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[German version] 1. A. Etymological and conceptual history The term A. as a name for the continent has got a long and ramified history. The term A. (see 3 below) could only be used by the Romans as a description of the continent of A., when the ‘area’ described by the Latin term A. had come to coincide at least in parts with that described by the Greek term Λιβύη ( Libýē) -- but, at the earliest, this happened in the 2nd half of the 3rd cent. BC, i.e. because of the related concepts of ‘Northern A.’ or ‘Punic A.’. Indirectly, via the ‘partial term’, the ‘full ter…

[German version] (Ζωσκάλης /Zōskálēs). Hellenistically influenced king who reigned in Axum and ruled from the territory of the Moschophagi (to the west of Ptolemaïs [6] Theron) to the area of Barbaria: Peripl. m. r. 5; the author of this 1st cent. AD work [1. 6 f.] describes Z. as a contemporary. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography 1 L. Casson, The Periplus Maris Erythraei, 1989. F. Gisinger, s. v. Z., RE 10 A, 844-848.

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Coloniae | Punic Wars (Ἀσπίς; Aspís). Possibly pre-Phoenician town (Procop. Vand. 2,10,24) of the later Africa proconsularis, north-east of the peninsula Bon, today's Kélibia (Sources: Mela 1,34; Plin. HN 5,24; Ptol. 4,3,7f.; It. Ant. 57,6; Tab. Peut. 6,2; Stadiasmus Maris Magni 117 [GGM 1, 470]). Str. 17,3,16, Sil. Pun. 3,243f. and App. Lib. 519 call C. Aspis. Notwithstanding Ptol. 4,3,7f., C. and Aspis were not two different towns (cf. Sol. 27,8). Inscriptions: CIL VIII 1, 982-986; X 1, 6104; AE 1991, 1646-1658. Huß, Wern…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Punic Wars | Punic Wars (neo-Punic Šjgn). City and river port of Mauretania Caesariensis on the Oued Tafna, 4 km to the south of Portus Sigensis, modern Takembrit in Algeria (Ps.-Scylax 111; Pol. 12,1,3; Liv. 28,17,15 f.; Str.  17,3,9; Mela 1,29; Plin. HN 5,19; Ptol. 4,2,2;  It. Ant. 12,8; Steph. Byz. s. v. Σίγαθα/ Sígatha). At first a Punic trading post, later the royal city of Syphax, king of the Masaesyli. In the city (only partially excavated) the cult of Saturnus appears to have supplante…

[German version] (Coba, Χωβάθ; Chōbáth, Χωβάτ; Chōbát). Town in Mauretania Caesariensis, 50 km east of Saldae; the modern Ziama. (Sources: Ptol. 4,2,9; It. Ant. 18,2; Tab. Peut. 2,5; Geogr. Rav. 40,22). Municipium under Hadrian (AD 117-138) : CIL VIII 2, 8375 [1. 495-497] (additional inscription: CIL VIII 2, 8374-8378; Suppl. 3, 20214). Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography 1 L. Leschi, in: BCTH 1946-1949, appeared 1953. J.-P. Laporte, s.v. Choba, EB, 1933-1935.

[German version] (Μασαισύλιοι; Masaisýlioi). West Numidian tribe in Mauretania Caesariensis (between the River Mulucha and Cape Bougaroun): Pol. 3,33,15; Liv. 28,17,5; Str. 17,3,9; Plin. HN 5,19; 52; 21,77. For its localization in Mauretania Tingitana: Plin. HN 5,17; Ptol. 4,2,17. Among the kings of the M. were Syphax (Punic Spq), Vermina (Punic Wrmnd) and Arcobarzanes. Libyes, Libye Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography J. Desanges, Catalogue des tribus africaines ... , 1962, 62.

