Definition
When people spoke of Africa in ancient times, they generally meant the northern coast of Africa, and more specifically the coast west of Egypt (Cyrenaica and the Maghreb). The ancients vaguely knew of the existance of sub-Saharan Africa, but were unaware of its geography.
Despite its location in Africa, Egypt never expanded westwards. The expanse of the Libyan Desert cut Egypt off from the rest of North Africa. Egyptian boats, while well suited to the Nile, were not usable in the open Mediterranean. Moreover the small Egyptian merchant had far more prosperous destinations on Crete, Cyprus and the Levant.
Greeks and Phoenicians settled along the coast of Northern Africa between 800-600 BC. Both societies drew their prosperity from the sea and from ocean-born trade. They found only limited trading opportunities with the native inhabitants, and instead turned to colonization. The Greek trade was based mainly in the Aegean, Adriatic, Black, and Red Seas and they only established major cities in Cyrenaica, directly to the south of Greece.
The Phoenicians developed an even larger presence in North Africa with colonies from Tripoli to the Atlantic. One of the most important Phoenician cities was Carthage, which grew into one of the greatest powers in the region. At the height of its power, Carthage controlled the Western Mediterranean and most of North Africa outside of Egypt.
At the end of the Punic wars in 146 BC, Rome defeated Carthage and destroyed the city. All Carthaginian possessions were annexed into the Roman empire. In 30 BC, Roman Emperor Octavian conquered Egypt, officially annexing it to the Empire and, for the first time, unifying the North African coast under a single ruler. When the Roman Empire began to collapse, North Africa was spared much of the disruption until the Vandal invasion of 429 AD. The Vandals ruled in North Africa until the territories were regained by Justinian of the Eastern Empire in the 6th century. Egypt was never invaded by the Vandals because there was a thousand mile buffer of desert.
Despite its location in Africa, Egypt never expanded westwards. The expanse of the Libyan Desert cut Egypt off from the rest of North Africa. Egyptian boats, while well suited to the Nile, were not usable in the open Mediterranean. Moreover the small Egyptian merchant had far more prosperous destinations on Crete, Cyprus and the Levant.
Greeks and Phoenicians settled along the coast of Northern Africa between 800-600 BC. Both societies drew their prosperity from the sea and from ocean-born trade. They found only limited trading opportunities with the native inhabitants, and instead turned to colonization. The Greek trade was based mainly in the Aegean, Adriatic, Black, and Red Seas and they only established major cities in Cyrenaica, directly to the south of Greece.
The Phoenicians developed an even larger presence in North Africa with colonies from Tripoli to the Atlantic. One of the most important Phoenician cities was Carthage, which grew into one of the greatest powers in the region. At the height of its power, Carthage controlled the Western Mediterranean and most of North Africa outside of Egypt.
At the end of the Punic wars in 146 BC, Rome defeated Carthage and destroyed the city. All Carthaginian possessions were annexed into the Roman empire. In 30 BC, Roman Emperor Octavian conquered Egypt, officially annexing it to the Empire and, for the first time, unifying the North African coast under a single ruler. When the Roman Empire began to collapse, North Africa was spared much of the disruption until the Vandal invasion of 429 AD. The Vandals ruled in North Africa until the territories were regained by Justinian of the Eastern Empire in the 6th century. Egypt was never invaded by the Vandals because there was a thousand mile buffer of desert.
Articles
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The Meroe Head, so-called because it was found beneath a temple in the ruins of Meroe, is the head of a larger-than life statue of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (better known as Augustus Caesar) the first...
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The Land of Punt is best known for Queen Hatshepsut’s famous expedition in 1493 BCE in the 18th Dyanasty of Egypt, which brought back living trees to Egypt, marking the first known successful...
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Until 308 BC, Carthage was ruled, at least officially, by Monarchs. Find below a list of monarchs of Carthage between 814-308 BC. Didoian Dynasty Dido 814-c.760 BC -queen (unknown rulers)Hanno...
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Illustrations
Links
- Gigthis, un site méconnu de Tunisie
http://tunisie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/gigthis-un-site-meconnu-de-tunisie - Quelques monuments de la cité romaine de Sabratha (Libye)
http://archeologie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/quelques-monuments-de-la-cite-romaine-de-sabratha-libye - http://archeologie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/lixus-et-mogador--les-pheniciens-au-marochttp://
http://archeologie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/lixus-et-mogador--les-pheniciens-au-marochttp:// - Les Garamantes, un peuple antique du Sahara
http://archeologie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/les-garamantes-un-peuple-antique-du-sahara - Lepcis Magna, ville natale de l'empereur Septime Sévère
http://archeologie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/lepcis-magna-ville-natale-de-lempereur-septime-severe - Cyrène, de la cité grecque à la ville romaine
http://archeologie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/cyrene-de-la-cite-grecque-a-la-ville-romaine - Les autels des frères Philènes, en Libye
http://mythes-et-legendes.suite101.fr/article.cfm/les-autels-des-freres-philenes-en-libye - Le site d'Apollonia et le port de Cyrène en Libye
http://archeologie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/le-site-dapollonia-le-port-de-cyrene-en-libye - Les monuments de la cité grecque de Cyrène, en Libye
http://afrique.suite101.fr/article.cfm/les-monuments-de-cyrene-cite-grecque-de-libye - Utique : l'une des plus anciennes cités de la côte africaine
http://tunisie.suite101.fr/article.cfm/utique-une-des-plus-anciennes-cites-de-la-cote-africaine
Africa Books
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Random House (13 July 2010)Price: $17.82 -
Lawrence Hill Books (01 July 1989)Price: $11.53 -
University of California Press (07 August 2000)Price: $13.75 -
Oxford University Press, USA (19 February 2004)Price: $11.00 -
Oxford University Press, USA (29 July 2008)Price: $21.54
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