Mugnai, N., Nikolaus, J. and Ray, N. (eds) 2016. De Africa Romaque: Merging Cultures across North Africa. Proceedings of the International Conference held at the University of Leicester (26-27 October 2013) (Society for Libyan Studies Conference, Volume 1). London: Society for Libyan Studies (original) (raw)
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This volume presents the proceedings of the International Conference "De Africa Romaque" held at the University of Leicester, focusing on the cultural interactions between North Africa and the Mediterranean world from ancient times to the early Roman period. The contributions examine indigenous traditions, urbanism, architecture, and socio-economic transformations influenced by external powers, particularly the Phoenicians and Romans. Through multiple perspectives, the book enhances understanding of North African identities and heritages in the context of historical interconnections.
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Apart from the unparalleled achievements of the Greeks which culminated in the utopian idea of universal domination of Alexander the Great, the most epochal phenomenon in the West was the gradual metamorphosis of Rome from a mere rural settlement on the Palatine Hill of Italy to become the capital of the ancient world. Before the twilight of the first century, Rome, motivated at different times by varied ambitions and interests, had used various means to conquer virtually all known territories -including the civilized Middle East. Rome, therefore, became the most powerful and enduring empire in antiquity and this was, perhaps, the first time that the West would plant its feet deeply into the Mediterranean soil. Regardless of how Roman imperialism had been understood and interpreted in recent scholarship, there is no doubt that the Romans were western imperialists with conscious will for expansion- irrespective of its consequences. What motivated the planting of the Romans’ feet in the North African Mediterranean basin is the main thrust of this book which argues that Roman imperialism, rather than being defensive as may be considered elsewhere, was premeditated, deliberate and offensive and was evolved by a senate which desired and methodically schemed territorial expansion. The reason, as in the contemporary period, was obvious. Africa, apart from being strategically located on trade routes between great continents of Europe and Asia, boasted of enormous resources which largely contributed to the daily needs of the ancient world. And so even before the famous 19th century Scramble began, Africa had been a veritable economic mine in the world of the West. It is therefore, not an anomaly to defer to the claim of many Africans that the continent is a major conflict with the West. This book provides a survey of the economic history of Roman Republic and North Africa, beginning in particular from Rome’s overseas launch in 264B.C and ending with the conquest of Julius Caesar at the battle of Thapus on the Tunisian coast, when Numidia was annexed Africa as New Africa (Africa Nova).
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