DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18096#0097
CHAPTER III
afeica under trajan
A.D. 97-117
The history of North Africa, during the eighty-three years that
Trajan and his three successors sat on the throne of the Caesars,
may truly be said to be written on stone. In nearly every
province of the Empire, which extended almost to the gates of
India, the names of these illustrious rulers figure largely on
ruined monuments in far distant lands. In Africa this is
especially the case. Were it not for inscriptions on panel or
frieze, on milliary stone or votive pedestal, we should have but
a poor record of Trajan's magnificence as a ruler, or of his
solicitude for the welfare of his colonists and protection of
native tribes. Nor should we have reliable information about
the honours bestowed upon him by all classes of his subjects for
deeds of thoughtfulness and beneficence. Among the first acts
of Trajan's reign was the regulating the supply of corn from
Africa, and framing edicts for the administration of justice to
the producer and the merchant in their commercial transactions
with Rome. For a long period not only Rome, but Italy also,
had depended upon large shipments of corn from abroad, and
had looked to Egypt and Africa for one third at least of their
annual requirements, equivalent to about six million bushels.
Italy and Spain provided the rest. The African provinces were
called upon to deliver a certain amount of produce in the form
of imperial tribute, under the superintendence of a high func-
tionary who resided at Carthage. Some years ago M. Renier
discovered at Kalama (Guelma) an inscription of the time of
Trajan, which clearly showed that this important officer of state
was charged with the control of the wheat supply to the metro-
polis. The small amount produced in Italy was only sufficient
for the soldiers. War in Africa meant famine in Rome, and
this was an evil to be guarded against at all costs. Historians
afeica under trajan
A.D. 97-117
The history of North Africa, during the eighty-three years that
Trajan and his three successors sat on the throne of the Caesars,
may truly be said to be written on stone. In nearly every
province of the Empire, which extended almost to the gates of
India, the names of these illustrious rulers figure largely on
ruined monuments in far distant lands. In Africa this is
especially the case. Were it not for inscriptions on panel or
frieze, on milliary stone or votive pedestal, we should have but
a poor record of Trajan's magnificence as a ruler, or of his
solicitude for the welfare of his colonists and protection of
native tribes. Nor should we have reliable information about
the honours bestowed upon him by all classes of his subjects for
deeds of thoughtfulness and beneficence. Among the first acts
of Trajan's reign was the regulating the supply of corn from
Africa, and framing edicts for the administration of justice to
the producer and the merchant in their commercial transactions
with Rome. For a long period not only Rome, but Italy also,
had depended upon large shipments of corn from abroad, and
had looked to Egypt and Africa for one third at least of their
annual requirements, equivalent to about six million bushels.
Italy and Spain provided the rest. The African provinces were
called upon to deliver a certain amount of produce in the form
of imperial tribute, under the superintendence of a high func-
tionary who resided at Carthage. Some years ago M. Renier
discovered at Kalama (Guelma) an inscription of the time of
Trajan, which clearly showed that this important officer of state
was charged with the control of the wheat supply to the metro-
polis. The small amount produced in Italy was only sufficient
for the soldiers. War in Africa meant famine in Rome, and
this was an evil to be guarded against at all costs. Historians