Mauretania Caesariensis

• Mauretania Caesariensis was a Roman Province located in the region of modern Algeria.

1. History

• Pre-Roman history:
  • Bronze Age Cromlech near Bone.
  • Mauretania was a Kingdom occupied by Berber Tribes.
  • 206-44 BCE The Kingdom of Numidia became a key ally of Rome during and after the Punic Wars (264-146 BCE).
  • 146 BCE the Roman Senate, in thanks to their ally during the Punic Wars, gave Numidia all the territory from Mauretania to Cyrenaica, except for Carthage.
  • 111-104 BCE During the Jugurthine War, the Roman Senate was obliged to send an army, after a coup d’etat by Jugurtha.
• Acquisition by Rome:
  • 29-27 BCE It became a Roman Client Kingdom under Juba II.
• Timeline of this Province:
• Under The Republic:
• After Augustus reconstituted the Republic into an Empire (27 BCE):
  • 23 CE Juba II died and His son Ptolemy succeeded him, but in 40 CE he was executed by Caligula.
  • 44 CE It became a Roman Province under Claudius, and was divided into Mauretania Caesariensis and Mauretania Tingitana. The border was the Moulouya River, 37 miles (60km) west of Oran.
• After Diocletian’s Reforms (297 CE):
  • Became part of the Diocese of Africa.
• After Death of Theodosius (395 CE) and the split into Eastern and Western Empire::
  • 428 CE The Province fell to the Vandal Invasions.
• Famous Persons from this Province:
  • Macrinus
    • The Equestrian Roman Emperor (217-218 CE) was from Cherchell.
  • Priscian
    • A Greek Scholar who taught in Constantinople c. 500 CE. He was born in Caesarea (Cherchell). He became a Latin Grammarian who wrote ‘Institutiones Grammaticae’ (Grammatical Foundations)
• Chief archeological Finds:
• Historic Battle Sites:
• Main Historical Sources for this Province:

2. Geography

• Capital City:
  • Cherchell (Caesaria Mauretaniae)
• Chief Cities:
  • Saldae (Bejaia), Algiers (Icosium), Tipaza
• Location Today:
  • Algeria and Morocco
• Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
  • Mauretania Tingitana, Africa Proconsularis
  • The River Moulouya, 37 miles (60 km) west of Oran, was the dividing line with Mauretania Tingitana.
• Climate and Temperature Today:
  • Mediterranean Climate:
    • Northern Algeria has a Mediterranean Climate with warm summers and mild winters.
    • Little rainfall, mostly between September and December.
• Main Geographical features:
  • Fertile coastal plains
    • becoming a rocky coast in the east.
  • High Plateaus
    • from 4,260 feet (1,300m) in the west to 1,300 feet (400m) in the east, range behind the coast for 372 miles (600 km) between Morocco and Tunisia.
    • These dry, arid plateaus lie between the Tell Atlas mountain range and the Sahara Atlas mountain Range. There are shallow salt lakes and marshes in the Plateaus.
  • Sahara
    • The Desert extends all the way to Niger and Mali, with Oases in the northern sector.
    • It consists of sandstone plateaus cut with deep gorges, as well as the ‘Great Eastern Erg’ and the ‘Great Western Erg’, two large regions of huge Sand dunes up to 16 ft (5m) high, at intervals of 130 ft (40m).
• Main Rivers:
  • R. Chelif, R. Hamiz, R. Soummam. Dry most of the year, not navigable.
• Mountain Ranges:
  • Tell Atlas, Sahara Atlas,
  • Ahaggar Mountains (Highest Peak: Mt Tahat 9853 ft (3003m) many others above 6561 ft (2000m), Petite Kabylie, Grande Kabylie.
• Aurasius Mons.
  • The Aures Mountains in the east, shared with Tunisia, formed a base of Berber resistance to Rome, (and later the Vandals, Moors and most recently, the French).
  • This is where the Legio III Augusta was located at Lambaesis.
• Islands:
  • Algiers Bay has several small islands.

3. Political Organisation

• Province Type:
  • Imperial Procuratoriall
• Governor:
  • Procurator
• Tribes and Population:
  • Berber
• Language:
  • Latin and Berber (known to the Romans as ‘Barbaricae’ and is still spoken today).

4. Military Organisation

• Legions:
  • Protected by Units of the Legio III Augusta from Lambaesis, in Africa Proconsularis
  • Also by Units of Numidian Cavalry (Equites Numidarum)
• Navy:
  • Classis Mauretanica: based at Cherchell (Caesaria Mauretaniae) in Algeria.
• Defensive Works:
• Main Threats:
  • Berber Tribes from the Sahara

5. Economy

• Chief Exports:
  • Grain, Fish, Grapes, Fruits, Dates, Figs, Pearls, Furniture, marble, pottery.
  • Horses: Numidian Cavalry
• Agriculture and Fishing:
• Manufacturing:
• Mines:
• Mints:

6. Transport

• Roads:
  • North African Roman Road
    • The Coastal Road from Tangier to Egypt.
• Waterways:
• Ports:
  • Cherchell (Caesaria Mauretaniae)
  • Saldae (Bejaia)
• Ancient Trade Routes:
  • Sea Routes to Italy, Spain and the Atlantic
• Number of Days taken to travel from this Province to Rome:

7. Relationship with Rome

• Known as the ‘Granary of Rome’, it was a very wealthy province.
• However, it was periodically threatened by the Berber Tribes south of the Atlas Mountains.
• Consequently, it was defended by a Legion permanently based at Lambaesis, the Legio III Augusta.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

• St. Marciana of Mauretania who died in 303 CE, mauled by wild beasts in the Amphitheatre at Cherchell (Caesaria Mauretaniae)

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

Mauretania Caesariensis