History of Wars Summary 17 - Justinian's Wars of Expansion 7 Reaches the Iberian Peninsula

Justinian also sought to reclaim Rome's former influence in the Iberian Peninsula. At the time, most of Hispania was under the rule of the Visigothic Kingdom, but a succession dispute arose. Justinian exploited this, dispatching the Eastern Roman army around 552 AD. The troops advanced along the southeastern coast. The Eastern Roman army secured several ports, including Carthago Nova (Carthagena) and Malaca (Malaga), and controlled parts of the south and southeast. An Eastern Roman administrative district called Spania was established here. However, the Eastern Roman rule did not extend to the entire Iberian Peninsula, and the Visigothic Kingdom continued to hold most of the interior. Nevertheless, securing the southern Iberian ports was significant in strengthening the Mediterranean transport network connecting North Africa and Italy. Under Justinian, the Eastern Roman Empire's territory now extended not only to Africa and Italy but also to parts of Iberia. However, maintaining such widely dispersed territories required considerable military strength. As the scale of territorial expansion grew, so did the costs of border defense and administration.