icians , ▁Gree ks ▁and ▁Car th agini ans ▁success ively ▁settled ▁along ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁coast ▁and ▁founded ▁trad ing ▁colon ies ▁there ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁several ▁centuries . ▁In ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁first ▁Greek ▁colon ies , ▁such ▁as ▁Emp or ion ▁( mod ern ▁Emp ú ries ), ▁were ▁founded ▁along ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁coast ▁on ▁the ▁east , ▁leaving ▁the ▁south ▁coast ▁to ▁the ▁Pho en icians . ▁The ▁Gree ks ▁co ined ▁the ▁name ▁I ber ia , ▁after ▁the ▁river ▁I ber ▁( E bro ). ▁In ▁the ▁sixth ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁Car th agini ans ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁pen ins ula ▁while ▁struggling ▁with ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁for ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Mediter rane an . ▁Their ▁most ▁important ▁col ony ▁was ▁Car th ago ▁Nova ▁( mod ern - day ▁Cart ag ena , ▁Spain ). ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Roman ▁rule ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 1 8 ▁BC , ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁P unic ▁War ▁against ▁the ▁Car th agini ans , ▁the ▁first ▁Roman ▁troops ▁occupied ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula ; ▁however , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁August us ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁an nex ed ▁after ▁ 2 0 0 ▁years ▁of ▁war ▁with ▁the ▁Cel ts ▁and ▁I ber ians . ▁The ▁result ▁was ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁His p ania . ▁It ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁His p ania ▁Ul terior ▁and ▁His p ania ▁C