ia " ▁origin ated ▁by ▁the ▁An cient ▁Greek ▁word ▁ Ἰ β η ρ ί α ▁() ▁by ▁Greek ▁ge ograph ers ▁under ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁what ▁is ▁known ▁today ▁in ▁English ▁as ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁name ▁did ▁not ▁describe ▁a ▁single ▁political ▁entity ▁or ▁a ▁distinct ▁population ▁of ▁people . ▁Stra bo ' s ▁' I ber ia ' ▁was ▁del ine ated ▁from ▁K elt ik ē ▁( G a ul ) ▁by ▁the ▁Py ren ees ▁and ▁included ▁the ▁entire ▁land ▁mass ▁south west ▁( he ▁says ▁" west ") ▁of ▁there . ▁With ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Cast ill ian ▁language ▁in ▁Spain , ▁the ▁word ▁" I ber ia " ▁appeared ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁direct ▁' desc endant ' ▁of ▁the ▁Greek ▁word ▁" Ἰ β η ρ ί α " ▁and ▁the ▁Roman ▁word ▁" H iber ia ". ▁ ▁The ▁ancient ▁Gree ks ▁reached ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula , ▁of ▁which ▁they ▁had ▁heard ▁from ▁the ▁Pho en icians , ▁by ▁voy aging ▁west ward ▁on ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁H ec ata eus ▁of ▁M ile t us ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁term ▁I ber ia , ▁which ▁he ▁wrote ▁about ▁circa ▁ 5 0 0 ▁BC . ▁Her odot us ▁of ▁Hal ic arn ass us ▁says