Africa, Roman
Africa, Roman(see map: The Roman empire (central and eastern provinces)) The Punic Wars made Rome heir to the Carthaginian empire (see Carthage). In 146 BC she left most territory in the hands of the Numidian king Masinissa's descendants, but formed a new province (Africa) in the most fertile part. This covered about 13,000 sq. km. (5,000 sq. mi.) of north and central Tunisia, north-east of a boundary line (the fossa regia, ‘the royal ditch’) from Thabraca to Hadrumetum; it was governed by a praetor from Utica. Except for Utica and six other towns of Phoenician origin which had supported Rome rather than Carthage in the Punic Wars, most of the land became ager publicus (see agrarian laws and policy). Although the attempt by Gaius Gracchus to found a Roman colony at Carthage failed, Roman and Italian...
[The entire page is 1588 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
