Ball, Joanne Tacfarinas. An African Rebel against Rome

The Numidian Revolt Against the Emperor Tiberius, Ad 17 to 24

The book examines Tacfarinas, a Numidian trained by the Romans who waged a bitter guerrilla war against Rome in North Africa from 17 to 24 AD. Tacfarinas was a North African Numidian auxiliary soldier who deserted the Roman army and led a rebellion against Rome from 17 to 24 AD. He built up a small group of fellow deserters and local bandits into a force capable of rivalling the military strength of the occupiers in the region, training them to an exceptionally high standard based on the Roman model. Using unconventional guerrilla tactics, Tacfarinas won several significant victories. By combining his insider knowledge of the Roman army with his superior knowledge of the topography, he achieved maximum effect with his activities. The interruption of grain supplies from Africa to Rome led to unrest in the city, which threatened the city itself. The conflict was a severe test for Tiberius and one of the greatest military challenges of his reign as emperor. It took seven years and four proconsuls to quell the uprising. Several times they defeated Tacfarinas in battle and celebrated victory, but each time he resumed his defiant struggle. It was only when the new proconsul Publius Cornelius Dolabella adapted Roman strategy to that of his cunning enemy that Tacfarinas was finally killed in a surprise attack. Joanne Ball describes these dramatic events after first setting out the context of the region at that time and the experiences of Rome's Numidian auxiliaries. Thoroughly researched and based on the latest ongoing archaeological findings, this is a classic story of the underdog rebelling against a powerful empire in the name of freedom and who, although ultimately doomed to a tragic end, deserves to be remembered.