SAGUNTO

Latin Saguntum, town, Valencia province, in the autonomous community (region) of Valencia, eastern Spain, at the foot of the Peas de Pajarito, on the western bank of the Ro Palancia, just north-northeast of Valencia city. Of Iberian origin, the town is the ancient Saguntum, which is thought to have been founded by Greek colonists from Zkinthos (Zante; whence its name). About 225 BC, the Romans, disquieted by the growth of Carthaginian power in Spain, concluded an alliance with the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal that guaranteed the independence of Saguntum and required his forces not to cross the Ro Ebro. In 219 BC, however, the town was taken by Hannibal, the brother of Hasdrubal, after a heroic resistance. Rome complained to Carthage, demanding Hannibal's surrender; this demand was rejected, and the Second Punic War began. After the Romans recaptured Saguntum in 214, they restored its ancient importance; its inhabitants received Roman citizenship, and they enriched the town with the monuments of which the remains may still be seen. The Roman theatre built under the emperors Lucius Septimius Severus and Caracalla is the most notable building. There are also remains of different periods; the acropolis (fortresses on the curved crest of rock that dominates the city), the temples of the goddesses Diana and Venus, and the aqueduct (constructed in various structural types ranging from crude Iberian through Roman and Moorish). The Moors called the town Murbiter (from muri veteres, old walls), which perhaps gave rise to the name Murviedro, by which it was known until 1877. Sagunto has light industrial development, and its port exports minerals and citrus fruits. It is a busy rail junction for the eastern Spanish seaboard. Pop. (1981) 54,759.