Numidian army

Numidian army
Numidian cavalry from Trajan’s Column, on display at the Museum of Roman Civilization in Rome.
Active	1274 BC–46 BC (1,228 years)
Country	Ancient Numidia Kingdom of Massylii Kingdom of Masaesyli Kingdom of Numidia
Headquarters	Hippo Regius [1] Cirta [2] Siga [3] Zama Regia
Engagements	Punic Wars Jugurthine War Battle of Kadesh [4] Numidian–Carthaginian War [5] Mercenary War [6] Second Punic War Sicilian Wars [7] Caesar's Civil War [8] Siege of Numantia [9]
Commanders
Commander-in-chief	King. Prince. General (1274 BC–46 BC)
Notable commanders	Iarbas Ailymas Naravas Maharbal Syphax Masinissa Jugurtha Juba I Gulussa Bomilcar Saburra

The Numidian army was the military force established by the Kings of Numidia in North Africa during the Ancient ages, and it was a major power in the Mediterranean. The name of the Numidians emerged in warfare as early as 1274 BC during the Battle of Kadesh, ^[10] where Numidian cavalry fought as allies of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II against the Hittites. ^{[11] [12] [13]} The second mention of the Numidians, according to Ovid Fasti and Virgil in his epic The Aeneid, comes during the reign of King Iarbas I in the 9th or 8th century BC, when he launched a military campaign against Carthage and laid siege to it. ^[14] The Numidian Army ruled North Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to Cyrenaica on the borders of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. ^{[15] [16]}

Numidian war elephant

Statuette of a war elephant from Pompeii, illustrating ancient military use of elephants.

The Numidian army was renowned for its use of War elephants, as Numidia was the primary supplier of elephants to Rome. ^[17] Numidia was home to the African forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis), which reaches a height of 2.45 meters at the shoulder and was strong enough to carry the weight of towers, crews, and armor. The elephants of King Juba I were equipped with towers and armor. ^[18] He commanded an army of 60 war elephants at the Battle of the Bagradas River where he defeated Julius Caesar’s forces. ^[19] This elite unit remained in service with the same number until the Battle of Thapsus. ^[20]

Numidian war chariot

Diodorus Siculus mentions that the Numidian King Ailymas allied with Agathocles of Syracuse during the Sicilian Wars, the Numidian participation consisted of 50 war chariots, along with a group of cavalry and infantry. ^[21] The ancient Greeks utilized the skills of the Numidians in chariot driving; much of this mobility stemmed from the war chariots, which were deployed much like the Numidians used their cavalry alongside the infantry, Typically each chariot carried both a warrior and a driver, the warrior would engage in combat on foot, while it was the driver’s duty to keep the chariot as close to him as his own skill permitted. ^[22]

G. Charles Picard identified another type of Numidian chariot, the desert chariot prevalent south of Numidia. These chariots are characterized by a low platform mounted directly onto the axle, restricting their capacity to a single driver wielding a short whip instead of a weapon. They were drawn by Barbary breed horses, harnessed using a neck collar rather than a yoke. The horses are depicted in the "flying gallop" pose a posture uncommon for war chariots in Aegean documentation that these vehicles were not intended for combat, but were rather used for ceremonial or sporting purposes. ^[23] Herodotus also mentioned that the Garamantes used them to presue the Ethiopian troglodytes. ^[24]

War chariots were common in North Africa and were utilized by Numidians, Over time, they were replaced by cavalry for military purposes; the last recorded use of chariots was with the allies of Agathocles in 307 BC, the use of chariots may have persisted until the 1st century BC, according to Strabo. ^[25]

The Numidian Army's Role in Warfare

Depiction of Syphax (Scefax), King of the Masaesyli (Western Numidia, c. 238–202 BC). This coin illustrates symbols associated with his reign.

The Numidian armies played a decisive role in the Punic Wars, particularly the Numidian cavalry under the command of the Numidian leader Maharbal, ^[26] whom the Carthaginian general Mago Barca considered the strongest element in Hannibal’s army during his campaign in Italy. ^[27] The Numidian army reached its peak under King Masinissa after defeating Syphax and uniting Numidia, forming a massive and well-organized force that he led in the Numidian–Carthaginian Wars (201–146 BC). ^[28]

See also

• Ancient Numidia

• Massylii

• Masaesyli

• Iarbas

• Jugurthine war

• Punic wars

• Jugurtha

• Numidans

References

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