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[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: (τὰ Αὔγιλα; tà Aúgila). Westernmost and largest of the Ǧālū-Oases, modern Auǧila, according to Hdt. 4,172,1; 182, from the oasis of Sīwa about ten days' journey to the west (200 km south-east of Aǧabı̄ya). Belonging to the  Nasamones, A. was famous for its great number of mighty date palms (Str. 17,3,23; Mela 1,46; Plin. HN 5,26f.; Ptol. 4,5,30; Steph. Byz. s.v. A. (= Apollod.); Procop. Aed. 6,2,14f.). Nowadays, it is the last retreat of the Berber language in Libya. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography W. Vycichl, s.v. A., EB,…

[German version] Name of Cape Corbelin and a Punic base to the south, modern Azeffoun (in Algeria). Evidence: R. Colonia Augusti, Plin. HN 5,20; Ῥουσαζοῦς/ Rhousazoûs, Ptol. 4,2,9; Rusazu municipium, Tab. Peut. 2,3; Rusazis municipium, It. Ant. 17,2; Ruseius mune, Geogr. Rav. 40,42. According to [1. 379] the name can be explained as follows: Rš-( h)z( z) = 'Cap (du) Fort'. Inscriptions: CIL VIII 2, 8985-8991. A bishop is mentioned for the year AD 484 ( Rusaditanus, Notitia episcoporum Mauretaniae Caesariensis 69). Remains of embankments, temples, thermae and a necropolis survive. H…

[German version] (Σύρτις/ Sýrtis, 'bay'). Ancient term for two bays on the coast of northern Africa: S. maior (modern Gulf of Benghazi) and S. minor (modern Gulf of Gabès). The name, which is probably - in contrast to the opinion of ancient philologists - not Greek but Phoenician in origin, emerges for the first time in Herodotus (e.g. 2,32,2). Ps.-Scylax (109 f.; GGM 1,84-89) and Strabo (2,5,20; 25; 33; 3,4,3; 17,3,1; 17,3,17-20) describe the S. from a geographical point of view. Both bays were fea…

[German version] Town in the province of Africa Proconsularis (Africa [3]), in the northwest of the peninsula of Cape Bon, modern Sidi Daoud. Sources: Plin. HN 5,24 ( [oppidum] Misua); Ptol. 4,3,7 (Νίσουα); It. Ant. 493,1f.; Tab. Peut. 6,2 ( Misua); Procop. Vand. 2,14,40 (Μισούα); Geogr. Rav. 88,41; Guido p. 132,62. The name seems to derive from the Phoenician-Punic root ns (‘hewing [rock]’) and refers to the nearby quarries of El-Haouaria [1. 295]. M. may have been a colonia Iulia [2. 186]. Significant ruins survive. Inscriptions: CIL VIII 1, 988-990. A bishop is first m…

[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, …

This item can be found on the following maps: Theatre | Achaeans, Achaea | Macedonia, Macedones | Persian Wars | Arcadians, Arcadia | Athenian League (Second) | Education / Culture (Τεγέα/ Tegéa). [1] Town in the eastern Arcadian plateau [German version] I. Location Important town in the south of the eastern Arcadian plateau (Arcadians, Arcadia, with map; Str. 8,8,2; Paus. 8,44,1-53,11; Ptol. 3,16,19; Plin. HN. 4,20.; [1]), whose vast area lay between the present-day villages of Hagios Sostis, Episkopi and Alea. The rich, fertile, loamy …

[German version] Name of foothills on the southern shores of the bay of Hammamet (in eastern Tunisia) and of a Phoenician or Punic settlement founded near these, modern Monastir (Bell. Afr. passim: R.; Str. 17,3,12: Ῥουσπῖνον/ Rhouspînon; Plin. HN 5,25: R.; Sil. Pun. 3,260: R.; Ptol. 4,3,9: Ῥουσπίνα/ Rhouspína; Cass. Dio 42,58,4: Ῥούσπινα/ Rhoúspina; Tab. Peut. 6,2: R.); explanation in [1. 380] of the name as Rš-pn(t) = 'Cap d'Angle'. In 46 BC, R. was the first city in Africa to ally itself with Caesar (Bell. Afr. 6,7; 9,1). From the time of Diocletianus on,…

