36°00′N6°30′E / 36°N 6.5°E /36; 6.5
Numidia was aRoman province on theNorth African coast, comprising roughly the territory of northeasternAlgeria.
The people of the area were first identified asNumidians byPolybius around the 2nd century BC, although they were often referred to as the Nodidians.[1]
Eastern Numidia was annexed in 46 BC to create a new Roman province,Africa Nova.Western Numidia was also annexed as part of the provinceAfrica Nova after the death of its last king,Arabio, in 40 BC, and subsequently the province (except ofWestern Numidia) was united with provinceAfrica Vetus by EmperorAugustus in 25 BC, to create the new provinceAfrica Proconsularis. During the brief period (30–25 BC)Juba II (son ofJuba I) ruled as a client king of Numidia on the territory of former provinceAfrica Nova. In AD 40, the western portion of Africa Proconsularis, including its legionary garrison, was placed under an imperiallegatus, and in effect became a separate province of Numidia, though thelegatus of Numidia remained nominally subordinate to the proconsul of Africa until AD 203.[2]
Christianity spread there from the 2nd century onwards.[3] During the second century, the province wasChristianized, but in the fourth century, it adhered to theDonatistheresy, despite giving rise to men of Orthodox faith as illustrious asSaint Augustine, bishop ofHippo Regius (presentAnnaba).
After 193, underSeptimius Severus, Numidia was officially detached from the province of Africa and constituted a province in its own right, governed by an imperiallegatus pro praetore. UnderDiocletian, it constituted a simple province in thetetrarchic reorganization, then was divided in two:Numidia Cirtensis, with capital atCirta, andNumidia Militiana ("Military Numidia"), with capital at the legionary base ofLambaesis. However, after decades, EmperorConstantine the Great reunited the two provinces in a single one, administered from Cirta, which was now renamedConstantina (modernConstantine).
In 428, theVandals began their incursions in the African provinces. They eventually managed to create theVandal Kingdom that lasted between 432 and 534, the year in which the Vandals fell and the African provinces was reincorporated into(Eastern) Roman domain and formed thePraetorian prefecture of Africa, half a century later theExarchate of Africa, by the reign of Maurice (r. 582–602).
Between 696 and 708, the region was conquered again,this time by the Arab Muslims (Umayyad), and became part ofIfriqiya.[4]
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Numidia as the otherAfrican provinces became highly Romanized and was studded with numerous towns. The chief towns of Roman Numidia were: in the north,Cirta or modernConstantine, the capital, with its portRussicada (ModernSkikda); andHippo Regius (nearBône), well known as thesee of St.Augustine. To the south in the interior military roads led toTheveste (Tebessa) andLambaesis (Lambessa) with extensive Roman remains, connected by military roads with Cirta and Hippo, respectively.[5]
Lambaesis was the seat of theLegio IIIAugusta, and the most important strategic centre. It commanded the passes of theAurès Mountains (Mons Aurasius), a mountain block that separated Numidia from theGaetuli Berber tribes of the desert, and which was gradually occupied in its whole extent by the Romans under the Empire. Including these towns, there were altogether twenty that are known to have received at one time or another the title and status of Roman colonies; and in the 5th century, theNotitia Dignitatum enumerates no fewer than 123 sees whose bishops assembled atCarthage in 479.
Ancient episcopal sees of Numidia listed in theAnnuario Pontificio astitular sees:[6]
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