Graham, Alexander: Roman Africa: an outline of the history of the Roman occupation of North Africa ; based chiefly upon inscriptions and monumental remains in that country (London [u.a.], 1902)

dynasty the Empire fell too, North Africa has no record of the!
career of this last of Roman princes, although his name appears
on two imperfect inscriptions in the form of dedications to the]
joint Emperors. Inscriptions terminate also, bringing to a close]
the series of historic memorials which had continued uninter-|
ruptedly to mark the development and success of the colony on
North Africa during a period of nearly 600 years. A century
elapses before these faithful records of national life begin to
appear again in somewhat consecutive form. In the interval the]
Vandals have been swept away, leaving behind them nothing
but marks of ruin and destruction. Petty kings, or rather'
chiefs of the more powerful native tribes, aided by bands of
mercenary adventurers, have established themselves in the
mountain strongholds, much in the same way as the Kabyles
of our own day have acquired a semblance of authority over]
large tracts of fertile country not easy of access. These little
kings have left a record of their presence on several slabs that
have been brought to light. The inscription given on page 281,;
relating to Masuna rex gentium Maurorum et Romanorum, may
be cited as the most perfect, the date being A.D. 468. Any
reference to later memorials is beyond the scope of this outline
of Roman African history, but inscriptions commence once
more in the renowned days of Justinian and Theodora (a.D.
534-565), when the Byzantine dynasty was asserting its supre-
macy, and they terminate for ever under Constans II., who
closed an uneventful career A.D. 668. The last of the imperial
dedications in Africa appears on a large block of white marble,
which served as a lintel to the entrance-door of a Christian
basilica at Thamugas, and is of the reign of Heraclius II. or
Constans II. The wording runs thus: In temporibus Con-
stantini {i.e. Heraclii II. or Constantis II.) Imperatoris Bel
Gregorio patricio, Joannis, dux de Tigisi, offeret domuni Dei
Armenus.1 Gregorius was the exarch or governor of Africa,
whose remarkable career has been already referred to in the
description of Sufetula on page 124.

1 C.I.L. No. 2389. Some doubt has been expressed as to the meaning of the
word Bel. Wilmanns is of opinion that it is an abbreviation of Bellicio. Renier
and others read the letters Fl. {Flavio), I.R.A. No. 151S. Tigisis was on the
slopes of the Aures mountains, not far from Lambresis and Thamugas.