Syphax the great
KING OF THE MASAESYLI
Syphax (circa 250 - v. 202 BC) was a king of Western Numidia (circa 215 to 203 BC), whose capital was Siga (present-day Oulhaça El Gheraba ) in Algeria. His story is told by Livy, in Ab Urbe condita libri.
During the Second Punic War, he first joined the Romans, thus opposing Gaia, king of Eastern Numidia, and his son Massinissa, allied with the Carthaginians. He received at his court in Siga the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal Gisco and the Roman general Scipion African, both seeking to obtain his alliance.
When Gaia died, he annexed his territory and his marriage to Sophonisbe (previously promised to Massinissa if we believe Appian), the daughter of Hasdrubal Gisco, causes a total reversal of alliances, Massinissa moving into the camp of Rome. Ancient historians, especially Polybius and Livy, report the supposed influence of Sophonisbe on Syphax, ensuring that he remains in the Carthaginian alliance. Syphax appears as a powerful king, as several coins coined with his effigy attest, where he appears wearing a diadem.
The North African Amazigh(1) kingdom of Numidia (202–40 BCE) was originally inhabited by a federation of tribes known as the Masaesyli, to the west, and a coalition of smaller tribes, known as the Massylii, to the east. The meaning of these names is unknown but they are thought to be the indigenous terms for the people, not later designations. These tribes or coalitions were each ruled by their own king or chief and had a long-established culture by the time the Phoenicians of Tyre colonized the region which would become neighboring Carthage in c. 332 BCE.
During the Second Punic War the Masaesyli initially supported the Roman Republic and were led by Syphax against the Massylii, who were led by Masinissa. After Masinissa threatened to unite all Numidians in a confederacy against Rome, the Masaesyli turned against Rome and undertook the siege of Carthage. Syphax was defeated, however, and spent the remainder of his days in Roman captivity, while his tribe was assimilated into the kingdom of Masinissa.
Alliance with Hasdrubal
Meanwhile, Masinissa had concluded that Rome was winning the war against Carthage and therefore decided to switch sides. Having lost the alliance with Masinissa, Hasdrubal started to look for another ally, which he found in Syphax, sealing the alliance by offering his daughter Sophonisba in marriage, although until 206 BC she had been betrothed to Masinissa.
Battle of the Great Plains
With the reversal of alliances it looked like Carthage and Syphax were in a strong position in Africa, certainly during the early stages of Scipio’s campaign in North Africa, the joined forces of Syphax and Hasdrubal Gisco were able to force Scipio to abandon the siege of Utica. However, in the 203 BC Battle of the Great Plains, Scipio overcame Hasdrubal and Syphax and while the Roman general concentrated on Carthage, Laelius and Masinissa followed Syphax to Cirta.
After his death
In a twist of fate, Sophonisba then married Masinissa. However, Scipio, suspicious of Sophonisba, demanded that she be taken to Rome and appear in the triumphal parade. To spare her such humiliation, Masinissa sent her poison, with which she killed herself.
The Tunisian city Sfax is said to be named after King Syphax.
- (1)Amazighs (Amazighi language: Imaziɣen, ⵉⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵏ, ⵎⵣⵗⵏ; singular: Amaziɣ, ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ, ⵎⵣⵗ) are an ethnic group of several nations indigenous mostly to North Africa and in some northern parts of Western Africa. There are about 100 million Amazighs in North Africa, but only some 25–30 million of them still speak their language. Most of Amazighs people who speak Amazighi today live in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, , northern Mali, and northern Niger. There are large immigrant Amazigh communities living in France, Spain, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and other countries of Europe.
- About Masaesyli, Wikipedia.
- About Syphax, Wikipedia.