Mellaria facts for kids
Mellaria was an ancient Roman town. It was located in a part of Spain called Hispania Baetica. This area is now known as the Province of Cádiz. Mellaria was right on the coast of the Strait of Gibraltar. People aren't totally sure where it was. Some think it was where the town of Tarifa is today. Others believe it was closer to Valdevaqueros.
Where Was Mellaria Located?
For a long time, people have wondered exactly where Mellaria was. In the 1700s, a historian named Ignacio Lopez de Ayala thought Mellaria was the same place as modern-day Tarifa. He found old coins and building foundations there.
However, some people disagreed. They believed another Roman town, Iulia Traducta, was at Tarifa. So, many thought Mellaria was a bit west of Tarifa. This was near a place called Casas de Porro, where the Río del Valle river meets the sea. Old Roman pottery and a tomb were found there. But this coast had many settlements back then. So, these finds might belong to a different town.
Another ancient writer, Pliny the Elder, wrote about Mellaria. He said the narrowest part of the Strait of Gibraltar was between Mellaria and a place in Africa. This suggests Mellaria was at the very tip of Tarifa.
Other ancient geographers also gave clues. Strabo said Mellaria was between Carteia and Belo. Pomponius Mela placed Mellaria between Tingentera (another name for Iulia Traducta) and Baelo Claudia. He also mentioned Tingentera was in the same bay as Carteia. Ptolemy also located Mellaria between Traducta and Baelo. If we assume Traducta Iulia was in the Bay of Algeciras, then it makes sense to think Mellaria was indeed where Tarifa is now.
What Was Mellaria Like?
Mellaria was an important town for its time. The ancient writer Strabo mentioned that Mellaria had a big factory. This factory was used for preserving fish with salt. This was a very important industry in Roman times.
Mellaria was also the birthplace of a Latin writer named Turiano Gracil. We don't know much about him, but it's cool that a writer came from this town!
A famous event happened near Mellaria. The historian Plutarch wrote about a naval battle in 80 BC. This battle took place off the coast of Mellaria. In this fight, a Roman general named Quintus Sertorius defeated another general, Gaius Aurelius Cotta. This battle was part of a big rebellion Sertorius led in Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Mellaria para niños
