Lisbon > Lisboa Lisboa Portugal

The Iberian Peninsula is a geographically diverse region, encompassing distinct climatic and geomorphological zones, including Andalusia, Castile, Galicia, and Lusitania.

Lusitania, which corresponds largely to modern-day Portugal, is set apart from the rest of the peninsula by its higher elevation parallel to the Atlantic coast, greater rainfall, and more temperate climate. This regional distinctiveness, combined with Lusitania’s geographic isolation—open to the south, yet bordered by mountains to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west—fosters the development of a culturally and socially distinct people, the Portuguese, ultimately leading to the emergence of the independent nation-state of Portugal.

Early Human Inhabitants

Lusitania has been inhabited since the Paleolithic period, with human-made implements found across numerous archaeological sites. Unlike much of Europe, Lusitania remained untouched by Ice Age glaciation, allowing for continuous human habitation.

As the Paleolithic hunting cultures decline, a warmer climate gives rise to river-centered societies. By 7000 BCE, at the end of the Paleolithic period, hunting and fishing tribes populate the Tagus River Valley (Rio Tejo), settling near the mouths of its tributaries.

These early inhabitants leave behind large kitchen middens, filled with the remains of shellfish and crustaceans, alongside the bones of oxen, deer, sheep, horses, pigs, wild dogs, badgers, and cats—offering a glimpse into their diet and way of life.

By around 3000 BCE, Neolithic peoples in Portugal’s Tagus River Valley begin constructing simple dwellings and practicing agriculture.

They develop polished stone tools, produce ceramics, and engage in a cult of the dead, erecting numerous dolmens—large funerary monuments that reflect their ritual and spiritual beliefs.

The region of present-day Lisbon was inhabited during Neolithic times by Iberian-related peoples, who also settled across Atlantic Europe. These early inhabitants left behind megalithic religious monuments, including dolmens and menhirs, many of which still survive in the countryside around the city.

By 1200 BCE, the Phoenicians had begun establishing trading colonies across the western Mediterranean. The founding of Lisbon itself has been attributed to various legendary figures, including Odysseus, the Cretan warrior-king of Homer’s Odyssey, and Elisha, grandson of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham. However, a more credible theory suggests that Phoenician traders played a role in the city’s early development.

Phoenician Influence and Trade

Archaeological evidence suggests that Phoenician influence existed in the area as early as 1200 BCE, leading some historians to propose that a Phoenician trading post may have occupied what is now Lisbon’s historic center, on the southern slope of Castle Hill.

The city’s strategic location at the mouth of the Tagus River provided a natural harbor, making it an ideal supply hub for Phoenician ships traveling to the Tin Islands (modern Isles of Scilly) and Cornwall. Additionally, the Phoenicians may have used this settlement as a base for trading with inland Iberian tribes, exchanging valuable metals, salt, salted fish, and Lusitanian horses, which were renowned in antiquity.

Origins of Lisbon’s Name

Lisbon’s ancient name, Olisipo, is thought to derive from the Phoenician Alis Ubbo (meaning "safe harbor") or, alternatively, from the legend of Ulysses, who was said to have founded the city after leaving Troy and escaping the Greek coalition.

In Latin sources, geographer Pomponius Mela, a native of Hispania, refers to the city as Ulyssippo, while Pliny the Elder and later Greek writers call it Olisippo, Olissipo, or Olissipona.

However, most modern historians reject the theory of a Phoenician-founded Lisbon, instead suggesting that the city originated as an indigenous Iberian oppidum (a fortified settlement) that merely maintained trade relations with Phoenicians—a theory supported by the discovery of Phoenician pottery and other artifacts in the region.

Another theory suggests that Lisbon’s name derives from the pre-Roman name of the Tagus River, possibly Lisso or Lucio.

Archaeological findings at the site of present-day Lisbon suggest an eastern Mediterranean influence as early as 1200 BCE, leading some historians to theorize that a Phoenician trading post may have occupied the southern slope of Castle Hill, the heart of the modern city.

