Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/453

* SPAIN. 3S9 SPAIN. Religion. The national Church is the Roman Catholic, and in few countries has it so powerful an iullueuce. The whole population adheres to that faith excepting about 30,000 Protestants, Jews, and others. The Constitution requires the nation to support the clergy and religious build- ings and institutions, the State expending for these purposes annually about 41,000,000 jiesetas. Only restricted and private liberty of worship is permitted to Protestants. In 1884 there were 32,435 priests, 18,504 churches, 11.202 other build- ings of a religious character, 1684 monks, and 14,592 nuns. The religious Orders are numerous and intluential, and many of them have schools and teach industries of all kinds. Education. Instruction was almost entirely neglected until quite recent times. The older generations of the poorer classes are, for the most part, unable either to read or to write. The middle schools and the once famous uni- versities are far inferior in their standards to corresponding institutions in most European countries. Spaniards seldom learn an}' language but their own, excepting the nobility, who usually can converse in French. In 1889 68.1 per cent, of the population could neither read nor write, though by the law of 1857 education was made compulsory. Improvements in the educational system have been in progress for some years. It is now under charge of a Minister of Education with a council. The public primary schools are supported chiefly by the miniicipalities, with a small contribution from the Government; and the average sum now spent on primary educa- tion (most of the children being educated free) is about .*5,000,000 a year. By a law passed in 1902, the schools are now regularly inspected, and rules regarding sanitation, discipline, and the appointment of qualified teachers are enforced under Government authoritv. In 1901 there were 25.340 public schools, with' 1.617.314 pupils, and 6181 private schools; with 344.380 pupils. The secondary schools, of which there must be one in every province, prepare for the universities and are largely attended, but they are still regarded as inefficient. There are nine universities, with about 10.000 students, the largest being at Ma- drid, which has upward of 5000 students. The Government also supports special schools for instruction in engineering, agriculture, fine arts, music, and other branches. The sum set apart in the budget of 1903 for education was 43,122,- 259 pesetas. Ethnology. The perspective of Spanish eth- nology extends back to the Chellean Epoch, im- plements of that type having been dug up in the ancient alluvium at San Isidro and other sta- tions near Madrid. Solutrean implements were found in the grotto of Altamira. Province of Santander. In the same grotto Magdalenian im- plements and characteristic objects in l)one were discovered, and relics belonging to this epoch come from the Basque Provinces, from the basin of the Ebro, and from Catalonia. In historic times all the great divisions of the Caucasian race have mingled their blood in Spain in greater or less proportion — Hamite, Semite, Teuton, Celt, and Mediterranean. The fundamental type bears the name of Celtiherian. and is a result of a mix- ture of the earliest long-headed Mediterraneans and the later-coming lirachycephalic Celts produc- ing a cranial index of 76-79. Keane and Ripley call attention to the uniformity of this index in Spain and in Britain, associated with tall stature and blondness in the latter, with dark color and low stature in the fornu>r. Spain has been invaded in historic times by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Vandals, Arabs, and Moors. It is generally believed that these conquerors modified the original type but little, simply be- cause many of them were already short of stature, dark in skin, hair, and eyes, as well as dolichocephalic. Hlstory. Spain, the Iheria of the Greeks, and the Hispania (q.v.) of the Romans, is supposed to have been originally inhabited by a distinct race called Iberians, upon whom, however, a host of Celts appear to have descended from the Pyrenees. In the earliest times of which we have any record, these two races had already coalesced and formed the mixed nation of the Celtiberians, who were massed chiefly in the centre of the pen- insula, in the western districts, and on the north coasts. In the Pyrenees and along the east coast were to be found pure Iberian tribes, while un- mixed Celtic tribes occupied the northwest. On the south and east coasts were PlKenician, Car- thaginian, Rhodian, and other colonies. In the second half of the third century B.C. a large territory was brouglit under subjection to Carthage by Hamilcar Barca (q.v.), who, accord- ing to Roman tradition, founded the city of Barcelona. After the death of Hamilcar, in B.C. 228, the Carthaginian interest was advanced, and the power of Carthage further strengthened by Hasdrubal (died B.C. 220), son-in-law of Hamil- car, who founded Carthago Nova (the modern Cartagena) and concluded a treaty with the Romans whereby it was stipulated that he should not advance his standards north of the Iberus (Ebro). Hannibal (q.v.), son of Hamilcar, after the death of Hasdrubal attacked and destroyed Saguntum (q.v.), in B.C. 219, and thus initiated the Second Punic War. ( See Carthage ; Rojie ; Hannibal.) After the Romans had driven the Carthaginians from the peninsula, in B.C. 206, the coiuitry was made into two Roman provinces (B.C. 197), Uispanin 'Citcrior, including the east- ern and northern districts, and Uisjiania Ulterior, including the southern and western districts. The conquest of the native tribes proved an arduous task for the Romans. (See Lusitania; Numan- tia.) It was not till B.C. 19 that the Cantabri and Astures in the extreme north of the country laid down their arms to Augustus. Under Augustus the peninsula was divided into the three provinces of Hispania Tarraconensis, Bietica, and Lusitania. (See Hisp.ania.) From the time of the establishment of the complete supremacy of the Romans till the death of Con- stantine the condition of Spain was eminently prosperous. Its fertile fields formed for a con- siderable time the granary of Rome, and from its metal-veined sierras an immense amount of treasure in gold and silver flowed into the Roman coiTers. In A.D. 409 hordes of barbarians, Alans, Van- dals, and Suevi crossed the Pyrenees and swept over and desolated the peninsula. About 414 the Visigoths invaded the country, and their King, Athaulf, who acknowledged a nominal depend- ence on the Roman Emperor, established the Gothic monarchy in Catalonia. (See Gonis. ) The best loiown of the kings were Wallia (415-