Africa in the Ancient World
Africa in the Ancient World was a complex region marked by significant political and cultural developments, particularly during the time of the Roman Empire. After the Third Punic War, the Romans dismantled the Carthaginian Empire, incorporating its most fertile areas into a new province known as Africa, centered around Utica. This province, located in what is now northern Tunisia, was unique as it was garrisoned by a Roman legion, reflecting its importance to the empire. Julius Caesar expanded the province further by adding Numidia after defeating Pompey’s forces. Under subsequent emperors, the region saw considerable land ownership concentrated among a few elite individuals, as noted by historians like Pliny the Elder. Despite Roman dominance, the Punic language continued to be widely spoken, highlighting the blend of cultures that persisted. Overall, Africa in the ancient period was characterized by a rich tapestry of interactions between indigenous cultures and Roman influences, leaving a lasting legacy in the historical narrative of the continent.
Subject Terms
Africa in the Ancient World
The name of a Roman province
When the Romans obliterated the Carthaginian empire after the Third Punic War, they allowed most of its continental African territories to pass under the control of the client kings of Numidia, but annexed the most fertile region for themselves as a new province of Africa, comprising five thousand square miles of what is now the northern part of Tunisia. Its capital was Utica (Bordj bou Chateur), Carthage having been destroyed. In the civil war between Julius Caesar and the followers of Pompey, the former, after his victory at Thapsus in 46 BC, added the kingdom of Numidia to the province, and his plan to revive and colonize Carthage was carried through by Octavian (Augustus), who made it the capital of Africa; the province now extended from the river Ampsagas (Rummel) to Cyrenaica and—uniquely among provinces governed by proconsuls—was garrisoned by a legion. In the reign of Gaius (AD 37–41), this legion, together with the administration of Numidia, was handed over to an imperial official (legatus). Under Nero (54–68), according to Pliny the Elder, half the province was owned by six landowners. Punic (Carthaginian) long continued to be a common spoken language.