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<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Ancient Roman Towns in Today's Tunisia</TITLE> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="An illustrated description of ancient Roman towns in today's Tunisia"> <META NAME="name" CONTENT="An illustrated description of ancient Roman towns in today's Tunisia"> <META NAME="author" CONTENT="romeartlover"> <META NAME="generator" CONTENT="FreeFormEditor 1.0"> <style>body, html { margin:0; padding:0; color:#0D1138; background:#a7a09a; } #wrap { width:960px; margin:0 auto; padding:0; background:#F0EA92; } #header { background-image: url("Bghall.jpg");} #nav { background:#F0EA92; } #main { background:#F0EA92; padding:0; } #sidebar { background:#cc9; } #footer { background:#cc9; } #main { float:left; width:200px; background-image: url("Bghall.jpg"); } #sidebar { float:right; width:760px; background-image: url("Bgziqua.jpg"); } #footer { clear:both; background:#cc9; } table { background-image: url("Bghall.jpg"); font-weight: bold;} td { padding: 4px; border: thin solid DarkGoldenRod; vertical-align: top;} </style><link rel="stylesheet" href="prova2.css"> </HEAD> <body> <div id="wrap"> <div id="header"></div> <div id="nav"></div> <div id="main"></div> <div id="sidebar"></div> <div id="footer"></div> </div> <div id="wrap"> <div id="header"><div class="boxed"><h1><em>Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller</em></h1></div></div> <div id="nav"> <ul class="nav site-nav"> <li class="flyout"><a href=#>About this Website</a> <ul class="flyout-content nav stacked"> <li><a href="index.html">Home</a></li> <li><a href="Romeartlover.html">About & Feedback</a></li> <li><a href="Hallfame.html">Hall of Fame</a></li> <li><a href="Biblio.html">Bibliography</a></li> <li><a href="Glossary.html">Glossary</a></li> </ul> <li class="flyout"> <a href="#">Vasi's Roman Views</a>  <ul class="flyout-content nav stacked"> <li><a href="Books.html">Rome in 10 Books</a></li> <li><a href="View.htm">View of Rome</a></li> <li><a href="Map.html">Map of Rome</a></li> <li class="flyout-alt"><a href="#">Other Views</a>  <ul class="flyout-content nav stacked"> <li><a href="Vasigrs1.html">Roman Forum</a></li> <li><a href="Vasigrs4.html">The Vatican</a></li> <li><a href="Vasigrs2.html">Aventine Hill</a></li> <li><a href="Vasigrs3.html">S. 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Write to <a href="mailto:romapip@quipo.it">romapip@quipo.it</a>.<p class="stacco"> <a href="New.htm"><img class="displayed" src="Newnuovo.jpg" title="See the most recent additions to this website" height=135 width=180></a> <p class="stacco"><a href="superind.html"><img class="displayed" src="Sitemap.jpg" height=135 width=180 title="See a detailed list of this website pages"></a></p> <p class="stacco">Notes:<p class="stacco">Page revised in September 2019. The photos were taken in April 2012 and March 2019.</div> </div> <div id="sidebar"><div class="boxed"> <img src="Miniafri.jpg" width=220 height=120 title="Thugga"><em><strong><span>   - Introduction</span><br>  (detail of the theatre at <a href="Thugga.html">Thugga</a>)</em> <p><p class="stacco">In 146 BC, at the end of the <a href="Storia4.html#Carthage">Third Punic War</a>, the Romans destroyed <a href="Cartago1.html">Carthage</a> and established their first province on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea; it was called Africa, a name the etymology of which is uncertain, but which probably meant Land of the Afri, a term indicating the native tribes who lived there prior to the arrival of the <a href="Tyre3.html#Morocco">Phoenicians</a> who founded Carthage and other towns along the coast.<br> The new province included only the north-eastern part of today's Tunisia and its capital was <a href="Utica.html">Utica</a>, a town the inhabitants of which had helped the Romans to defeat the Carthaginians. In 105 BC the province was enlarged after the Romans defeated <a href="Storia4.html#Marius">Jugurtha, King of Numidia</A> and it included <a href="Tripintr.html">Tripolis (three cities)</a> in today's Libya.<p class="stacco"> <img src="Maptunis.jpg" class="displayed" usemap="#Archaeological sites" width=730 height=440 title="Map of the archaeological sites"> <MAP NAME="Archaeological sites"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="455,88,465,99" href="Cartago1.html" title="Carthage"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="420,37,430,47" href="Utica.html" title="Utica"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="511,183,521,193" href="Neapolis.html" title="Neapolis"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="485,198,495,208" href="Pupput.html" title="Pupput"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="174,229,184,239" href="Sicca.html" title="Sicca