[German version] Numidian settlement, 50 km northwest of Cirta, today's Mila. M. came under strong Punic influence, was given to the mercenary leader P. Sittius by Caesar and as colonia Sarnia Milevitana it was one of the four coloniae of the res publica Cirtensium. Sources: App. B Civ. 4,54; Ptol. 4,3,28; It. Ant. 28,3; Tab. Peut. 3,3; Iulius Honorius, Cosmographia A 44; Anon. Cosmographia 1,44; Geogr. Rav 39,26. In the Roman period the village-like settlement attained metropolitan character. In the Byzantine period it was expanded into…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Africa | | Africa | Limes Main town of the  Garamantes, northeast of Mursuk (Fezzan), modern Djerma. References: Plin. HN 5,36; Ptol. 1,8,5; 10,2; 4,6,30; 8,16,7; Solin. 29,5. L. Cornelius Balbus, procos. Africae, led an expedition in 20 BC that certainly reached Garama. Subsequently, there was a close but sometimes stormy relationship between Garama and Rome. Many archaeological finds attest to this close relationship. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography Ch. M. Daniels, Garamantian Excavations..., in: Libya Anti…

I. Roman [German version] [I 1] According to Veg. Mil. 3,8 ( Nam a castris diminutivo vocabulo sunt nuncupata castella) the castella are relatively small camps that are probably distinguishable from the permanent auxiliary camps and tended to be established in a rather ad hoc manner to secure supplies or as part of a larger fortification (Veg. Mil. ibid.). Castella are probably comparable in size and number of garrisons with the ‘small citadels’ of the limes or the burgi (Veg. Mil. 4,10: castellum parvulum, quem burgum vocant). Herz, Peter (Regensburg) [German version] [I 2] Rural part o…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Christianity | | Africa | Limes City in  Mauretania Caesariensis, 33 km east of Tlemcen by what is today Ouled Mimoun (Lamoricière), in a strategically important location (CIL VIII 9834 f.). Likely a Berber settlement originally [1. 545 f.], A. came under Punic influence. At the beginning of the 3rd cent. AD, A. was included in the defence system of the Mauretanian   limes . The   civitas A. was administered from a ( prior) princepscivitatis (Libyan: gld or gldt?) and   decemprimi [2. 208]. Furthermore, a   rex sacrorum (Punic dr…

[German version] City in Africa proconsularis, situated to the north of Medjez el-Bab, today Henchir Bedd. A. was a municipium from the time of Caracalla (AD 211-217) (CIL VIII Suppl. 1, 14369; Inscr. latines de la Tunisie 1206). Inscriptions: CIL VIII Suppl. 1, 14369-14376; Inscr. latines d' Afrique 435-439; Inscr. latines de la Tunisie 1206-1213; AE 1973, 193 no. 602. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography AATun 050, folio 19, no. 8.

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: | Coloniae | Limes (Ἀμμαίδαρα; Ammaídara). Town in Africa proconsularis [5. 147, n. 756] between  Althiburus and  Theveste (Ptol. 4,3,30), modern Haïdra; for other forms of the name [4. 1841]. Originally, A. was probably a settlement of the  Musulamii [2. 117-121]. Because of its strategically important location, which allowed it to control important communication roads and to cover the southern flank of Africa proconsularis, the   legio III Augusta was relocated to the vicinity of A. dur…

(Τύνης/ Týnēs). [German version] I. Location, Punic to Roman period Libyan city in Africa proconsularis (Africa 3.; Str. 17,3,16; Tab. Peut. 5,5), 15 km south-west of Carthage, the modern Tunis. First mentioned in conjunction with the uprising of allied troops against Carthage in 396 BC (Diod. Sic. 14,77,3). In 310 BC, the city served Agathocles[2] as a base for his attack on Carthage [1. 190-193], and similarly in 256 BC during the First Punic War the Roman consul Atilius [I 21] Regulus [1. 235-237]. In …

