Why is Numidia missing?
After all, it played a major role in the Punic Wars, leading to the defeat of Tsorin. Can EB create only three powerful playable roman factions ( The Optimati << Sulla>>, The Populares << Marius>>, The People of Rome << Sergius Catalina\ Gracchus>> )
For Numidia I propose the following.
The historical background
Numidia suffers from being one of history's extra's, only being noticed when they are dragged into the spotlight by the star. This explains why they are ignored until the second Punic war by most reference works. The following is therefore a brief and biased history of Numidia and Mauretania from 215 BC to 700 AD. 1000 years in 100 seconds.
Numidia at the start of the Second Punic War (219-202 BC) was part of the Carthaginian empire. The Romans tried to persuade them to change sides including sending a mission to train their infantry in 213 BC. They failed initially but in 206 BC the king of east Numidia Masinissa became an ally of Rome. Syphax king of eastern Numidia stayed allied to Carthage. When the Second Punic war came to an end the Romans rewarded their ally by making him king of all Numidia. Later expansion by Numidia gave the Romans the excuse they needed to start the third Punic war (149-146 BC).
During the power struggle over who would rule Numidia in 118 BC some Italians were murdered. This lead to Rome declaring war upon the winner of the struggle Jugurtha. This lasted until 111 BC when peace was made, however while visiting Rome to explain his actions Jugurtha had a rival murdered and this caused the war to resume. The war lasted until 105 BC after Jugurtha had been betrayed by his father-in-law and handed over to the Romans.
During the Roman civil wars of the first century BC the King Juba I sided with Pompey. Since he had backed the loosing side Numidia lost its independence and became a Roman province in 46 BC. Caesar did have some support in Numidia from Bogud, and from King Bocchus of Mauretania who received the western part of Numidia as a reward.
At the death of King Bocchis in 33 BC Mauretania was bequeathed to Rome. Augustus set up Juba II, the son of the last Numidian king, as the client ruler in 25 BC. (Trivia: Juba II married Cleopatra Selene the daughter of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra.)
Around this time the Third Augustan Legion moved to North Africa which it permanently garrisoned for the next three hundred years. The less important Mauretania was defended by 13,000 auxiliaries. A frontier of 1500 miles from the Atlantic to the Libyan desert was held by some 30,000 troops.
Constant frontier and internal revolts continued until 6 AD. The period 17 AD - 24 AD saw the revolt of Tacfarinas in Numidia. Fighting flared up again in AD 23 when Juba I died and Mauretania did not take to the rule of his son Ptolemy. The Moors united in rebellion with Tacfarinas's Musulammii tribe. The rebellion ended with Tacfarinas's defeat and death during a surprise dawn attack on his camp at Auzea (Aumale) by Publius Dolabella.
In 40 AD Ptolemy was murdered on orders of the emperor Caligula (his cousin). He left no heir and Mauretania was annexed to the Roman Empire as the two provinces - Mauretania Caesariensis and Mauretania Tingitana. A rebellion lead by Aedemon a freedman loyal to Ptolemy followed which took four years to put down.
Just think EB fans - Numidia could be the final roman family. It certainly received orders from Rome. Just imagine- an eastern faction in the Brutii's place.
May Numidia be saved: it deserves it
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