La intervención de Q. Cecilio Metelo sobre las Baleares (123 a 121 a. C.). Condiciones previas y sus consecuencias

This article presents the pre-Roman cultures prevailing in Mallorca and Menorca, Talayotic on the one hand and that of the Pitiusas islands on the other, Punic. It then sets out the circumstances of the Roman Republic leading to the decision to conquer the islands. It next analyses the response of the different cultures to the effects of Romanization. The work connects literary sources and archaeological evidence to interpret these events, showing that the primary reason for the conquest was the need for the maritime routes, and to obtain slings for war. It concludes by explaining the long term effect of the conquest on the two cultures.