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See also:MASSINISSA (c. 238—149 B.C.) , See also: Massinissa, according to the story, married Sophonisba immediately after his victory, but was required by Scipio to dismiss her as a Carthaginian, and consequently an enemy to Rome. To See also:save her from such humiliation he sent her See also:poison, with which she destroyed herself. Massinissa was now accepted as a loyal ally of Rome, and was confirmed by Scipio in the See also:possession of his kingdom. In the See also:battle of Zama (202) (see PUNIC See also:WARS), he commanded the cavalry on Scipio's right wing, and materially assisted the Roman victory. For his services he received the kingdom of Syphax, and thus under Roman See also:protection he became See also:master of the whole of Numidia, and his dominions completely enclosed the Carthaginian territories, now straitened and reduced at the See also:close of the Second Punic War. It would seem that he had thoughts of annexing Carthage itself with the connivance of Rome. In a war which soon followed he was successful; the remonstrances of Carthage with Rome on the behaviour of her ally were answered by the See also:appointment of Scipio as arbitrator; but, as though intentionally on the See also:part of Rome, no definite See also:settlement was arrived at, and thus the relations between Massinissa and the Carthaginians continued strained. Rome, it is certain, deliberately favoured her ally's unjust claims with the view of keeping Carthage weak, and Massinissa on his part was cunning enough to retain the friend-See also:ship of the Roman See also:people by helping them with liberal supplies in their wars against See also:Perseus of Macedon and See also:Antiochus. As soon as Carthage seemed to be recovering herself, and some of Massinissa's partisans were driven from the See also:city into See also:exile, his policy was to excite the fears of Rome, till at last in 149 war was declared—the Third Punic War, which ended in the final overthrow of Carthage. The king took some part in the negotiations which preceded the war, but died soon after its commencement in the ninetieth See also:year of his See also:age and the sixtieth of his reign. Massinissa was an able ruler and a decided benefactor to Numidia. He converted a plundering tribe into a settled and civilized See also:population, and out of robbers and marauders made efficient and disciplined soldiers. To his sons he bequeathed a well-stored See also:treasury, a formidable army, and even a See also:fleet. Cirta (q.v.), his capital, became a famous centre of Phoenician civilization. In fact Massinissa changed for the better the whole aspect of a See also:great part of See also:northern Africa. He had much of the Arab nature, was singularly temperate, and equal to any amount of fatigue. His fidelity to Rome was merely that of temporary expediency. He espoused now one See also:side, and now the other, but on the whole supported Rome, so that orators and historians could speak of him as " a most faithful ally of the Roman people." See See also:Livy See also:xxiv. 49, xxxiii. II, 35, 42, See also:xxix. 27, See also:xxx. 3, 12, 28, 37, xlii. 23, 29, xliii. 3; See also:Polybius iii. 5, ix. 42, xiv. I, xxxii. 2, See also:xxxvii. 3; See also:Appian, Hasp. 37, Punica, 11, 27, 105; See also:Justin xxxiii. I; A. H. J. Greenidge, Hist. of Rome (See also:London, 1904). Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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