Monthly Archives: September 2014

In what is now Algeria, an empire began around 200 BC, stretching all the way to the River Mulucha. In the early years it was mostly just a slew of different nomadic tribes and bands. The Eastern part was known as Massylii and the Western side was Masaesyli. It was not a cohesive, unified civilization until the Second Punic War (218-206 BC) that Massylii king Massinissa deafeated Syphax of the Masaesyli region.

During this time, the Romans fought the Carthagians largely over control of a Iberian coastal city. This meant that since the Massylii were allies to the Romans, and the Masaesyli had ties with Carthage (Syphax was married to the daughter of a Carthagian commander named Hasdrubal), that Massylii were able to conquer their Western neighbors.

Massinissa and his men contributed greatly to the Roman victory lending their expert horsemanship and clever cavalry tactics. Syphax would be exiled to Tibur, where he would die.

Massinissa ruled the Numidians for nearly fifty years with the support of the Roman Empire behind him. He wanted Numidian pastoral people to become peasant farmers, and help make Numidia a agrarian society. Also during this time, he overtook a great amount of further Carthagian territory, and was one of the most powerful men in North Africa. He died in 148 BC, and at this time his empire extended all the way from Mauretania through former Carthagian territory Cyrenaica, an eastern coastal region of what is modern day Libya.

After his death, Numidia saw a number of different leaders, causing a divide among the civilization, which prompted Rome to split Numidia into two parts; West and East.

Later they would have wars with Rome, over their de facto hegemony of the place. Julius Caesar around 40 BC formed a new province known as Africa Nova out of some of the Numidians’ land, and Augustus united Africa Nova and Africa Vetus (old Africa), which was the area surrounding Carthage. A separate province of Numida would be created formally by emperor Septimius Severus. Rome’s Third Legion army took up permanent base at Lambessa. Increased security by the Romans, the Numidians economy flourished through two centuries.

By the third century Christianity spread very wildly, and Numidia became a center of a sect of the religion called Donatism. It was a religion which was fairly sizable. It’s inception grew out of the emperor Diocletian who persecuted and killed Christians throughout his reign. Donatists refused to accept sacrament from or recognize  any priest, or person who had renounced Christianity during this fearful time.

The Catholics felt that someone could be absolved of such a sin through years of Penance, but the Donatists felt that anyone who had renounced the religion after having been baptized should not be allowed to hold any kind of post or have authority within the church. They also had problems with Emperor Constantine, and he presented a death penalty to all who “disturbed the peace of the kingdom”. They did not recognize Constantine as the holy figure he saw himself as.

Numidia, and Donatism would both wain in the centuries to come with attack from Vandals, the Arab Conquest and the gradual decline of Christianity in North Africa.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/422426/Numidia

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/169009/Donatist

Many Berber tribes lived in ancient Libya. Of these tribes the libu was most populous. Ancient Libyans were nomadic hunter gatherers who lived off goats, camels, and other livestock. Not much is known about the early history of Libya and most records of early Libyan people are by other neighboring groups such as the Egyptians. Earliest records show that parts of Libya were ruled by the Phonetians and Carthaginians. From there, Libya was ruled by the Greeks who established major cities in eastern Libya. After the Greeks, the Roman Empire took over and developed Libya into one of its many wealthy provinces. Proof of Libya’s wealth and prosperity during this time can be seen at Libya’s many roman ruins. From the Romans, Libya was taken over by the Arabs whose rule lasted into the 16^th century.

In 700 B.C., the Greeks had arrived in Libya. They established five major colonies in eastern Libya (also known as Cyrenaica). These five colonies where knows as The Pentopolis, because of the five major cities, Cyrene, Apollonia, Ptolemais, Taucheira, Berenice, that were in the colonies. The pentopolis enjoyed a good deal of autonomy, with Greek influence being limited to the coastal regions of Libya. Some areas of southern Libya experienced no Greek presence at all. Libya’s green mountain provided fertile land for the Greeks and supplied them with livestock, grain, and wine. Because of this, Pentapolis had a high level of civilization. Cyrene, in particular, was one of the most culturally and academically developed city in North Africa. The Greek influence in Pentopolis was strong until around 300b.c, when it began to dwindle. Finally with the rise of the Roman Empire, the last Greek ruler of Libya, Ptolemy Apion surrendered Pentopolis to Rome.

After the Punic wars, Rome had taken over the eastern part of Libya known as Cyrenaica around 100B.C. The western part was later captured and given the provincial name Tripolitania. Under roman rule, Libya prospered economically with the city, Leptis Magna, rivalling Alexandria and Carthage in prominence. For years, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were wealthy roman provinces and had a common language and legal system. The ruins of Leptis Magna and Sabratha could attest to the prosperity Roman Libya experienced with the cities great baths and forums. Roman Libya began its decline around 300 A.D. and was divided up by its rulers until the mid-7^th century when Arabs invaded.

With the decline of the Roman Empire, Roman hold over Libya became weak. Around 650 A.D., Arabs invaded Libya and received little retaliation from the few romans left there. This begins the history of Islamic rule of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Several dynasties ruled over Libya throughout its Islamic rule. One which prospered was the Hafsid dynasty, who ruled for 300 years. Hafsid rulers established trade with city states of Europe and promoted scholarship in areas of art, literature, and architecture. Libya’s period of Arab rule lasted 800 years until Spanish takeover in the 16^th century.

Nicholas Stahl