Tacfarinas

  • Tacfarinas was a leader of the Numidian Musulamii Tribe who formed a coalition of the Berber Tribes and conducted a Rebellion in the Province of Africa Proconsularis between 14-15 to 24 CE.
  • He succeeded in disrupting the Grain Supply to Rome by organising co-ordinated hit and run attacks using his own highly mobile Numidian cavalry, which would then disappear into the desert. It took four Roman Consuls ten years to suppress the Rebellion.

Date and Location

  • c.14-24 CE in the Tunisian Plateau.

Synopsis

  • Tacfarinas is thought to have served in a Roman Army Auxiliary Regiment for several years.
  • In 17 CE Tacfarinas deserted and created a small army of tribesman who attacked Roman settlements in hit and run raids for the next 7 years, defying Rome’s attempts to crush his rebellion, and crippling the Grain Supply to Rome.
  • In 24 CE he was finally ambushed and either killed or committed suicide in the battle.

The Reason for the Rebellion

  • By 14 CE The legion had built Roman Roads to the coast, one Northeast to Carthage and another Southeast to Tacapae (Gabes). By a policy of enclosures, they converted the Tunisian Plateau from Nomadic pasture to grain production for Rome, doubling the output of the Province.
  • The Musulamii, the Gaetuli and the Garamantes, all grazed their herds in the pastures of the Plateau during the Summer. They opposed the loss of their Pastures in open rebellion during 21 BCE, 19 BCE, 15 BCE, 3 CE and the last conflict was in 6 CE. Each conflict produced a Roman Triumph for its General which implies 5,000 of the Berber Tribesmen were killed on each occasion.

The African Grain Supply

  • By 50 BCE it is thought that Africa was the most important source of Rome’s Grain supply.
  • Africa supplied Rome’s Grain for eight months of the year, whereas Egypt supplied Rome’s Grain for 4 months of the year.
  • By attacking the Grain Supply, Tacfarinas threatened Rome itself, evidenced by riots in 19 CE produced by the high price of Grain due to its shortage.

Legio III Augusta

  • The Legio III Augusta was not yet based at Lambaesis, but still in its fortress at Haidra (Ammaedara). The Legion operated out of small forts dispersed around the mountains and desert in the interior of the Province.
  • Initially, they were unable to deal with Tacfarinas’ hit and run tactics, being trained for frontal assault, and the Legio IX Hispana and its Auxiliaries had to be be brought in from Pannonia.
  • But the various commanders soon adapted and turned the North African Legion into an effective, highly mobile force that held the Province for the next 300 years.

The Numidian Cavalry

  • The Local Tribesmen served in the Roman Army either as Infantry or as Numidian Cavalry, known as the Equites Numidarum.
  • After the Second Punic War, the Roman Army adopted the Numidian Cavalry as their own Light Cavalry.
  • With no armour, other than a small round leather shield, and no saddle, stirrups or bridle, just a loose rope around its neck, the horse was controlled by shouts and kicks, making them experts at Scouting, Ambush, Harassment and Pursuit. However, in close combat against a Roman Army in full body armour, they were defenceless.
  • Tacfarinas used these local tribesman and their expertise in cavalry to great advantage.

Tacfarinas wages Guerilla warfare

  • The difference between Tacfarinas and other Berber raids, was that Tacfarinas linked all the small Berber raiders into one unified force under himself and became leader of all the Musulamii tribes. This meant that he had created an army that completely outnumbered the Legio III Augusta (5,000) and its Auxiliaries (10,000), but because it was scattered about in remote areas, it was difficult to pin down.
  • Tacfarinas then joined forces with two other Tribes, the Mauri and the Cinithii and coordinated a series of hit and run raids on Roman territory.

