User:Flaviusvulso/Massylii

The Massylii or Maesulians were a North African federation of tribes of eastern Numidia which was formed by an amalgamation of smaller tribes during the 4th Century BC. They were ruled by a king. On their loosely defined western frontier was the powerful rival the kingdom of the Masaesyli. To their east lay the territory of the rich and powerful Carthaginian Empire. Their relationship to Carthage resembled that of a protectorate. Carthage maintained its dominance over the Massylii by skillful diplomatic manoeuvering, playing off local tribal and kingdom rivalries. The principal towns of the Massylii were Zama and Thugga.

Role In The Second Punic War
In 218 BC war broke out between the Carthaginians and the Romans. The Massylii and the Masaesyli who both possessed a strong and proficient cavalry force were allied to the Carthaginian cause and performed valuable service for them in Iberia and Italy. In 206 BC a Massylian prince called Massinissa defected to the Romans. When the Romans finally defeated the Carthaginians in 202 BC they amalgamated the territory of the Massylli and the Masaesyli into one kingdom and gave it to Massinissa who ruled it until his death in approximately 148 BC.