• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Roman Mauretania Caesariensis

During the reign of Ptolemy the wilder tribes rose against the Romans under Tacfarinas, and after a struggle of eight years were defeated by the united forces of the king and the Roman General Dolabella, A.D. 24. Ptolemy was summoned to Rome by Caligula, A.D. 40, and shortly after put to death by that Emperor, who was jealous of his good looks. His freedman iEdemon raised a rebellion to revenge his master, and, during a long struggle, gave an excuse to the Romans to widen and strengthen their power among the Atlas Mountains.

It is from the period of the next 300 years that most of the Roman remains in Algeria date. The African provinces were most important to the empire, which drew from them its richest stores and had little to pay for defence. Their history followed the various fortunes of the declining power of the emperors, and was only rendered more disturbed by the introduction of Christianity, the lawless and hot-blooded natives ranging themselves on the side of various sects, and constantly resorting to violence to maintain their views. Thus, though they contributed some shining names to the army of martyrs, they helped far more to swell the bands of the persecutors.

In A.D. 311, the Emperor Constantine, having decided between the two rival Bishops of Carthage, and decreed that the possessions of the other party should be delivered to the one declared orthodox, the persecuted sect called Donatists resisted his decree, and retired in large numbers to the Atlas Mountains. In 348 they defeated an army sent for their forcible conversion, and remained for a century the scourge of the neighbouring provinces, being urged by a frantic fanaticism to constant revolts and ravages.

At this period the town of Julia Cassarea was destroyed in a revolt of the Moors under Firmus, one of their chiefs, and the country, weakened by so many disturbances between opposing sects and races, became an easy prey to the enemies now pressing the Roman Empire on every side. The opportunity for invasion was given in the reign of Valentinian III. by Boniface, Governor of Carthage, the friend of St. Augustine.

Jealous of the Roman General AEtius, he called to his assistance Genseric, king of the Vandals in Spain, who landed in Africa A.d. 429, and was speedily joined by troops of native Moors and the wild hands of the Donatists.