- The African Grain Fleet was a Fleet of Roman Grain ships carrying Grain from North Africa to Rome. Two thirds of Rome’s Grain supply came from North Africa.
- It’s home port was Carthage in modern Tunisia.
Description
- This Fleet may have also stopped to pick up the Grain from Sicily, since this was en route to Italy.
- By 50 BCE it is thought that Africa was the most important source of Rome‘s Grain supply.
- Africa Proconsularis supplied Rome’s Grain for 8 months of the year.
- This was more than the Alexandrian Grain Fleet, which supplied Rome with Grain for 4 months of the year.
Classis Africana Commodiana Herculea (176-192 CE)
- The Classis Africana Commodiana Herculea is mentioned by the Historia Augusta as either an African Grain Fleet to supply Rome or a navy to protect the African Grain Fleet, created by Commodus (176-192 CE).
- Classis meant Fleet in Latin and the Historia Augusta thought it may have been based at Carthage.
The Grain Fleet of Egypt
Carthage, Tunisia