Africa Province
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2008-06-15T18:08:04Z
41.241.74.76
[[Image:Roman Empire Africa.svg|thumb|right|300 px|The Roman Empire ca. 117 with the province of Africa highlighted]]
The [[Roman province]] of '''Africa''' was established after the Romans defeated [[Carthage]] in the [[Third Punic War]]. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern [[Tunisia]], north-eastern [[Algeria]] and the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] coast of modern-day western [[Libya]] along the [[Syrtis Minor]]. The [[Arab]]s later named roughly the same region as the original province [[Ifriqiya]], a rendering of ''Africa''.
==History==
{{See|History of Tunisia|History of Africa|Numidia|Mauretania}}
It was the site of the ancient city of [[Carthage]] as well as other large cities in that era, such as [[Hadrumetum]] (modern [[Sousse]], [[Tunisia]]), capital of [[Byzacena]], [[Hippo Regius]] (modern [[Annaba (city)|Annaba]], [[Algeria]]). The province was established in 146 BC following the [[Third Punic War]], by annexing the remaining Carthaginian territory not confiscated after previous defeats by the Romans. Rome established its first African colony, '''''Africa Proconsularis''''' or '''''Africa Vetus''''' (Old Africa), governed by a [[proconsul]], in the most fertile part of what was formerly Carthaginian territory, and established [[Utica]] as the administrative capital. The remaining territory was left in the domain of the [[Numidia]]n [[client king]] [[Massinissa]]. At this time, the Roman policy in Africa was simply to prevent another great power to rise on the far side of [[Sicily]]. In 118 BC the Numidian prince [[Jugurtha]] attempted the reunification of the smaller kingdoms under his rule. However upon his death much of Jugurtha's territory was placed in the control of the Mauretanian [[client king]] [[Bocchus]] and the romanization of Africa was now firmly rooted. The [[Caesar's civil war|civil war]] between [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Pompey]] briefly brought North Africa into the Roman spotlight once again.
[[Image:As-Hadrian-Africa-RIC 0841,As.jpg|thumb|350px|left|[[Roman coin]] celebrating the province of Africa, struck in A.D. 136 under the Emperor [[Hadrian]]. The personification of Africa is shown wearing an elephant headdress.]]
Several political and provincial reforms were implemented by [[Augustus]] and later by [[Caligula]], but [[Claudius]] finalized the territorial divisions into official Roman provinces. Africa was a senatorial province. After [[Diocletian]]'s administrative reforms, it was split into '''''Africa Zeugitana''''' (which retained the name ''Africa Proconsularis'', as it was governed by a [[proconsul]]) in the north and '''''[[Byzacena|Africa Byzacena]]''''' in the south, both of which were part of the '''''[[Diocese of Africa|Dioecesis Africae]]'''''. The region remained a part of the Roman Empire until the great Germanic migrations of the 5th century. The [[Vandals]] crossed into North Africa from Spain in 429 and overran the area by 439 and founded their own kingdom, including [[Sicily]], [[Corsica]], [[Sardinia]] and the [[Balearic Islands|Balearics]]. The Vandals controlled the country as a warrior-elite, enforcing a policy of strict separation and suppressing the local Romano-African population, They also persecuted the [[Catholicism|Catholic]] faithful, as the Vandals were adherents of the [[Arian heresy]] (the semi-trinitarian doctrines of Arius, a priest of Egypt). Towards the end of the 5th century, the Vandal state fell into decline, abandoning most of the interior territories to the Mauri and other Berber tribes of the desert.