[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: Christianity | Colonization | Crete | Limes (Ταύχειρα; Taúcheira). City in Cyrenaea, modern Tokra in Libya (Hdt. 4,171); founded by Cyrene (schol. Pind. Pyth. 4,26). T. was conquered in 322 BC by Ptolemaeus [1] and renamed by Ptolemaeus [3] to Arsinoe after his step-mother, by M. Antonius [I 9] to Cleopatris. Towards the end of the 4th cent. AD, T. was under pressure from Berber tribes; later it was again fortified under Iustinianus [1] I (Procop. Aed.…

[German version] City in Numidia, 35 km to the southeast of Cirta (It. Ant. 28,1; 34,8; 42,2), modern Sigus in Algeria. S. was under Punic influence in the 3rd and 2nd cents. BC. CIL VIII Suppl. 2, 19121 ( castellum); CIL VIII 1, 5693 et passim ( respublica Siguitanorum); Suppl. 2, 19135 ( magistri pagi and decuriones). In AD 411 S. was a see (Acta concilii Carthaginiensis anno 411 habiti 1,197; 209). Inscriptions: CIL VIII 1, 5683; 5693-5879; 2, 10148-51; 10856-10861; Suppl. 2, 19112-19196 and 19197; RIL 813. Boundary stones: Rev. Africaine 83, 1939, 161-181. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliogr…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Coloniae (Θάβρακα; Thábraka). City probably of Punic origin (cf. CIL VIII 1, 5206: Imilcho Mytthum[balis]) on the northern coast of Tunisia, 10 km from the modern Algerian border (Ptol. 4,3,5; Pol. 12,1,4: Τάβρακα; Plin.  HN 5,22;  Juv. 10,194: Tabraca); of significance as a place of transshipment for marble from Simitthus; modern Tabarka. Inscriptions: CIL VIII 1,5198-5208; 2,10837; Suppl. 1, 17329-17391. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography AATun 050, Bl. Tabarca; Bl. 7, Nr. 10  C. Lepelley, Les cités de l'Afrique…

[German version] City in Africa Proconsularis between Calama and Thubursicum [2] Numidarum, modern Kef Bezioun. Neo-Punic inscriptions provide evidence of the city's pre-Roman past [1]. In the time of Hadrian Z. had an ordo decurionum (ILAlg I 533). In a 4th cent. inscription Z. is described as a municipium (ILAlg I 534; cf. also CIL VIII 1, 5177-5193; 2, 10833-10836; Suppl. 1, 17266-17276; ILAlg I 533-559. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography 1 J.-B. Chabot, Punica, in: Journ. Asiatique, Ser. 11, 7, 1916, 443-445 (444 = KAI 171). AAAlg, sheet 18, Nr. 233 M. Leglay, s. v. Z., RE 9 A, 2331 C.…

(Θάψος/ Thápsos). [German version] [1] Tongue of land on the east coast of Sicily Flat, sandy (Serv. Aen. 3,688) tongue of land on the east coast of Sicily, northwest of Syracusae, connected with the mainland via an isthmus of c. 100 m (Thuc. 6,97,1), modern Penisola di Magnisi. Around 730 BC Lamis from Megara [2] settled on T. after he had abandoned Trotilum and been driven out of Leontini; after his death, his companions left T. in order to make a new home in Megara [3] Hyblaia 7 km to the north (Thuc. 6,4,1). There was an empórion ('trade port') on T. from the 15t…

[German version] Auxiliary fort, north-west of  Cirta, west of the modern Mechta Nahar. Many steles, dedicated to Saturnus. Inscriptions: Inscr. latines de l'Algérie 2,1, 3442-3569. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography AAAlg, sheet 8, no. 173.