Four Roman Proconsuls Campaign against Tacfarinas

  • Camillus (15-17 CE)
    • By 17 CE The hit and run raids were threatening Rome’s Grain Supply, and Tacfarinas had to be stopped. Camillus confronted Tacfarinus with the entire Legion and its Auxiliaries. Tacfarinus fell into the trap, thinking he had outnumbered the Romans, and met the Legion in pitched battle. The result was a rout for Tacfarinas’ army, and the survivors melted into the desert.
    • Tacfarinas learnt he could not confront the Legion, so he concentrated on mobility, melting into the Mountains and Deserts after an attack.
    • In 19 CE, the price of Grain in Rome rose so high it produced Riots (Tacitus), probably due to Tacfarinus’ raids.
  • Apronius (18-20 CE)
    • The next ProConsul to be sent was Apronius.
    • Tacfarinus besieged a Roman Fort guarding a crossing on the River Pagyda. The Commander, Decrius, led his Cohort against the besiegers, but the Legionaries retreated into the Fort, letting their commander be killed. This was an act of insubordination.
    • Apronius sent the order for Decimation to that Cohort.
    • The next attack at Thala was successfully repulsed.
    • After this, Tacfarinas changed his tactics, stopped attacking the Roman Forts and attacked their supply lines instead with great success, whilst continuing his hit and run raids.
    • Tacfarinas sent all his plunder to a port in nearby Mauretania to resell, but a Roman Army under Apronius’ son made a surprise attack on the port, forcing Tacfarinas to retreat to the Aures Mountains, leaving his plunder behind.
  • Blaesus (21-23 CE)
    • Tacfarinus then sent an Envoy to Tiberius in Rome demanding the return of land to the Tribesmen in exchange for the cessation of hostilities. The offer was refused.
    • Tiberius organised the Senate to send an experienced General, Quintus Junius Blaesus, who had been Governor of Pannonia, to deal with Tacfarinas.
    • Tiberius gave Blaesus an extra Legion, the Legio IX Hispana and its Auxiliaries, which doubled the size of the Roman Army in Africa. His instructions were to offer Amnesty to Tacfarinas’ Allies if they surrendered but to capture and kill Tacfarinas himself.
    • On arrival in Africa, Blaesus sent out the Amnesty, and large groups of Tacfarinas’ allies joined the Romans.
    • He divided the Province into three divisions with an Army controlling the access points to each division.
    • He built small forts in the desert manned by only 80 men, but they were garrisoned all year round, instead of during the Campaigning Season. These men then became experts in Desert Warfare and were sent out regularly to harass the enemy and cut their supply lines.
    • In 22 CE Blaesus’ legionaries succeeded in capturing Tacfarinas’ brother, and nearly all the raids ceased.
    • Blaesus was given a Roman Triumph in Rome and the Title ‘Imperator’ by Tiberius who then withdrew the Legio IX Hispana.
  • Dolabella (24 BCE)
    • The new Proconsul Dolabella arrived in 24 BCE and was faced with a national rebellion against the Romans, supported by neighbouring tribes beyond the Frontiers.
    • The removal of the Legio IX Hispana had sent the wrong signal to Tacfarinas, who was still free.
    • This time he coordinated an alliance of the Berber Tribes on the basis of a national revolt against Roman occupation, and allied himself with the Garamantes, and the Numidian tribes who were nominally ruled by the client king Ptolemy.
    • Tacfarinas felt confident enough to lay siege to a Roman Fort, but was repulsed by their superior armament. Tacfarinas then went underground in Numidia, but Dolabella, realising the war would never end until Tacfarinas was caught, gathered his forces to track his location.
    • Dolabella received cavalry forces from the client King of Numidia, Ptolemy, and he divided his army into 4 divisions advancing and scouring the countryside.
    • Once Tacfarinas had been located, Dolabella sent a strike force to catch him by surprise. Tacfarinas’ force was massacred with Tacfarinas being either killed or committing suicide in the Battle.

The Outcome

Africa remained the most important Granary of Rome

  • Between 24-29 CE Dolabella converted the Tunisian Plateau to grain production, and excluded the nomadic tribesmen, but Dolabella was never recognised for his achievement.
  • There were no more uprisings and the experience gained by the Legio III Augusta in desert warfare, kept the Province at peace for the next 300 years.
  • Grain was produced on small farms that were continually being bought and grouped into larger farms called Latifundia. This had already taken place elsewhere in Southern Italy, Sicily, Spain as well as in North Africa.
  • Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) was to write later, that the Province of Africa Proconsularis was under the control of only six men who owned all the Latifundia.

Numidia annexed in 44 CE

  • Ptolemy, the King of Numidia was granted the status of Roman Client Kingdom, with the Title ‘Rex, socius et amicus populii Romani’ (King, Ally and Friend of the Roman People), for his assistance in capturing Tacfarinas.
  • But in 40 CE, Ptolemy was executed by Caligula whilst in Rome, which sparked another Revolt by Aedemon, Ptolemy’s loyal slave in the royal household, which lasted until 44 CE.
  • In 44 CE the Kingdom of Numidia was divided into the two Roman Provinces of Mauretania Caesariensis and Mauretania Tingitana.

Sources

Haidra (Ammaedara)

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