[German version] Young noble Numidian, who fled to Rome to escape the demands for tribute exacted by King Hiempsal [2] II. Caesar represented him in court against Hiempsal's son Juba [1], later hid him and in 61 BC took him to Spain with him. His motives were probably assumed to be of a sexual nature. (Suet. Iul. 71). According to an interpretation of Vitr. De arch. 8,3,25 [1. 31-33], M. owned the territory around Ismuc, not far from Zama, and in 46 he and his son C. Iulius fought on Caesar's side against Juba. Fündling, Jörg (Bonn) Bibliography 1 K. Jeppesen, Vitruvius in Africa, in: H. Geertman, …

[German version] Visigoth king (Visigoths), from AD 415 the successor of Segericus in Spain. V. may have planned to cross to Africa (see also [2. 89]) in order to escape pressure from Constantius [6] on the Goths, but in 416 he concluded a treaty with Ravenna in which they probably agreed to a Goth initiative against the other Germanic peoples in Spain and the later settlement of the Goths in Gaul. (MGH AA 11,19; Oros. 7,43,10-15; Olympiodoros fr.30 Blockley; [2. 88-93]). V. died in 418 before the…

[German version] (pun. p[t]bgn?). Town in Africa Byzacena, the modern Henchir es-Souar; for the tradition of the place name [1]. The   fossa regia ran close to A. (CIL VIII Suppl. 4, 23084). Under  Hadrian, Abthugni became a   municipium (CIL VIII Suppl. 1, 11206; Suppl. 4, 23085). Further inscriptions: AE 1991, 461 f., no. 1641-1644. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography 1 J. Schmidt, s. v. Aptugni, RE 2, 288. AATun 050, sheet 42, no. 52 C. Lepelley, Les cités de l'Afrique romaine au Bas-Empire, 2, 1981, 265-277.

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Coloniae City in Africa proconsularis (Africa [3]; cf. Str. 17,3,12; Plin. HN 5,29) 35 km to the north of Thugga, modern Béja, with a number of ancient remains (city wall, basilica). In the second of the Punic Wars. V. apparently supplied troops for the Carthaginian contingent (Sil. Pun. 3,259). No later than after the third Punic War, V. fell to Massinissa. During the War of Iugurtha, V. was conquered by Caecilius [I 30] Metellus (Sall. Iug. 29,4; 47,1; 66-69). It was probably Septimius [II 7] Severus, who elevated V. to a coloni…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Africa | Wine | | Coloniae | Africa | Commerce | Limes | Phoenicians, Poeni | Punic Wars | Punic Wars | Rome | Rome (Punic Tng). Berber city with a convenient natural harbour (Str. 3,1,8; Mela 1,26; Plin. HN 5,2; Plut. Sertorius 9,5; Ptol. 4,1,5; Cass. Dio 48,45,2; 60,9,5), capital from AD 40 of Mauretania Tingitana, modern Tangiers (in Morocco). The ancient city has been entirely overbuilt by modern buildings. From no later than the 8th cent. BC, Phoenician traders (Ph…

[German version] [1] Bishop of Carthage, from AD 311/12 In 311/312 (according to [1] around 309/310), C. was ordained bishop of Carthage by Felix of Apthugni. A council of 70 bishops under the leadership of the Numidian primate Secundus of Tigisi declared C.'s election invalid and accused Felix of traditio. In his place, Maiorinus was elected at first, with (313)  Donatus following shortly afterwards. Emperor Constantine declared his support for C. (cf. especially Constantine's letter in Euseb. Hist. eccl. 10,5,15-17; 10,6f.). The dispute with…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Theatre | Coloniae | Africa City in Africa Byzacena, modern Sbeitla in Tunisia (cf. It. Ant. 46,6), founded in the second half of the 1st cent. AD, soon afterwards a municipium and a colonia (CIL VIII suppl. 1, 11340), significant road junction; in 256 a bishop's see (Cypr. Sententiae episcopales 19). Remains survive of two honorary arches, a forum (temple), baths, a theatre, churches. Inscriptions: CIL VIII 1,228-252a; 2567; 2586; suppl. 1,11221(?); 11318-11415 and 11417; 4, …

