among the first cities of Turdetania, next after Corduba and Gades; and afterwards even advanced in dignity: so that, in the time of Ptolemy, it had the title of
μητροπόλις, and under the Vandals and Goths it ranked above Corduba, and became the capital of Southern Spain.
In the Roman empire it was the seat of a
convents juridicus, and bore the titles of
JULIA ROMULA and COLONIA ROMULENSIS. (Strab. iii. pp. 141, 142; Hirt.
Bell. Alex. 51, 56; Dion. Cass. 43.39;
Plin. Nat. 3.3;
Itin. Ant. pp. 410, 413, 416; Ge)g. Rav. 4.45; Philostr.
Vit. Apoll. 5.3, 6; Auson.
Clar. Urb. 8; Isidor.
Etym. 15.1; Inser. ap. Gruter, pp. 201, 257, Orelli, vol. ii. p. 396; Florez,
Esp. S. vol. ix. pp. 89, 90; Coins ap. Florez,
Med. de Esp. vol. ii. p. 543; Mionnet, vol. i. p. 24, Suppl. vol i. p. 42; Eckhel, vol. i. p. 28.)
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