Knowledge (XXG)

Siege of Cirta

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354:, where, through friendship with Roman aristocrats, he had formed an acquaintance with Roman manners and military tactics. Micipsa, worried that at his death Jugurtha would usurp the kingdom from his own somewhat less able sons, adopted him, and bequeathed the kingship jointly to his two sons and Jugurtha. After Micipsa's death the three kings fell out, and ultimately agreed between themselves to divide their inheritance into three separate kingdoms. When they were unable to agree on the terms of the division Jugurtha declared open war on his cousins. Hiempsal, the younger and braver of the brothers, was assassinated by Jugurtha's agents. Jugurtha gathered an army and marched against Adherbal, who fled to Rome. There he appealed to the 368:, to deal with the matter, but the senators who comprised it were bribed by Jugurtha into acquitting him of his crime, and equally dividing the disputed kingdom between him and Adherbal. Jugurtha further bribed the commission to grant him the more prosperous western half. In 116, still dissatisfied, Jugurtha attempted to provoke his rival into war by performing repeated cavalry harassments on the frontier. But Adherbal failed to respond and prudently sent a message to Rome to again protest against Jugurtha's conduct. The Senate failed to make any effectual response, and in 113 Jugurtha finally decided to invade his cousin's kingdom in force. Adherbal met him with his scanty forces near 393:. A lengthy but inconclusive negotiation ensued, in which Jugurtha went to great lengths to protract the discussions by vague protestations, without actually making any concessions. Scaurus' commission returned to Rome without achieving anything. At this Adherbal, who had run out of provisions, decided to capitulate. The Romans within the walls acquiesced, counting on their immunity as Roman citizens. Adherbal was put to death by slow torture, and every man who had joined in the city's defense, Roman or African, was executed. 296: 385:
back to the town, had sent messengers to Rome to notify the Senate of Jugurtha's invasion. A commission of ten inexperienced Romans was despatched to negotiate with Jugurtha. Jugurtha dismissed them, claiming that Adherbal had attempted to poison him, and they returned to Rome without result. The Senate sent a more senior deputation headed by
407:
The abandonment of a loyal and valuable ally, and the deaths of Roman citizens, led to outrage among the Roman population. This was compounded by the general belief that Scaurus and his retinue, as well as the previous Roman commissions to Jugurtha, had accepted bribes from him. The Senate attempted
384:
looping around its base. The city had a sizable Roman minority, mostly merchants of some standing and their families; these joined the rest of the population in manning the walls and defending the city. Cirta was able to hold out for a long time against the besieging army. Adherbal, before falling
283:. Two Roman deputations attempted to negotiate a settlement, but Jugurtha ignored them. When the city surrendered he tortured Adherbal to death and executed all who had bourne arms against him, including numerous Romans. This last action was to spark the outbreak of the 389:, one of the most prestigious and influential Roman politicians, to threaten Jugurtha into submission. After a furious but unsuccessful attempt to carry the walls of Cirta before this group's arrival, Jugurtha went to receive the deputation at 185: 416:-elect for the following year, declared his intention of impeaching the Senators suspected of corruption. The Senate subsequently declared war, starting the 178: 386: 409: 655: 171: 660: 232: 670: 645: 63: 650: 421: 335: 260: 125: 420:, 111–106 BC. In spite of initial Roman setbacks, Jugurtha was eventually defeated by the capable generals 334:, who ruled from 149 to 118 BC. At the time of his death Micipsa had three potential heirs, his two sons, 237: 217: 623: 606: 589: 351: 347: 212: 327: 227: 665: 417: 402: 390: 365: 315: 284: 195: 30: 279:. Jugurtha invaded Adherbal's territory, defeated him and besieged him in his capital 639: 428:, the last of whom captured Jugurtha and brought him to Rome to die in chains in the 222: 425: 355: 307: 295: 585: 339: 610: 78: 65: 593: 429: 323: 627: 372:, and was routed. He retreated with the survivors to his capital, Cirta. 343: 319: 264: 130: 413: 381: 331: 311: 303: 276: 272: 256: 57: 369: 362: 294: 280: 53: 163: 167: 380:
Cirta was strongly situated on a rising hill with the river
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The Gracchi, Marius, and Sulla Epochs of Ancient History
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Numidia, in green, with the position of Cirta shown