[German version] The term refers to those Byzantine territories in Italy and North Africa which after the reorganization under  Mauricius (AD 582-602) were administered by an exarch (ἔξαρχος; éxarchos, patricius et exarchus). As a direct representative of the emperor, the exarch ─ similar to the later theme structure;  Theme ─ exercised both civilian and military power and could intervene in Church politics (e.g. by confirming the election of a pope). This unusual concentration of power was the result of fighting against the …

[German version] (ἡ ἔρημος/ érēmos, ἡ ἐρημία/ erēmía, τὰ ἔρημα/ érēma; Lat. deserta, regio deserta). In geographical terms the arid desert zones were part of the marginal areas of the Ancient World (North Africa, the Middle East with Syria, Palestine, Arabia). Politically and to a greater extent economically they, had close relationships to the Graeco-Roman cultural sphere. A large part of the east-west trade devolved over long-distance routes across the Arabian deserts. Desert towns such as Ḥatra [1], Palmyr…

[German version] is the later form of Phoenician found in the Phoenician colonies of North Africa, esp. Carthage, its far-flung trading centres on Malta, Sicily and Sardinia, in Italy, southern France, Spain, and - disseminated by trade - throughout almost the entire Mediterranean region. Initially, P. was indistinguishable in writing from Phoenician, but from approx. the 5th cent. BC, the first variant written forms begin to appear. The Semitic pharyngeal and laryngeal consonants were hardly used…

[German version] City (probably of Libyan origin) in Africa proconsularis (Africa [3]; Plin. HN. 5,29; Ptol. 4,3,34; 8,14,11; Tab. Peut. 5,5 incorrectly Uthica) some 30 km to the south of Carthage, modern Oudna, with many archaeological remains (triumphal arch, temple, theatre, thermal baths, amphitheatre). It remains questionable whether U. is identical to Adys (Pol. 1,30,5; [1. 89]), where in 256 BC Carthaginians and Romans for the first time came into conflict on African soil. Caesar or the later Augustus founded in U. a colonia for the veterans of the Thirteenth Legion.…

[German version] [1] Flavius A. Cos. 434 AD Father of Dagalaifus, grandfather of A. [2], in AD 434 consul together with Aspar Ardabur. As magister militum ( comes foederatorum?) he defeated a Persian officer in single combat in 422, in 441 Theodosius II sent him as magister militum against the Vandals to Africa but he missed his opportunity because he stayed too long in Sicily. He was defeated by Attila in 443 (as was Aspar). In 447 patricius; died in 449 (PLRE 2, 145 f., A. 2). Eder, Walter (Berlin) [German version] [2] Flavius Areobindus Dagalaifus Areobindus Cos. 506 AD Son of Dagalaifus,…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Coloniae (Μαξοῦλα/ Maxoûla). City in the province of Africa proconsularis ( Africa [3]), to the east of Tynes, modern Radès. Sources: Ptol. 4,3,7 (Μαξοῦλα/ Maxoûla); 4,3,34 (Μαξοῦλα παλαιά/ Maxoûla palaiá); It. Ant. 57,3 ( M. Prates); 58,1 ( M. Civitas); Tab. Peut. 6,1; Stadiasmus Maris Magni 122f. (GGM 1,471); Geogr. Rav. 88,38. Since it was located by the sea, it is possible that at times the Greeks (also) called it Leukòs Týnes (Λευκὸς Τύνης, Diod. Sic. 20,8,7) [1. 66-68]. Traces of Punic influence have been fo…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Theatre | Christianity | Coloniae | Punic Wars Numidian city of the later province of Africa proconsularis ( Africa [3]), situated c. 25 km south of Tagaste near modern Mdaourouch: Ptol. 4,3,30 (Μάδουρος; Mádouros); Iulius Honorius, Cosmographia B 44 ( Madauros). According to Apul. Apol. 24, M. initially belonged to the kingdom of Syphax, then to that of Massinissa. In the Flavian period (AD 69-96), M. was the place of residence ( colonia) of veterans [1. 2152]. The little town developed into a centre of Roman life…

