The Mulucha also known as Moulouya is a river in Ancient Mauretania ( Classical Latin ): /ˈmu.lu.kʰa/, [ˈmʊɫ̪ʊkʰä]) which was used as a boundary between the Mauri and Massaesyli . Believed to be an ancient term of its modern name, the Moulouya River set in modern-day Morocco . Also alternatively known by its other historical name used later on, the Malva .
19-702: One of the earliest people argued to have had control over the Mulucha River is said to be Baga . An Amazigh king of Mauretania around 225 BC. Who is said to have controlled the region from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mulucha River and from the Mediterranean Sea to the south of the Atlas Mountains . Baga gave aid to Massinisa during the Second Punic War . Upon returning to Africa to receive and request
38-469: A client king. Titus Livius (also known as Livy) has the earliest mention of the Mulucha River. Having written his books between 27 and 9 BC. Later on through the Historia Brittonum and Historia Regum Britanniae it was mentioned under the name Malva(m) or Malvae . It is not clear when exactly the modern name Moulouya River came to be. However it seems that its terminology already existed in
57-682: A temporary capital in Tinga, Bokkar I (the Mauri ruler), had become a vassal of Massinissa. Numidian control reached the Atlantic ocean to the west. Bocchus II ruled the part east of the Mulucha River, while Bogud ruled the part west of it. They supported Julius Caesar against the Pompeians and King Juba I in Africa (48–46 bc). After Caesar’s victory at Thapsus (on the coast of present-day Tunisia) in 48, Bocchus II
76-620: Is certain that Portus Sigensis ("port of Siga", at the mouth of the Tafna ) belonged entirely to Syphax . There have been vast interior cities controlled absolutely by the kingdom of Syphax; shards of pottery, near El-Asnam , and a coin in the Dahra would suggest so. We are somewhat informed about the administrative organization of the kingdom; the study of coins in the name of Syphax and his son Vermina , suggest that Syphax would have associated his son with his reign. We know from Strabo that Massæsylia
95-468: The Atlantic Ocean to the river Mulucha (probably the same as Moulouya River in Morocco ), and from the Mediterranean Sea to the south of the Atlas Mountains . His kingdom was inherited by Bocchus I , who was probably either his son or grandson. Masaesyli The Massaesylii were a Berber confederate kingdom of western Numidia (central and western Algeria ) and the main antagonists of
114-793: The Massylii in eastern Numidia. the kingdom of Massaesylia extended all the way west to Mulucha river During the Second Punic War the Massaesylii initially supported the Roman Republic and were led by the king Syphax against the Massylii, who were led by Masinissa , as an ally of the Carthaginian Republic. After Masinissa and the Massylii switched sides to Rome, the Massaesylii turned against Rome and allied with Hasdrubal Gisco . Syphax
133-635: The Middle Ages . Having been used as a description in historical events like the Battle of Moulouya . Baga (king) Baga (also Bagas ) was an Amazigh king of Mauretania about 225 BC. It is not known for sure, though quite likely, that he was a member of an older dynasty. King Baga appeared in the historical record during the events of the second Punic war . Upon Masinissa ’s return to Africa he had to either pass through Massaesylian territory, his archrivals, or through Mauretanian territory. Choosing
152-608: The Carthaginian side. At the end of the war, Numidia was under the rule of Masinissa of the Massylii. At the time of his death in 148 BC, Masinissa's territory included the Mulucha to the boundary of the Carthaginian territory, and also southeast as far as Cyrenaica to the gulf of Sirte . After the capture of Syphax the king of the Masaessyli based in Siga had lost Siga and had relocated to
171-699: The Eastern Mediterranean Rome And Carthage were disputing alliance with Massaesylia; Syphax meeting with Scipio and Hasdrubal Gisco made Massaesylia a third power, one that dominated in the western Mediterranean. Recent excavations have shown the importance of Punic sites, in the island of Rachgoun , in Mersa Madakh, in Bethioua , in Guelta, in Gouraya Sidi Brahim, and also that of
190-512: The aid. Massinisa had to go to Mauretanian territory to avoid his rivals the Massaesylian . Afterwards, King Baga ensured the safety of Massinisa by helping him reach his kingdom assisted by 4000 Mauri soldiers. Potentially having passed through the Mulucha River. The Numidians were composed of two great tribal groups: the Massylii in eastern Numidia, and the Masaesyli in the west. During
209-457: The cape probably refers to Cape Bougaroun . The Massæsyles occupied two-thirds of Algeria and eastern Morocco . The capital of eastern Numidia was Siga (present-day Oulhaça El Gheraba ) whose first sovereign was Syphax . Siga was then the best place to be the capital of the Massæsylian kingdom, it was indeed there that the sovereign had an interest in the affairs of Iberia and the west of
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#1732847549374228-423: The coastal cities which were the outlets and economic centers of Massæsylia. An active Mediterranean trade had been established between Almeria and western Algeria. Pottery and metal products arrived from Spain, while Algeria exported ivory and ostrich eggshells . No doubt majority of trading posts were autonomous, other trading posts entirely dependent on Carthage and the aguellid ( Tamazight for King) . It
247-510: The country and it was also there that Syphax received in 206 BC, the Roman general and statesman Scipio and the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal Gisco . Many Syphax coins have been found in Siga and it seems that at that time only the king could mint money. The two coin series with the effigy of Syphax and his son Vermina show the king wearing a diadem each time. Syphax would therefore have been at
266-490: The first part of the Second Punic War , the eastern Massylii, under their king Gala , were allied with Carthage, while the western Masaesyli, under king Syphax , were allied with Rome. The Kingdom of Masaesyli under Syphax in 202 BC extended from the Mulucha to Oued Rhumel . However, in 206 BC, the new king of the eastern Massylii, Masinissa , allied himself with Rome, and Syphax of the Masaesyli switched his allegiance to
285-475: The head of the tribes of Orania and it was from this western province, the most flourishing, that he drew money and soldiers. He is the first Berber chief who has absolute powers of a sovereign king and the first who had money minted in the region. A powerful ruler, the wearing of the diadem made him god like. Although married to Sophonisba , a Carthaginian princess, he was very independent in regard to his wife's country Ancient Carthage . The two great powers of
304-436: The latter, he was provided with 4000 Moorish cavalry units by King Baga of Mauretania that stayed with Masinissa until he reached the borders of his own kingdom. Baga also provided military support during the final chapter of the Second Punic War in the fight against Hannibal . According to Gabriel Camps , this signifies that Baga was no petty king, and that he had strong control over vast resources and territories, from
323-408: Was an extremely rich kingdom, that it furnished a great deal of money and many soldiers. The war waged by Syphax against Carthage , followed by war against Rome and another war against Massinissa which requires a very big and versatile state budget with large reserves to pay for all these wars toll was in fact during the beginning of the decadence of the kingdom, therefore one could only imagine
342-564: Was defeated, however, and spent the remainder of his days in Roman captivity, while his kingdom was assimilated into the kingdom of Masinissa . Greek geographer and historian Strabo (c. 63 BC – 23 AD), informs us that the "territory of the Maurii " is followed by that of the Massæsyles, which begins at the river Molochath and ends at Cape Tritonis ; the river in question could be the Moulouya ,
361-464: Was given much of Numidia , east of his kingdom. After Caesar’s death he supported Octavian (who later became Augustus ), while Bogud supported Mark Antony . When Bogud’s subjects rebelled against him, Bocchus II seized his territory, and Octavian allowed him to keep it. He died in 33 BC, leaving his kingdom to Octavian, who annexed it and then in 25 BC installed Juba II to the throne in Caesarea as
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