Romans & Vandals

In the year 123 BC, the Roman consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus conquered the Balearic Islands — he received his surname "Balearicus" for this campaign. Roman rule was to last over 500 years and fundamentally change the island.

Roman Mallorca

The Romans founded two cities: Palmaria (today's Palma) and Pollentia (near today's Alcudia in the north). Pollentia became the capital of the island and developed into a flourishing city with a forum, theater, residential quarters, and a significant trade network. The ruins of Pollentia are today one of the most important Roman excavation sites in Spain — the small but excellently curated Museu Monografic de Pollentia in Alcudia displays finds from the daily life of the Roman settlers.

The Teatro Roma of Pollentia, Spain's smallest Roman theater, held about 2,000 spectators and is still recognizable today — a picturesque place nestled between pines and olive trees. The Romans brought viticulture, systematic olive cultivation, roads, and aqueducts to Mallorca. Many of today's country roads still follow Roman routes.

The Christianization began in the 4th and 5th centuries. Early Christian basilicas — such as in Son Pereto near Manacor and Sa Carrotja near Ses Salines — testify to the early spread of the faith. Some of these foundations are still visible today.

Vandals and Byzantines

In 455 AD, the Vandals under Geiseric raided the Balearic Islands and ended Roman rule. The Germanic conquerors destroyed much of the Roman infrastructure, and the island entered a phase of decline. In 534 AD, the Byzantine general Belisarius recaptured the Balearic Islands for the Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine period brought some stability, but Mallorca remained a peripheral province — a transitional state until a completely new power came from the south.