[German version] In the narrower sense, the region that stretches west of the Carthaginian territory between the Tusca and Ampsaga rivers, today part of eastern Algeria. The Greeks interpreted the name of the Libyan people of N. living in this area in the sense of nomádes (νομάδες, ‘people who roam’) and so called this region Nomadía (Νομαδία; [1; 2. 95f.]; Pol. 36,16,7). However, most of the N. had already been settled for a long time. The plateau of N. is bordered in the north by the foothills of the Tell Atlas and in the south by the Sahara Atlas…

[German version] As ébenos (ἔβενος) or ebénē (ἐβένη; since Hdt. 3,97: 200 logs of ebony as tribute of the Ethiopians to the Persian Great King) and hebenus (since Verg. G. 2,115f.), the precious and very long lasting (Plin. HN 16,213) heartwood imported from India (cf. Str. 15,1,37) and black Africa (cf. Str. 17,2,2) was famous in antiquity; it was derived from various deciduous trees of the genus Diospyros ( D. ebenum in India, hirsutum and haplostylis in Africa) belonging to the family of the Ebenaceae. In his report on Indian trees, Pliny (HN 12,20), like his source…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Theatre | Africa | | Coloniae | Limes City in the province of Numidia (Numidae), about 20 km to the east of Lambaesis (It. Ant. 34,1; 35,2; 40,7; Tab. Peut. 3,4), modern Timgad in Algeria. Founded in AD 100 by Munatius [II 4] Gallus as Colonia Marciana Traiana T. (CIL VIII Suppl. 2, 17842f.), probably the last pre-titular colonia [E] in Africa [3]. As the considerable remains show, the city swiftly flourished. Numidae influenced by the Poeni may have taken the cults of Caelestis, Saturn, …

[German version] Common technical term in the archaeological study of construction techniques describing a masonry technique, in which pillars made of ashlar or orthostatic blocks alternate with spaces infilled with mud brick or rubble, similar in principle to timber framing. It was common especially in Punic North Africa, Sardinia and the parts of Sicily ruled by Carthage or under its influence (e.g. Motya, Soluntum, Selinuntum, Heraclea [9] Minoa) and also spread as far as Etruria (Tarquinia) an…

Rare plebeian gentile name with usage recorded from the 2nd cent. BC (ThlL 2,1601f.). [German version] [1] A. Paetus, L. Cos. suff. 33 BC Cos. suff. 33 BC.; probably procos. of Africa 29/28, celebrated a triumph in 28 ex Africa (Inscr. It. 13,1,87). PIR I2 A 1680. Elvers, Karl-Ludwig (Bochum) [German version] [2] A. Paetus, P. A friend of Cicero's in his youth and quaestor together with him in 75 BC A friend of Cicero's in his youth and quaestor together with him in 75 BC (Cic. Sull. 18), in Greece between 73-71 as a legate, probably of M. Antonius (praetor 74) (Syll.3 748, l. 16). Became praetor in …

[German version] Regarding the name [5. 394]. King of the Vandals and Alani AD 428-477, successor to his half-brother  Gundericus. In 429 G. crossed from the south of Spain to north Africa with 80,000 others (Victor Vitensis 1,2), possibly called in by the Comes Africae  Bonifatius [1], who fell from grace in 427, but ultimately he went because the wealth of the country. Neither Boniface nor an eastern Roman auxiliary corps commanded by Aspar ( Ardabur [2]) were able to stop the Vandals' advance; in 431 G. conquered H…