Veneria"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="245,181,255,191" href="Thugga.html" title="Thugga"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="287,156,297,166" href="Thignica.html" title="Thignica"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="394,163,404,173" href="Thuburbo.html" title="Thuburbo"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="465,182,475,191" href="Ziqua.html" title="Ziqua"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="230,198,240,208" href="Mustis.html" title="Musti"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="215,288,225,298" href="Mactaris.html" title="Mactaris"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="138,158,148,168" href="Simitthus.html" title="Simitthus"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="210,393,220,403" href="Sufetula.html" title="Sufetula"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="179,155,189,165" href="Bulla.html" title="Bulla"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="417,130,427,140" href="SidiGhrib.html" title="Sidi Ghrib"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="582,63,592,73" href="Kerkouane.html" title="Kerkouane"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="591,88,601,98" href="Kelibia.html" title="Kelibia/Clypea"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="458,152,468,162" href="Uthina.html" title="Uthina"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="460,243,470,253" href="Pheradi.html" title="Pheradi"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="463,264,473,273" href="Uppenna.html" title="Uppenna"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="579,355,589,365" href="Aphrodisium.html" title="Aphrodisium"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="566,348,576,358" href="Thapsus.html" title="Thapsus"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" coords="540,416,550,426" href="Thysdrus.html" title="Thysdrus"> </MAP><em><h2>Clickable map of the archaeological sites (blue dots) covered in this section. The red dots (not clickable) indicate towns which are covered in a <a href="Medinas.html">separate section</a>. The red line indicates the current border between <a href="Algeria.html#Algermap">Algeria</a> (left) and Tunisia (right)</h2></em> <p class="stacco"><a href="Storia6.html#Pax">Pax Romana</a> is the term used by historians to indicate the long period of peace enjoyed by the Roman Empire between the end of the civil wars in 27 BC and the death of <a href="Storia9.html#Marcus">Emperor Marcus Aurelius</a> in 180 AD.<br>In the Province of Africa this period of prosperity led to the development of many towns in the interior of the country in addition to those along the coast. <p class="stacco"> <a name="Thysdrus"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Thysdr12.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="mosaic portraying an allegory of the Roman Empire " height=440 width=730> <em><h2><a href="Thysdrus.html">Thysdrus</a> (El Djem): House of Africa: mosaic portraying an allegory of the Roman Empire: Rome is depicted at the centre of the mosaic and is surrounded by some of the provinces: (clockwise) <a href="Sicily.html">Sicily</a>, <a href="Efeso.html">Asia</a>, Egypt, an unknown province, Africa and <a href="Spainint.html">Spain</a>. Africa is identified by elephant tusks</h2></em> <p class="stacco">Africa continued to indicate a section of the southern Mediterranean coast and not a continent for many centuries. The Arabs adopted the Roman term and called <em>Ifriqiya</em> today's Tunisia. European medieval maps which partitioned the world among the three sons of Noah, associated Africa with the land from Morocco to Egypt, whereas the biblical reference to the <em>Land of Ham</em> was limited to the latter. <p class="stacco"><a name="view"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Cartag06.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="The Gulf of Tunis and the ancient harbours of Carthage seen from the acropolis of the city" height=440 width=730> <em><h2>The Gulf of Tunis and the <a href="Cartago1.html#ports">ancient harbours of Carthage</A> seen from the <a href="Cartago2.html#Acropolis">acropolis</A> of the city (see them in a <a href="Medinas2.html#Ports">1906 painting by Frances E. Nesbitt</a>)</h2></em> <p class="stacco"> In 146 BC the Romans razed Carthage to the ground, burnt all the ships, killed or enslaved all its inhabitants and according to some historians the city was cursed. Carthage however was located in an excellent position and the Romans themselves started to rebuild it in the Ist century BC and Emperor Augustus made it the capital of the province. <p class="stacco"><a name="Kerkouane"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Kerkou16.jpg" title="House with a peristyle" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" height=451 width=730> <em><h2><a href="Kerkouane.html">Kerkouane</a>: House with a Peristyle</em></h2> <p class="stacco"><em>The Punic Town of Kerkuane has preserved all its architectural and town planning components, which are located at the boundary of the property. Following its destruction during the <a href="Storia3.html#First">First Punic War</A> around 255 BC, the town was abandoned and, contrary to other Punic cities which after the fall of the Carthaginian metropolis, were Romanised and lost their Punic features, Kerkuane was never reinhabited.