Madauros

Last updated
Madauros
Madaure, 2, 1975.jpg
Ruins of Madauros
Algeria relief location map.jpg
Archaeological site icon (red).svg
Madauros
Shown within Algeria
Location Algeria
Region Souk Ahras Province
Coordinates 36°04′36″N7°49′12″E / 36.076667°N 7.82°E / 36.076667; 7.82

Madauros (Madaurus, Madaura) was a Roman-Berber city and a former diocese of the Catholic Church in the old state of Numidia, in present-day Algeria.

Contents

History

The birth of the city dates back to the 5th century BC under the aegis of the Punics. [1]

Madauros was made a Roman colony at the end of the first century and was famous for its "schola". A colony of veterans was established there; it was called Colonia Flavia Augusta Veteranorum Madaurensium under emperor Nerva. [2]

The city was fully Romanised in the fourth century, with a population of Christian Berbers who spoke mainly African Romance, according to Theodor Mommsen. [3]

Madauros was the see of a Christian diocese. There were three famous bishops of this diocese: Antigonus, who celebrated the 349 Council of Carthage; Placentius, who celebrated the 407 Council of Carthage and Conference of 411; and Pudentius, who was forced into exile alongside others present at the Synod of 484 because of the Vandal king Huneric.

The ruins of Madauros are close to the current city of M'Daourouch (Arabic : مداوروش) in present-day Algeria. It is possible to see:

Notable residents

Apuleius, the author of the famous novel The Golden Ass , which is the only ancient Latin novel to survive in its entirety, [4] was born in Madauros in the 120s. [5] Lucius, the (fictional) protagonist of the novel, is also from Madauros. [6] He was called the philosophus platonicus madaurensis which means the Madaurian Platonic philosopher. [7]

Saint Augustine of Hippo studied in Madauros in the 4th century. [8]

Maximus of Madauros was a grammarian of Berber origin from the late 4th century, known for his correspondence with Saint Augustine. [7] [9] [10] He was also a teacher of Saint Augustine at the schools of Thagaste. [9]

See also

Notes

  1. HAFISI, Fatma Zohra. "Preservation du patrimoine architectural" (PDF).
  2. Perseus:Madauros
  3. Theodor Mommsen. The Provinces of the Roman Empire. Section: Africa
  4. Evans, James (2005). Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Thomson/Gale. ISBN   9780787656997.
  5. "Apuleius: A Celebrity and His Image" (PDF). Princeton University Press.
  6. The Golden Ass 11.27
  7. 1 2 Mansouri, Kh. (2010). "Madauros". Encyclopédie berbère [Online]. 30. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  8. Knowles, Andrew; Penkett, Pachomios (2004). Augustine and His World. Lion Books. p. 36. ISBN   9780745951041.
  9. 1 2 "Maxime de Madaure (Notice no. 252641949)". IdRef: Identifiants et référentiels pour l’Enseignement supérieur et la Recherche. Agence bibliographique de l’Enseignement supérieur (Abes). Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  10. Adamiak, Stanisław. "Record E08310". The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity. Faculty of History, University of Oxford. Retrieved 24 January 2026.

Bibliography