The North African territory of Cyrenaica, now encompassing
modern Libya, was likely originally settled by Berber tribes. The
Greeks began to colonize the area in the 7th century BC, establishing
cities such as Cyrene which became a bastion of Hellenized culture
on the African continent. Phoenicians began to influence Cyrenaica
shortly thereafter, through trade and colonization of their own,
and the Carthaginians maintained considerable influence prior to
Alexander.
With the conquests of Alexander, Cyrenaica fell completely
under the sway of Macedonian rule in 331 BC and would remain so
indirectly for another 250 years. Though Alexander died in 323 BC
and his conquests were divided up, the Macedonian rulers of Egypt,
the Ptolemies continued to have periodic control of Cyrenaica.
Jewish migrations, from various places such as Egyptian Alexandria
changed the ethnic and social landscape to some degree, and civil
disturbances began to crop up as a result.
In 96 BC, the King of Cyrene, Ptolemy Apion died and willed
Cyrenaica to Rome as he was without heirs. The political situation
of the entire Ptolemy line of Egypt and its territorial possessions
was in continuous turmoil at this time, just as Rome was rising
as a world power. Rome readily accepted this 'gift' from Apion
but left administration to local governors, rather than take
direct control. By the 70's BC, civil uprisings by Jewish settlers
began to take its toll, and the Senate was forced to act. In 74
BC, a low level magistrate, quaestor Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus,
was commissioned to officially annex Cyrenaica as a Roman province
and quell and potential disorder. His low position not only was
an indication of the political difficulty in governing the growing
empire under the Republican system, but of the relative ease in
which Cyrenaica was willing to succumb to Roman stability.
The province was the domain of two of the second triumvirs Marcus
Aemilius Lepidus and Marcus Antonius between 43 and 31 BC, and during
that time it's likely that Antonius raised the Legion, III Cyrenaica.
Though it only served in Cyrenaica a short time, as it was stationed
in Egypt throughout most of its history, the legion proudly carried
the name of the province in the service of Rome for nearly five
centuries. The province remained mostly peaceful throughout Roman
occupation, but during the reign of Trajan a massive Jewish revolt,
led by a Jew claiming to be the Messiah, Lukuas, caused widespread
devastation. Between 115 and 116 AD, tens of thousands of residents,
Greeks, Jews and Christians perished during the uprising until Trajan
put it down with brutal force.
Disharmony continued between the social and religious classes
under the reign of Hadrian, who suffered another Jewish revolt in
Judaea, led by Simon ben Kosibah. Though Cyrenaica remained
relatively quiet through this problem, Hadrian punished the Jews
throughout the empire severely, essentially eliminating resistance
for the remaining life of the empire. The great city of Cyrene,
however, took years to recover and never really regained the
prosperity it had once maintained. Overall, though, it remained
a peaceful part of the empire until it was split to the eastern
empire in the late 4th century AD. Vandals raided the region in
the early 5th century, but the Byzantines re-exerted limited
control for another 2 centuries. It remained a part of Roman/Byzantine
tradition until the Arab conquests in 642 AD.
The economy of Cyrenaica was mainly based on its vast agricultural
wealth. An abundance of grain and various Mediterranean specialty crops
were grown and exported throughout the empire. Great herds of sheep and
other livestock were maintained and some quantity of precious metal was
available. The single most important product from Cyrenaica however was
medicinal plants. The Silphium Plant grew in various parts of the African
coast, but it was only abundant and highly prized from a small stretch of
land on the coastal plateaus near Cyrene. Perfumes were made from its flowers,
the stalk provided various forms of foodstuffs, but the root and its juices
provided a coveted ancient medicine.
Silphium was used as a remedy for sore throats, fevers, indigestion,
seizures and various aches and pains. The great Roman historian Pliny added
in his 'Natural Histories' that the plant could be used to treat leprosy, as
an antidote for poisons, hair restoration and as a cleansing aid in
childbirth. A tea made from its leaves provided an effective birth control
that was similar to related abortion inducing plants of more modern times.
Highly valuable and restricted in meaningful growth to Cyrenaica, it brought
incredible wealth to the province in the early empire, but unfortunately it
didn't last long. Its great versatility and demand in Roman markets virtually
wiped it off the face of the earth and unfortunately was considered extinct by
the end of the first century AD.
to the map of Cyrenaica
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