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The Massylii or Maesulians were a North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
n federation of tribes of eastern Numidia
Numidia

Numidia was an ancient Berber people kingdom in present-day Algeria and part of Tunisia that later alternated between being a Roman province and being a Roman client state, and is no longer in existence today....
 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
Masaesyli

The Masaesyli were a North African tribe of western Numidia and the main antagonists of the Massylii in eastern Numidia. During the Second Punic War they initially supported the Roman Republic, led by Syphax against the Massyllii, led by Massinissa....
. To their east lay the territory of the rich and powerful Carthaginian Empire
Carthaginian Empire

The Carthaginian State was an informal hegemony of Phoenician city-states throughout North Africa and modern Spain which lasted until 146 BC. It was more or less under the control of the city-state of Carthage after the fall of Tyre, Lebanon to Babylonian forces....
. Their relationship to Carthage resembled that of a protectorate
Protectorate

A protectorate, in international law, is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity, in exchange for which the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship....
. Carthage maintained its dominance over the Massylii by skillful diplomatic manoeuvering, playing off local tribal and kingdom rivalries.






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The Massylii or Maesulians were a North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
n federation of tribes of eastern Numidia
Numidia

Numidia was an ancient Berber people kingdom in present-day Algeria and part of Tunisia that later alternated between being a Roman province and being a Roman client state, and is no longer in existence today....
 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
Masaesyli

The Masaesyli were a North African tribe of western Numidia and the main antagonists of the Massylii in eastern Numidia. During the Second Punic War they initially supported the Roman Republic, led by Syphax against the Massyllii, led by Massinissa....
. To their east lay the territory of the rich and powerful Carthaginian Empire
Carthaginian Empire

The Carthaginian State was an informal hegemony of Phoenician city-states throughout North Africa and modern Spain which lasted until 146 BC. It was more or less under the control of the city-state of Carthage after the fall of Tyre, Lebanon to Babylonian forces....
. Their relationship to Carthage resembled that of a protectorate
Protectorate

A protectorate, in international law, is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity, in exchange for which the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship....
. 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
Iberia

The name Iberia refers to three historical regions of the old world:* Iberian Peninsula, in Southwest Europe, location of modern-day Spain and Portugal...
 and Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
. 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.