[German version] City in Africa Proconsularis, north-west of Thubursicum Bure on the fertile plateau of the ‘great fields’, modern Henchir el-Matria. Under M. Aurelius (AD 161-180) or slightly later N. was a municipium (CIL VIII Suppl. 4, 26129). A bishop Aurelius plebis Numnulitanae ( sic!) was attested for 411 (Acta concilii Carthaginiensis anno 411 habiti 1,126). Some impressive ruins have been preserved, including a capitolium from the period of M. Aurelius, baths, wells, churches and parts of a late Roman wall. Further inscriptions: CIL VIII Suppl. 1, 1…

There were two towns in   Africa Byzacena of that name. [German version] [1] Town near Ksour es-Saf The first is mentioned in Bell. Afr. 67,1; 76,2; 79,1 (Plin. HN 5,30: oppidum liberum), its location to be found most likely near Ksour es-Saf close to the modern Maklouba. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) [German version] [2] Modern Henchir Sidi Amara The second town, the modern Henchir Sidi Amara, was located in the plains of Kairouan, near Ousseltia. In AD 232, this peregrine town became a   municipium (CIL VIII 1, 714) and later a colonia (CIL VIII Suppl. 1, 12145). Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography AA…

[German version] City in Africa Byzacena (Byzacium), variously located (Sidi Nejah, to the southwest of Aggar: [1]; Henchir Zeiat or Zaiet, to the south of Sousse: [2]). It was conquered in the African War by Caesar's troops. Caesar left a garrison in Z. (Bell. Afr. 68; cf. 74,1). Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography 1 S. Gsell, Histoire ancienne de l'Afrique du Nord, vol. 8, 1928, 112-115 2 AATun 050, sheet 51, Nr. 9-11. M. Leglay, s. v. Z., RE 10 A, 238.

[German version] Town in Africa proconsularis, modern Sidi Reiss. A. became a municipium under Septimius Severus. CIL VIII Suppl. 1, 14355. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography AATun 050, sheet 19, no. 9 C. Lepelley, Les cités de l'Afrique romaine 2, 1981, 75f.

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Commerce (Τακάπη/ Takápē, Latin Tacape). City on the Syrtis Minor, possibly a Phoenician or Punic foundation, modern Gabes in Tunisia. Punic remains are scanty [1. 1261]. T., a 'very large trading centre' (Str. 17,3,17), was 'in the middle of the desert' (Plin. HN 18,188). At the time of Augustus T. was a civitas (Plin. HN 5,25; 18,188), later a colonia (Tab. Peut. 6,5; It. Ant. 59,6). Further evidence: Plin. HN 16,115 (?); Ptol. 4,3,11; Stadiasmus maris magni 106 f.; It. Ant. 48,9 f.; 50,4; 73,5; 74,…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: City in Mauretania Sitifensis between Sitifis and Auzia, modern Henchir Bechilga (in Algeria). In the 3rd cent. AD the Mauretanian Limes (VIII C) ran near the city . In Not. Dign. Occ. 25,26 a praepositus limitis Zabensis is mentioned. Destroyed by the Vandals, Z. was rebuilt by Iustinianus [1] I (It. Ant. 30,3; Iulius Honorius, Cosmographia A 48. Inscriptions: CIL VIII 2, 8805 f.; Suppl. 3, 20565). Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography AAAlg, sheet 25, Nr. 85 C. Courtois, Les Vandales et l'Afrique, 1955 M. Leglay, s. v. Z. …

[German version] (Πλυνός/ Plynós, Hdt. 4,168,2 and Lycoph. 149; Ps.-Scyl. 108: Πλῦνοι/ Plŷnoi; Str. 17,3,22: Πλῦνος/ Plŷnos). Port on the coast of northern Africa between  Cyrenaica and the Nile Delta, but although in the Bay of Sollum [1. 225f.], hardly identifiable with modern Sīdī Barrānī [2. 227]. P. was apparently an ancient Greek apoikía . In the 5th century BC the Adyrmachidae lived to the east of P. and the Giligamae to the west (Hdt. 4,168f.). Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography 1 A. Laronde, Cyrène et la Libye hellénistique, 1987 2 F. Chamoux, Cyrène sous la monarchie des…