The natural harbor of the Tagus River estuary made Lisbon an ideal supply point for Phoenician ships traveling to the Tin Islands (modern Isles of Scilly) and Cornwall in search of metals. One theory suggests that the city’s original name was Allis Ubbo, meaning "safe harbor" in Phoenician. Another theory posits that Lisbon was named after the pre-Roman name of the Tagus River, possibly Lisso or Lucio.

Beyond their northern trade routes, the Phoenicians may have leveraged a settlement at the mouth of Iberia’s largest river to facilitate trade with inland tribes, particularly in valuable metals. Other key local products included salt, salted fish, and the highly prized Lusitanian horses.

Recent excavations beneath the Medieval Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral) have uncovered Phoenician remains dating to the 8th century BCE, further confirming their presence in the region.

However, most modern historians dismiss the idea of a Phoenician-founded Lisbon, instead proposing that the city originated as an indigenous Iberian oppidum (fortified settlement). The presence of Phoenician artifacts, such as pottery, is generally attributed to trade rather than colonization.

After the final Punic War, the Romans shift their focus to the conquest of Hispania.

Following the death of Viriathus, the Lusitanian chieftain, and the subsequent defeat of his successor, Tantalus, by Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul in 140 BCE), the Roman proconsul Decimus Junius Brutus leads the campaign to conquer western Iberia.

Brutus secures major victories in the south of modern Portugal before advancing northward. Along his march, he fortifies Olissipo (modern Lisbon) and systematically destroys settlements, expanding Roman control over the region.

The Romans organize the conquered peoples of Iberia into jurisdictions, each governed from a Roman administrative and judicial center.

In present-day Portugal, Olissipo (modern Lisbon) serves as the administrative capital until the founding of Emerita (modern Mérida, Spain) in 25 CE.

By the early first century CE, Romanization is well underway in southern Portugal. Key developments include:

• The establishment of a senate in Eboracum (modern Évora),
• The opening of Greek and Latin schools,
• The growth of industries such as brick-making, tile production, and iron smelting,
• The construction of military roads and bridges, connecting administrative centers, and
• The erection of monuments, such as the Temple of Diana in Évora.

Gradually, Roman influence expands into northern Portugal. The Lusitanians, once resistant to Roman rule, are forced from their hilltop fortifications and resettled in lowland Roman towns (citanias), integrating them further into Roman civilization.

The citanias are among the most significant institutions introduced to Lusitania during the Roman occupation.

Within these Romanized settlements, the Lusitanians gradually assimilate Roman civilization—learning Latin, the lingua franca of the Iberian Peninsula and the foundation of modern Portuguese. They are also introduced to Roman administration, legal structures, and religious practices.

By the fourth century, following Rome’s conversion to Christianity, the Lusitanians adopt the new faith as well.

The Roman occupation leaves a lasting cultural, economic, and administrative imprint on the Iberian Peninsula, shaping its identity in ways that continue to influence the region to this day.

The Suebi in Hispania likely remained mostly pagan until 466 CE, when an Arian missionary named Ajax, sent by Visigothic King Theodoric II at the request of Suebic ruler Remismund, successfully converts the Suebi nobility to Arian Christianity.

Ajax’s mission establishes a lasting Arian church, which remains dominant among the Suebi until their conversion to Catholicism in the 560s.

In 469 CE, the Suebi achieve a major victory by capturing Lisbon, aided by Lusidius, a native Roman who betrays the city to them.

Following this, Lusidius leads a Suebi delegation to the court of Emperor Anthemius, possibly seeking diplomatic recognition or political negotiation.

However, with the Chronicle of Hydatius ending in 468 CE, the later fate of Remismund remains uncertain, leaving a gap in the historical record regarding his rule and the subsequent direction of the Suebic Kingdom.

The Moorish Conquest of Estremadura (By 715 CE)

By 715 CE, the Moors have successfully conquered Estremadura, the Tagus River basin region of Portugal, which includes key Visigothic cities such as Lisbon, ...