</em><br>From the UNESCO synthesis of the universal value of Kerkouane which in 1985 was included in the World Heritage List. <p class="stacco"><a name="Mejerda"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Utica01.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title=" Mejerda Valley" height=440 width=730> <em><h2>The Mejerda Valley near the mouth of the river at Utica</h2></em> <p class="stacco"><TABLE class="center" cols=2 style="width:98%"> <TBODY><TR> <TD style="width:45%"><em>Turbidus arentes lento pede sulcat arenas<br> Bagrada, non ullo libycis in finibus amne<br> victus limosas extendere latius undas<br> et stagnante vado patulos involvere campus.</em><br>Silius Italicus - Punica - Book VI </TD><TD style="width:53%">The turbid stream of Bagrada furrows the sandy<br> desert with sluggish course; and no river in the land<br>of Libya can boast that it spreads its muddy waters<br>further, or covers the wide plains with greater floods. <br>(Translation by J. D. Duff)</TD> </TR> </Tbody></Table> <p class="stacco"> The wealth of Africa resided in its agriculture. The province was one of the granaries of the Empire and in particular it supplied Rome. The valley of the Bagrada (Mejerda) River which flows in the north of the country was renowned for its fertility and the fact that the river was navigable from <a href="Simitthus.html">Simitthus</a> to its mouth made transportation of its crops easy. <p class="stacco"><a name="Thignica"></A> <img class="displayed" SRC="Thigni06.jpg" title="Countryside life on the top of the hill and near the baths" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" height=451 width=730> <em><h2><a href="Thignica.html">Thignica</A> in the Mejerda Valley: countryside life on the top of the hill and near the baths</em></h2> <p class="stacco"><em>The mightie river of Megerada springing forth of the mountaines neere unto the citie Tebessa </em>(in Algeria)<em>, (..) continueth a northerly course, until at a place fortie miles distant from Tunis it exonerateth it selfe into the Mediterran sea. In rainie weather it so increaseth, that travellers, bicause there are neither boates nor bridges, are constrained to staie two or three daies by the rivers side till it be decreased. (..) And hereby you may see how the Africans of these times degenerate both in wit and courage from the ancient Africans.</em><br>Leo Africanus - The history and description of Africa: and of the notable things therein contained - 1526 - 1600 translation by John Pory. <p class="stacco"><a name="Thugga"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Thugga01.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="View of Thugga and of its Capitolium" height=440 width=730> <em><h2>View of Thugga and of its <a href="Thugga.html#Capitolium">Capitolium</A></h2></em> <p class="stacco">The growth of the settlements from villages to towns can be traced in inscriptions celebrating the construction of monuments or facilities. At Thugga, the town is referred to as <em>Pagi Thuggensis</em> in an inscription celebrating an arch dedicated to <a href="Storia7.html#Claudius">Emperor Claudius</a>. 150 years later an inscription celebrating <a href="Storia10.html#Septimius">Emperor Septimius Severus</a> speaks of <em>Civitas Aurelia Thugga</em>. <em>Pagus</em> is the Latin word for country district, whereas <em>civitas</em> indicates a town the inhabitants of which had Roman citizenship. This event at Thugga and other towns was celebrated by erecting a Capitolium, a temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, the three deities who were worshipped in the <a href="Vasi80.htm#Giove">Capitoline hill</a> of Rome. <p class="stacco"> <a name="Thuburbo"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Thubur01.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="Thuburbo Majus" height=440 width=730> <em><h2><a href="Thuburbo.html">Thuburbo Majus</a> - Ruins of the amphitheatre (left) and of a great cistern (right)</h2></em> <p class="stacco"><em>It is extremely difficult to understand how the country could have supported the immense population which it must have contained during the Roman period. It is covered in every direction by the ruins not only of great cities, but of isolated posts and agricultural establishments. In many parts one cannot ride a mile in a long day's journey without encountering the ruins of some solidly-built edifice.</EM><br>Handbook for travellers in Algeria and Tunis - John Murray 1878<br>Although their economy was based on agriculture, the towns of Africa had all the facilities typical of an urban settlement: paved streets, aqueducts, fountains, baths, tribunals, marketplaces, theatres and amphitheatres. A network of roads linked the towns of the interior with Carthage and other ports. <p class="stacco"> <a name="Musti"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Mustis01.