23: 310:(roughly corresponding to northern modern day 179: 8: 361:Rome dispatched a commission, led by the ex- 330:, died in 149, and was succeeded by his son 326:, who was a steadfast ally of Rome in the 186: 172: 164: 20: 622:. New York: Charles Scribner & Co. 563: 551: 539: 527: 515: 503: 488: 471: 459: 440: 271:BC. They were contesting the throne of 447: 112:Adherbal loyalists and Roman citizens 7: 605:. New York: Longmans, Green and Co. 14: 342:, and an illegitimate nephew, 1: 255:was fought between the rival 408:to suppress the uproar; but 346:. Jugurtha had fought under 314:) adjacent to what had been 656:Military history of Algeria 687: 422:Quintus Metellus Numidicus 400: 287:between Rome and Numidia. 661:Battles involving Numidia 618:Mommsen, Theodor (1891). 306:was a kingdom located in 203: 149: 136: 119: 106: 36: 28: 275:after the death of King 580:Beesley, A. H. (1903). 601:Froude, J. A. (1896). 300: 120:Commanders and leaders 298: 150:Casualties and losses 115:Forces under Jugurtha 98:Victory for Jugurtha 79:36.3675°N 6.611944°E 671:Sieges of antiquity 620:The History of Rome 75: /  646:Kingdom of Numidia 566:, pp. 110–11. 301: 155:Garrison massacred 651:110s BC conflicts 603:Caesar – A Sketch 491:, pp. 95–96. 450:, pp. 33–34. 358:for arbitration. 352:siege of Numantia 348:Scipio Aemilianus 246: 245: 162: 161: 102: 101: 84:36.3675; 6.611944 678: 631: 614: 597: 567: 561: 555: 549: 543: 537: 531: 525: 519: 513: 507: 501: 492: 486: 475: 469: 463: 457: 451: 445: 270: 198: 188: 181: 174: 165: 90: 89: 87: 86: 85: 80: 76: 73: 72: 71: 68: 38: 37: 21: 686: 685: 681: 680: 679: 677: 676: 675: 636: 635: 634: 617: 600: 579: 575: 570: 562: 558: 550: 546: 538: 534: 526: 522: 514: 510: 502: 495: 487: 478: 470: 466: 458: 454: 446: 442: 438: 405: 399: 378: 328:Third Punic War 318:'s arch enemy, 293: 268: 249: 248: 247: 242: 199: 194: 192: 83: 81: 77: 74: 69: 66: 64: 62: 61: 60: 17: 12: 11: 5: 684: 682: 674: 673: 668: 663: 658: 653: 648: 638: 637: 633: 632: 615: 598: 576: 574: 571: 569: 568: 556: 544: 542:, p. 929. 532: 530:, p. 918. 520: 508: 506:, p. 909. 493: 476: 464: 452: 439: 437: 434: 418:Jugurthine War 403:Jugurthine War 401:Main article: 398: 395: 387:Marcus Scaurus 377: 374: 366:Lucius Opimius 292: 289: 285:Jugurthine War 253:siege of Cirta 244: 243: 241: 240: 235: 230: 225: 220: 215: 210: 204: 201: 200: 196:Jugurthine War 193: 191: 190: 183: 176: 168: 160: 159: 156: 152: 151: 147: 146: 143: 139: 138: 134: 133: 128: 122: 121: 117: 116: 113: 109: 108: 104: 103: 100: 99: 96: 92: 91: 52: 50: 46: 45: 42: 34: 33: 31:Jugurthine War 26: 25: 24:Siege of Cirta 19: 18: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 683: 672: 669: 667: 664: 662: 659: 657: 654: 652: 649: 647: 644: 643: 641: 629: 625: 621: 616: 612: 608: 604: 599: 595: 591: 587: 583: 578: 577: 572: 565: 560: 557: 554:, p. 98. 553: 548: 545: 541: 536: 533: 529: 524: 521: 518:, p. 97. 517: 512: 509: 505: 500: 498: 494: 490: 485: 483: 481: 477: 474:, p. 95. 473: 468: 465: 462:, p. 94. 461: 456: 453: 449: 444: 441: 435: 433: 431: 427: 423: 419: 415: 411: 410:Gaius Memmius 404: 396: 394: 392: 388: 383: 375: 373: 371: 367: 364: 359: 357: 353: 349: 345: 341: 337: 333: 329: 325: 321: 317: 313: 309: 305: 297: 290: 288: 286: 282: 278: 274: 266: 262: 258: 254: 239: 236: 234: 231: 229: 226: 224: 221: 219: 216: 214: 211: 209: 206: 205: 202: 197: 189: 184: 182: 177: 175: 170: 169: 166: 157: 154: 153: 148: 144: 141: 140: 135: 132: 129: 127: 124: 123: 118: 114: 111: 110: 105: 97: 94: 93: 88: 59: 55: 51: 48: 47: 43: 40: 39: 35: 32: 27: 22: 16:111 BCE siege 619: 602: 584:. New York: 581: 564:Mommsen 1891 559: 552:Mommsen 1891 547: 540:Beesley 1903 535: 528:Beesley 1903 523: 516:Mommsen 1891 511: 504:Beesley 1903 489:Mommsen 1891 472:Mommsen 1891 467: 460:Mommsen 1891 455: 443: 426:Gaius Marius 406: 379: 360: 356:Roman Senate 308:North Africa 302: 252: 250: 207: 107:Belligerents 448:Froude 1896 82: / 640:Categories 586:A. L. Burt 573:References 340:Hiempsal I 291:Background 67:36°22′03″N 44:113–112 BC 611:499974606 588:Company. 436:Footnotes 430:Tullianum 397:Aftermath 324:Masinissa 238:2nd Cirta 70:6°36′43″E 594:19169471 370:Rusicade 344:Jugurtha 336:Adherbal 320:Carthage 265:Jugurtha 261:Adherbal 257:Numidian 233:Muluccha 137:Strength 131:Jugurtha 126:Adherbal 49:Location 29:Part of 628:3691295 414:tribune 382:Ampsaga 350:at the 332:Micipsa 322:. King 312:Algeria 304:Numidia 277:Micipsa 273:Numidia 145:Unknown 142:Unknown 58:Numidia 626:  609:  592:  363:Consul 269:  267:in 113 259:kings 218:Muthul 213:Suthul 95:Result 666:Cirta 391:Utica 376:Siege 281:Cirta 228:Thala 208:Cirta 158:Light 54:Cirta 624:OCLC 607:OCLC 590:OCLC 424:and 338:and 316:Rome 263:and 251:The 223:Zama 41:Date 642:: 496:^ 479:^ 432:. 412:, 56:, 630:. 613:. 596:. 187:e 180:t 173:v

Index

Jugurthine War
Cirta
Numidia
36°22′03″N 6°36′43″E / 36.3675°N 6.611944°E / 36.3675; 6.611944
Adherbal
Jugurtha
v
t
e
Jugurthine War
Cirta
Suthul
Muthul
Zama
Thala
Muluccha
2nd Cirta
Numidian
Adherbal
Jugurtha
Numidia
Micipsa
Cirta
Jugurthine War

Numidia
North Africa
Algeria
Rome
Carthage

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