MAURETANIA

:''For the modern country, see Mauritania. For other uses, see Mauretania (disambiguation).''
In Antiquity, 'Mauretania' was originally an independent Berber kingdom on the Mediterranean coast of north Africa (named after the Maure tribe, after whom the Moors were named), corresponding to western Algeria, and northern Morocco. The kingdom of Mauretania was ''not'' sited where modern Mauritania lies, on the Atlantic coast south of Western Sahara.

Contents

Roman Mauretania

See also

Sources and references

Roman Mauretania

With the rise of the Roman Empire, Mauretania became a Roman 'client' (i.e., vassal) kingdom. The Romans placed Juba II of Numidia there as client-king. When Juba died in 23, 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 do not conceal their name by any disguise," Cyprian observed in 247, doubtlessly 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 Tingitana, named after its capital Tingis (now Tangier); it corresponded to the Spanish ''plaza de soberanía'', "sovereign enclave") and northern Morocco

★ Mauretania Caesariensis, comprising western and central Algeria as far as Kabylia.
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'', i.e., 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 (i.e., 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/Junky

See also

★ List of Kings of Mauretania

★ Numidia

★ Bocchus I of Mauretania

★ Syphax

★ Victor Maurus, a Christian Mauretanian martyr and saint

Sources and references

(incomplete)

★ Notitia dignitatum & Tingitana

★ Westermann, ''Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte'' (in German)