Tunisia Under the Roman Rule

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Carthage came to an end and the lands finally became under the power of the Roman Empire , however Rome expansionary priorities were lying elsewhere . Rome thus was pleased to leave most of the country to the Numidians (a Berber kingdom) who were undoubtedly happy to be left alone after centuries of Carthaginian oppression . The Numidians began to expand and gain more influence under Massinissa who established a kingdom that extended from western Algeria to Libya . The major towns included Sicca Veneria (Le Kef) , Thugga (Dougga) and Vaga (Beja) . Rome then decided to cut the kingdom down to size after Massinissa's death in 148 BC , dividing it up between his three sons .

The kingdom was united again by the ruthless master Massinissa's grandson Jugurtha , whose carried massacre of some Roman traders caused a war that lasted from 112 to 105 BC . Jugurtha was finally betrayed by his father-in-law , King Bocchus I of Mauretania . He was then captured , paraded through the streets of Rome and then executed .

Rome decided to split the foremer kingdom into a western half centred on Cirta Regia (in modern Algeria) and an eastern half based at Zama , near Siliana . Juba I was the last of Zama kings . He intervene in the struggle of power in Rome (the Roman civil war) whcih was between Julius Caesar and Pompey , however he backed the wrong side and was defeated by Julius Caesar at the Battle of Thapsus in 46 BC .

Rome now decided to be in control of its African outpost and Julius Caesar re-established Carthage as a Roman city in 44 BC and made it the the capital of the expanded colony of Africa Proconsularis .

Africa was the largest supplier of wheat to Rome , and the wheat-growing plains of the Medjerda Valley and the Tell Plateau alone were supplying more than 60% of the Roman Empire's grain requirements by the 1st century AD . The Berbers prospered and some Berbers were even granted Roman citizenship . However , the Punic langugages and cultures were not supplanted by the Roman civilisation . Unlike , Spain and France who ended up speaking Latin-based languages , North Africa on the contrary did not follow sutie . During this time also , north Africa supplied the wild animals used in colosseum shows , as well as slaves , gold , ivory , olive oil , ostrich plumes and garum (a fishpaste delicacy) . Some cities became wealthy based on this prosperity - including Bulla Regia , Dougga , EI-Jem (Thysdrus) , Haidra , Sbeitla (Sufetula) and Thuburbo Majus - these cities are now also among the main tourist attractions in Tunisia .