Everything about Mauretania totally explained
In Antiquity,
Mauretania was originally an independent
Berber kingdom on the
Mediterranean coast of
north Africa (named after the
Mauri tribe, after whom the
Moors were named), corresponding to western
Algeria, northern
Morocco and
Spanish Plazas de soberanía. The Mauri people were indicated with the Greek word
mauros, black. Some of the earliest recorded history relates to
Phoenician and
Carthaginian settlement such as
Lixus,
Volubilis,
Mogador and
Chellah. The kingdom of Mauretania was
not situated on the Atlantic coast south of Western Sahara, where modern
Mauritania lies.
Roman Mauretania
After the defeat of Carthage by the
Roman Empire, Mauretania became a Roman
client kingdom. The Romans placed
Juba II of
Numidia as their client-king. When Juba died in
23 AD, his Roman-educated son
Ptolemy of Mauretania succeeded him on the throne.
Caligula killed
Ptolemy of Mauretania in
40.
Claudius annexed Mauretania directly as a
Roman province in
44, under an imperial (not senatorial)
governor.
Not depriving the Mauri of their line of kings would have contributed to preserving loyalty and order, it appears: "The Mauri, indeed, manifestly worship kings, and don't conceal their name by any disguise,"
Cyprian observed in
247, likely quoting a geographer rather than personal observation, in his brief
euhemerist exercise in deflating the gods entitled
On the Vanity of Idols.
In the first century, Emperor
Claudius divided the Roman province of Mauretania into
Mauretania Caesariensis and
Mauretania Tingitana along the line of the Mulucha (Muluya) River, about 60 km west of modern
Oran:
Mauretania gave to the empire one emperor, the
equestrian Macrinus, who seized power after the
assassination of
Caracalla in
217 but was himself defeated and executed by
Elagabalus the next year.
Since emperor Diocletian's
Tetrarchy reform (293), the country was further divided in three provinces, as the small, easternmost region
Sitifensis was split off from Mauretania Caesariensis.
The
Notitia Dignitatum (circa 400) mentions them still, two being under the authority of the Vicarius of the diocese of Africa:
a Dux et praeses provinciae Mauritaniae et Caesariensis, for example, a Roman governor of the rank of Vir spectabilis, who also holds the high military command of 'duke', as the superior of eight border garrison commanders, each styled Praepositus limitis, named (genitive forms) Columnatensis, Vidensis, Praepositus limitis inferioris (for example, lower border), Fortensis, Muticitani, Audiensis, Caputcellensis and Augustensis.
an (ordinary, civilian) Praeses in the province of Mauretania Sitifensis.
And, under the authority of the Vicarius of the diocese of Hispaniae:
a Comes rei militaris of (Mauretania -, but not mentioning that part of the name) Tingitana, also ranking as vir spectabilis, in charge of the following border garrison (Limitanei) commanders: Praefectus alae Herculeae at Tamuco, Tribunus cohortis secundae Hispanorum at Duga, Tribunus cohortis primae Herculeae at Aulucos, Tribunus cohortis primae Ityraeorum at Castrabarensis, another Tribunus cohortis at Sala, Tribunus cohortis Pacatianensis at Pacatiana, Tribunus cohortis tertiae Asturum at Tabernas and Tribunus cohortis Friglensis at (and apparently also from, a rarity) Friglas; and to whom three extraordinary cavalry units are assigned: Equites scutarii seniores, Equites sagittarii seniores and Equites Cordueni,
a Praeses (civilian governor) of the same province of Jay/JunkyFurther Information
Get more info on 'Mauretania'.
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