ABSTRACT
One of the main challenges is defining what can be considered urban. The first chapter will introduce the historical debate of the urban settlements on the Iberian Peninsula. Firstly, the juridical definition will be taken into account. This is the most common approach for the study of the urban settlements of the Hispaniae; many privileged communities are to be expected since Vespasian gave ius Latii (Latin citizenship) to universa Hispania. The problems of the evidence used for this juridical definition (ancient sources, epigraphy and numismatics) will be discussed. Thereafter, we turn to the cities defined as such by their socio-economic function. These places are to be considered urban based on their function as central places. Within this category, various types of central places can be distinguished, such as ports and mining cities, or the local market places. In addition, the presence of sanctuaries and mansiones will be looked at to determine whether these made settlements into focal points for the community. Lastly, we will turn to the criterion of settlement size, a definition used frequently based on the idea that cities in general are large.