In AD 533, emperor [[Justinian]], using a Vandal dynastic dispute as pretext, sent an army under the great general [[Belisarius]] to recover Africa. In a [[Vandalic War|short campaign]], Belisarius defeated the Vandals, entered [[Carthage]] in triumph and succeeded in reestablishing Roman rule over the province. The restored Roman administration was successful in fending off the attacks of the Amazigh desert tribes, and by means of an extensive fortification network managed to extend its rule once again to the interior. The North African provinces, together with the Roman possessions in Spain, were grouped into the [[Exarchate of Africa]] by emperor [[Maurice (emperor)|Maurice]]. The exarchate prospered, and from it resulted the overthrow of the tyrannical emperor [[Phocas]] by [[Heraclius]] in 610. Its stability and strength in the beginning of the 7th century can be seen from the fact that Heraclius briefly considered moving the imperial capital from [[Constantinople]] to Carthage. Faced with the onslaught of the Muslim Conquest after 640, and despite occasional setbacks, the exarchate managed to stave off the threat, but in 698, a Muslim army from [[Egypt]] sacked Carthage and conquered the exarchate, ending Roman and Christian rule in North Africa.
==Economics==
The prosperity of most towns depended on agriculture. Called the "granary of the empire", North Africa, according to one estimate, produced one million tons of cereals each year, one-quarter of which was exported. Additional crops included beans, figs, grapes, and other fruits. By the second century, olive oil rivaled cereals as an export item. In addition to the cultivation of slaves, and the capture and transporting of exotic wild animals, the principal production and exports included the textiles, marble, wine, timber, livestock, pottery and wool.
==Known governors of Roman Africa==
===Republican Era===
* [[C. Hadrianus Fabius]] ([[87 BC|87]]—[[84 BC]])
===Augustus===
*[[Lucius Aelius Lamia]]
===Tiberius===
*[[Lucius Nonius Asprenas]]<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals/Book 1#53|I.53]]</ref>
*[[Marcus Furius Camillus (proconsul of Africa)|Marcus Furius Camillus]]<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals/Book 2#52|II.52]]</ref> ([[17]]–[[19]])
*[[Lucius Apronius]]<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals/Book 3#21|III.21]]</ref> ([[19]]–[[21]])
*[[Junius Blaesus|Quintus Junius Blaesus]]<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals/Book 3#35|III.35]], [[wikisource:The Annals/Book 3#58|III.58]]</ref> ([[21]]–[[23]])
*[[Publius Cornelius Dolabella (consul 10)|Publius Cornelius Dolabella]]<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals/Book 4#23|IV.23]]</ref> ([[23]]–[[24]])
===Claudius===
*[[Curtius Rufus]]<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals/Book 11#21|XI.21]]</ref>
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* Lennox Manton, ''Roman North Africa'', 1988
==External links==
* [http://www.unrv.com/provinces/africa.php Roman Africa at www.unrv.com]
{{Roman provinces 120 AD}}
{{Late Roman Provinces}}
[[Category:146 BC establishments]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman provinces]]
[[Category:History of North Africa]]
[[ar:مقاطعة أفريكا]]
[[br:Africa (Proviñs)]]
[[bg:Африка (римска провинция)]]
[[ca:Àfrica (província romana)]]
[[cs:Afrika (provincie)]]
[[cy:Affrica (talaith Rufeinig)]]
[[da:Africa (romersk provins)]]
[[de:Africa]]
[[es:África (provincia romana)]]
[[eo:Africa proconsularis]]
[[eu:Afrika prokontsular]]
[[fr:Afrique (province romaine)]]
[[fy:Afrika (Romeinske ryk)]]
[[is:Afríka (skattland)]]
[[it:Africa (provincia romana)]]
[[he:אפריקה (פרובינקיה רומית)]]
[[ka:აფრიკა (პროვინცია)]]
[[sw:Afrika ya Kiroma]]
[[la:Africa (provincia Romana)]]
[[lt:Afrika (Romos provincija)]]
[[nl:Africa]]
[[ja:アフリカ属州]]
[[no:Africa (romersk provins)]]
[[pl:Africa]]
[[pt:África Proconsular]]
[[ru:Африка (римская провинция)]]
[[sr:Африка (провинција)]]
[[fi:Africa]]
[[sv:Africa terra]]
[[tr:Afrika (Roma eyaleti)]]
[[zh:阿非利加行省]]