Numidia (202 BC-193 AD) was a kingdom of Berbers located in present-day Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia. The kingdom was united during the Second Punic War by King Masinissa as a single kingdom, bringing together the various Berber states of North Africa. The kingdom was reduced to a vassal state of the Roman Republic after the Jugurthine War of 112-106 BC, and in 193 AD it was divided into two Roman provinces by Septimius Severus.
History[]
Numidia in 41 BC
Numidia was previously a collection of Berber tribes from North Africa that existed by the 3rd century BC, and they were enemies of Carthage and Ptolemaic Egypt. However, in 202 BC it was unified by King Masinissa into a single Berber state, and it became an ally of the Roman Republic due to its status as an enemy of Carthage. Numidia provided Rome with auxiliary cavalrymen and other troops, but in 112 BC Numidia was usurped by Jugurtha, leading to Rome invading and subjugating Numidia. Numidia was made a client state of Lepidus' Rome after the division of the Roman Republic among the Second Triumvirate in 42 BC, but it had cordial relations with Octavian's Rome. Octavian conquered Lepidus' lands, and Numidia became an ally of Octavian during his campaigns against Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Numidia began friendly relations with Octavian with a trade agreement in 41 BC, and developed into a strong ally of Rome in North Africa.