Tacfarinas

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Tacfarinas was a Numidian military leader who rebelled against Rome. He is mentioned by Tacitus in his Annales as a former ally of Rome who had provided men to the army auxiliary corps and had probably served himself in the Roman auxiliary.

Tacfarinas belonged to a Berber tribe of nomads (the Musulamii) that lived in the south of the Roman provinces of Numidia and Mauretania Caesariensis, on the northern Saharan frontier. The Musulamii under Tacfarinas came into conflict with the Romans in 17 AD. What started out as a few minor incidents of cattle raiding eventually developed into series of major engagements that lasted from 17-24 AD, and involving two Roman legions, the Legio III and the Augusta VIIII Hispana against a coalition of several Numidian and Mauretanian tribes brought together by Tacfarinas.

Having been joined by the Mauri under the command of Mazippa, Tacfarinas engaged the III Augusta under the governor of Africa, Marcus Furius Camillus in a regular battle, losing heavily. Tacfarinas then switched to a far more successful guerilla campaign. Succeeding in 20 AD to destroy a cohort of the III Augusta, the commander, Lucius Apronius was so angered by the legion's humiliation that he punished the legionaries according to the ancestral Roman custom of decimation.

Around 21 AD, Tacfarinas sent an embassy to the Roman Emperor Tiberius demanding land and threatening perpetual war (probably hoping that the Emperor would sue for peace). This infuriated the Emperor who felt insulted that a former Roman army deserter dared to treat Rome as his equal. "Not even Spartacus", declared Tiberius, "had dared to send envoys." Tiberius responded by sending the VIIII Hispana to help the III Augusta.

With the additional resources the new Governor Quintus Junius Blaesus through a series of fortified lines was able to bring Tacfarinas to the brink of defeat, earning himself the distinction of being hailed Imperator by the legions. During this time Blaesus announced an amnesty, and many people left Tacfarinas' army.

In 23 AD the VIIII Hispana was recalled, allowing Tacfarinas to rebuild his army. However, the III Augusta were now seasoned veterans in this type of warfare and, supported by Mauretanians from the kingdom of king Ptolemy, they were able to conclusively defeat Tacfarinas at a fortress in a forest called Auzea (unidentified) in 24. Tacfarinas committed suicide.