Numidia | ancient region, Africa

Numidia , under the Roman Republic and the Empire, a part Africa north of the Sahara , whose boundaries at times approximate those of modern West Tunisia and East Algeria . The earliest inhabitants were divided into tribes and clans. They weren't physically different from the others indigenous residents of the early North Africa and were placed at the end of the Roman Empire often as Berber classified . From the 6th century v. Chr. Were points along the coast of the Carthaginians occupied , dating from the 3rd century bce had moved up to Theveste (Tébessa) extended inland . To this period was common in the Carthaginian armies Numidian Cavalry Found .

Inhabitants remained seminomadic until the reign of Masinissa , the chief of the Massaesyli tribe living near Cirta ( Constantine ) lived. During the Second Punic War he was initially an ally of Carthage but left in 206 v. on the roman side and received additional territory extending to the flow Mulucha ( Moulouya ). The Romans below Scipio Africanus and Numidians under Masinissa burned the camp of the rival Numidian chief Syphax in the proximity of Utica and overwhelmed Syphax and his Carthaginian allies at the Battle of Bagrades in 203 v . Syphax was from Rome but its loyalty Carthage was cemented when he became Sophonisba, daughter of the Carthaginian commander Hasdrubal, married . Syphax was captured and exiled to Rome, where he lived in Tibur (today's Tivoli ) died. Masinissa wanted to claim Sophonisba as his wife, but when Scipio demanded that she go to Rome as a prisoner, Masinissa gave her poison so she could escape the fate of a prisoner. (This tragic event was often repeated in later Western paintings .)

The Numidian Riding , animal husbandry and cavalry tactics eventually contributed to later developments in Roman Cavalry at . In his history of Rome underlines Polybius, how important these cavalry advantages are to the outcome of the Second Punic War . Numidian supremacy was confirmed by the cavalry leadership of Maharbal under Hannibal in Trasimene and Cannae and later by Masinissa in Zama demonstrated under Scipio Africanus. For nearly 50 years, Masinissa retained Rome's support as he attempted to pawn the Numidian pastoralists. He also conquered much Carthaginian territory and probably hoped all of it North Africa to rule .

On Masinissa's death in 148 BCE , the The Romans judiciously divided his kingdom among several chiefs, but the advance of civilization among the Numidians was not seriously disrupted, and it was received it after 146 v. New Impulse, than thousands of Carthaginians after the destruction Carthage fled to Numidia . In the year 118 usurped Jugurtha , a illegitimate Numidian prince took the throne and reunited Numidia by force until the Romans took control again in 105. Rome continued to dominate Numidia through client kings, although Numidian territory was significantly reduced. The third and final attempt by a Numidian to found a powerful state was that of Juba I. between 49 and 46 v and ended up losing to Julius Caesar in Thapsus .

Caesar formed a new province, Africa Nova, from Numidian territory, and Augustus united Africa Nova ("New Africa") with Africa Vetus ("Old Africa", the Province around Carthage), but a separate province of Numidia was officially Septimius founded Severus . The 3rd Legion Roman army took up its permanent station at Lambaesis (until Lambessa ) and, as a result of increased security, the Numidians' population and prosperity increased significantly during the first two centuries ce . Some natives Municipalities achieved city status, but the majority of the population was untouched by Roman civilization.

Christianity spread rapidly in the 3rd century v. Chr. But in the 4th century Numidia became the center of Donatist Movement . This schismatic Christian group was particularly strong among the Numidian peasants, to whom it appealed in protest at the deteriorating social conditions. After the Conquest by the vandals (429 ce ) Roman civilization in Numidia declined rapidly and the native elements revived, to the point where even the survive the Arab conquest in the 8th century and persist into modern times.