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="Musti" height=440 width=730> <em><h2><a href="Mustis.html">Musti</a> - Arch to Gordianus and Mausoleum of the Julii</h2></em> <p class="stacco">Entrances to towns were often identified by triumphal arches. In addition to their celebratory purpose they indicated the limits of the urban settlement for some practical aspects such as the prohibition to wear arms and to build tombs. They were not gates of a fortification system, because the towns did not have walls. Roman Legion III Augusta was stationed at Theveste, a town just across the border with Algeria, from which it prevented desert nomadic tribes from entering the province. <p class="stacco"> <a name="Sufetula"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Sufetu02.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="Sufetula" height=440 width=730> <em><h2><a href="Sufetula.html">Sufetula</a> - The forum turned into a Byzantine fortress</h2></em> <p class="stacco"><a name="Donatism"></a>At the beginning of the IVth century, as a reaction to the persecution of <a href="Storia11.html#Diocletian">Emperor Diocletian</a>, many Christians of Africa embraced Donatism, a local church supporting a rigorous vision of Christian values in contrast to those who looked for an appeasement with the Roman State. It was the beginning of a religious and ethnic split among the inhabitants of the province which eventually facilitated the invasion of the Vandals, a Germanic tribe, in 439. <br> Africa was conquered by the Byzantines in 533. In order to protect the inhabitants of the towns they turned the forums into small fortresses; they did so in a hasty way by pulling down all the buildings around the forum and by using them as construction material. This did not prevent the Arabs from conquering the whole province at the end of the VIIth century. <p class="stacco"><a name="Simitthus"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Simitt12.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="Simittus" height=440 width=730> <em><h2>Roman tomb at Simitthus</h2></em> <p class="stacco">The monuments of the Roman period in today's Tunisia can be found in different settings. The Arabs destroyed Carthage and used the columns of its churches/temples to build a <a href="Tunis.html#courtyard">large mosque at Tunis</a>. Some towns did not disappear and foundations of Roman buildings can be seen in the heart of the medina, as it occurs at <a href="Sicca.html#summary">Le Kef, ancient Sicca Veneria</A>. Thugga and other towns returned to be small villages of peasants and their remains are often surrounded by farms. In general ancient monuments are included in archaeological parks, but it is not unusual to see them immersed in a very rural environment. <p class="stacco"> <a name="Mactaris"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Mactar22.jpg" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" title="Mactaris" height=440 width=730> <em><h2><a href="Mactaris.html">Mactaris</a> - Arch to <a href="Storia9.html#Trajan">Emperor Trajan</a></h2></em> <p class="stacco">The images which illustrate this section were taken in April 2012 or in March 2019. Those which illustrate this page were chosen with the intention of paying tribute to Spring and its symbolic meaning.<p class="stacco"><a name="Sullectum"></a> <img class="displayed" SRC="Salakta3.jpg" title="En route to the catacombs" style="border:5px solid DarkGoldenRod" height=451 width=730> <em><h2>En route to the catacombs of <a href="Thapsus.html#Sullectum">Sullectum</A></em></h2> <p class="stacco">The image used as background for this page shows the aqueduct which brought water to Carthage from <a href="Ziqua.html#Uthina">Ziqua</a>. <p class="stacco">Move to:<br> <a href="Aphrodisium.html">Aphrodisium and Sullectum</a><br> <a href="Bulla.html">Bulla Regia</a><br> <a href="Cartago1.html">Carthage</a><br> <a href="Kelibia.html">Clypea (Kelibia)</a><br> <a href="Kerkouane.html">Kerkouane (Punic)</a><br> <a href="Mactaris.html">Mactaris</a><br> <a href="Mustis.html">Musti</a><br> <a href="Neapolis.html">Neapolis</a><br> <a href="Pheradi.html">Pheradi Majus</a><br> <a href="Pupput.html">Pupput</a><br> <a href="Sicca.html">Sicca Veneria</a><br> <a href="SidiGhrib.html">Sidi Ghrib Roman Villa</a><br> <a href="Simitthus.html">Simitthus</a><br> <a href="Sufetula.html">Sufetula</a><br> <a href="Thapsus.html">Thapsus and Leptis Minor</a><br> <a href="Thignica.html">Thignica</a><br> <a href="Thuburbo.html">Thuburbo Majus</a><br> <a href="Thugga.html">Thugga</a><br> <a href="Thysdrus.html">Thysdrus</a><br> <a href="Uppenna.html">Uppenna</a><br> <a href="Uthina.html">Uthina</a><br> <a href="Utica.html">Utica</a><br> <a href="Ziqua.html">Ziqua</a><br> <a href="Bardo.html">Mosaics in the Museum of Bardo</a><br> <a href="Musousse.html">Mosaics in the Museum of Sousse</a> and <br> <a href="Medinas2.html">1906 Tunisia in the paintings by Frances E. Nesbitt</a> <br> <br> </div> </div> <div id="footer"><div class="boxed"><p class="stacco"><h2>Other pages/sections which might be of interest to you:</h2>                                      <a href="Morocco.html"><img src="Minimoro.jpg" align=center width=220 height=120 title="Roman towns in Morocco"></a><a href="Umbereco.html"><img src="Minihist.jpg" align=center width=220 height=120 title="Abridged History of Rome"></a><a href="Algeria.html"><img src="Minialge.jpg" align=center width=220 height=120 title="Roman Algeria"></a><h2>See you at another page of this website!</h2></p></div></div></body> </HTML>