(Μαυρουσία/ Maurousía). [German version] I. Name In the second century BC, M. comprised approximately the area of Morocco and western Algeria and was probably called by its Greek name of Maurusia (cf. Coelius Antipater, HRR 1,175 fr. 55). The formation of names in M. (Ἑρπεδιτανοί/ Herpeditanoí), which follows the same pattern as those found in Iberia (e.g. Turdetani, Cassetani), and the existence of the Nektíbēres (Νεκτίβηρες) in M. speak for the fact that Libyans and Iberians are related. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) [German version] II. Geography In geological terms, M. is characteri…

[German version] (Μάζυες/ Mázyes, Μάξυες/ Máxyes). The M. are first mentioned in Hecataeus [3] of Miletus (FGrH 1 F 334) as ‘those roaming about Libya’ (Λιβύης νομάδες). Stephanus s.v. M., who records this comment, continues: εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι Μάξυες καὶ ἕτεροι Μάχλυες (‘the M. and the Machlyes are different tribes’). According to Hdt. 4,191,1, the Máxyes (Μάξυες, sic!), who are described as ‘the Lybians ... who plough’ (ἀροτῆρες ... Λίβυες), lived to the west of the Triton river. The root maz or max is of Libyan origin (‘noble’). Cf. the word amazigh (Tuareg), which is still in use. …

[German version] Town in Africa proconsularis, the modern Bou Arada. In the time of  Antoninus [1] Pius A. was still administered by two   sufetes (Macer -- Libyan personal name, Baliato[n] -- Punic personal name). Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography A. Beschaouch, Une cité de constitution punique, in: Africa 7/8, 1982, 169-177.

[German version] Tropical eastern Africa to the south of Cape Guardafui (Plin. HN 6,176), also Ἀζανία/ Azanía (Peripl. m.r. 15f.; 18; 31; 61; Ptol. 1,7,6; 1,17,6; 4,7,28; 4,7,35) and Ζίγγιον/ Zíngion (Cosmas [2] Indicopleustes 2,29; 2,30; 2,50); the Arabs formed their word zanǧ ('black man') on the basis of this name (cf. 'Zanzibar' and 'Tanzania'). Z. extended from the trade town of Opone (modern Ras Hafun) to Rhapton (probably modern Dar-es-Salaam) and from the time of Trajan as far as Cape Prason (probably the modern Cape…

(Μάκαι; Mákai). [German version] [1] People in eastern Arabia According to Ptol. 6,7,14, a people in eastern Arabia in the hinterland of the bays around modern Rāʾs Musandam on the road from Hormuz. Also mentioned in Str. 13,765f., Plin. HN 6,98.152 and Mela 3,79; according to them, the M. settled opposite the Carmanian foothills. According to Arr. Ind., Μακέτα/ Makéta (Rāʾs Musandam) was an important trading centre for the spice trade ( Spices) on the Persian Gulf. Toral-Niehoff, Isabel (Freiburg) [German version] [2] Nomadic tribe or tribal league ( Macae). A large nomadic tribe o…

[German version] (Νέφερις/ Népheris). City in Africa Proconsularis, c. 30 km southeast of Tynes on the steep plateau of Henchir Bou Baker (Str. 17,3,16; Liv. Per. 51). N. played an important role during the third Punic war ([1. 444-447, 451-454]; App. Lib. 102,479; 108,507; 111,523; 126,596f.; 126,602; Liv. Per. 51). In the Roman period, a temple of Saturnus Sobare(n)sis, perhaps of Bl ṣbr (‘[grain] hoarding Saturn’), of Frugifer [2. 313], was located outside the city. Epigraphy: CIL VIII Suppl. 1, 12388-12411; 4, 24031-24041. Huß, Werner (Bamberg) Bibliography 1 Huß 2 E. Lipiń…