Tacfarinas Tacfarinas ( Latinised form of Berber Tikfarin / Takfarinas , died AD 24 ) was a Numidian deserter from the Roman army who led his own Musulamii tribe and a loose and changing coalition of other Ancient Libya n tribes in a war against the Romans in North Africa during the rule of emperor Tiberius ( AD 14 - 37 ) . Although Tacfarinas ' personal motivation is unknown , it is likely that the Roman occupation under Augustus of the traditional grazing grounds of the Musulamii , and denial of access to the latter , was the determining factor . The war lasted for about 10 years ( from ca . AD 15 to 24 ) and engaged four successive Roman proconsuls ( governors ) of the province of Africa ( modern Tunisia ) , which , although a small part of the empire , was economically vital as the source of most of Rome ' s grain supply . It is unlikely that the Romans were ever in danger of being driven out of the province altogether , although in at least two periods , Tacfarinas ' forces greatly outnumbered the Roman garrison . But the incapacity of Tacfarinas ' lightly armed forces to defeat the Romans in set - piece battles or to successfully assault Roman fortified points prevented him from achieving a decisive victory . Nevertheless , Tacfarinas ' large - scale raids caused severe disruption of the province ' s grain production , which in turn threatened civil disorder in Rome . The Romans , for their part , were for a long time unable to eradicate their enemy because of the Numidians ' extraordinary mobility and ability to win the support of many desert tribes and even of more sedentary Numidian tribes within Roman territory . Tacfarinas was finally caught and killed in AD 24 by a combination of determined pursuit and a lucky break in intelligence . The direct consequence of the war was the registration of the entire Tunisian plateau for land tax and its conversion to mainly wheat cultivation . The Musulamii and other nomadic tribes were likely permanently excluded from what had been their summer grazing grounds and forced to lead a more impoverished existence in the Aures mountains and the arid zone . The war also probably sealed the long - term fate of the client kingdom of Mauretania , which was annexed in AD 44 by the Emperor Claudius ( ruled 41 - 54 ) . Sources . Apart from a passing mention by another ( minor ) author , the " Annales " by the Roman historian Tacitus ( written ca . 98 AD ) is the sole surviving ancient source on the Tacfarinas War . Tacitus gives a relatively detailed account , but its exclusivity makes it difficult to assess its accuracy and the war ' s significance . Tacitus was fascinated by the psychology of the emperor Tiberius , whom he regarded as the quintessential flawed tyrant , and the way that the long - drawn out insurgency in Africa with its many crises exposed his weaknesses . For example , the emperor ' s explosion of fury when he received envoys from Tacfarinas demanding concessions in return for peace . This was not only due to Tiberius ' exasperation with the insurgency . Adding insult to injury , Tacfarinas was apparently a commoner by birth , an affront to the status - conscious Romans . To Tiberius , a scion of the illustrious Claudii patrician clan and ruler of a vast empire , it seemed intolerable that such a person should be seeking to deal with him on an equal basis , like a foreign king . Tacitus relates with relish Tiberius ' feelings of personal humiliation . This has led C . R . Whittaker to doubt that Tacfarinas ' revolt was ever a serious threat to Roman rule in Africa , suggesting that Tacitus may have exaggerated the war ' s importance for dramatic effect . In favour of this view is the inability of Tacfarinas ' forces to take Roman fortified positions or to stand up to Roman armies in pitched battle . Against it are Tacfarinas ' establishment of a Roman - style force , the despatch of an extra legion to the war zone and the award of triumphal honours to no less than 3 Roman proconsuls for successes in the war ( implying , in each case , the killing of at least 5 , 000 insurgents ) , all events indicating more than just low - level guerrilla warfare . Background . Berber northwest Africa . In Roman times , the indigenes of northwest Africa ( modern Libya , Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco ) all belonged to the Berber - speaking nation . The Romans called these peoples , loosely east to west , Libyae , Afri ( in Tunisia , from which probably derives the name Africa ) , Numidae ( E . Algeria ) and Mauri ( W . Algeria / Morocco ) , from which derives the name Moors . North of the Atlas mountains , the land was fertile and well - watered ( there is evidence that rainfall was heavier than today and that the desert had not encroached as far North ) . The Berbers living inside the fertile zone were largely sedentary . In contrast , on the southern fringes existed tribes that led a semi - nomadic existence . Living off herds of cattle , sheep and goats , they practiced transhumance . They spent the summers on the central plateau of Tunisia and the Aurès mountains of northeast Algeria where there was good grazing . In winter , they lived around the Chott s ( pronounced " shots " ) , a string of large salt lakes on the desert southern fringes of the Roman province . In winter , this region contained plentiful freshwater in the form of seasonal torrents from the Aurès mountains to the North . These tribes included the Gaetuli , Musulamii and Garamantes , as well as the nomadic elements of the Mauri . Roman province of Africa . Africa Vetus ( " Old Africa " ) , the land territory of Phoenician Carthage , roughly corresponding to modern northeastern Tunisia , fell into Roman hands after the final defeat and destruction of Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War ( 146 BC ) . The fertility of its soil was proverbial among the Romans , far greater than it is today . It was populous ( ca . 1 . 5 million inhabitants , roughly the same as contemporary Britain ) and was , by 50 BC , the most important source of the City of Rome ' s grain supply . It was said that Africa fed the Roman populace for 8 months in the year , while Egypt provided the remaining 4 months ' supply . The province was a land of vast estates ( " latifundia " ) owned by absentee landlords . Pliny the Elder states that in the time of Nero ( ruled 54 - 68 ) , half of all arable land in the province was owned by just 6 Roman senators . Until 45 BC , the rest of northwest Africa was organised as two Berber Roman satellite - states , Numidia ( Tripolitania , western Tunisia / eastern Algeria ) and Mauretania ( central / western Algeria and Morocco ) . In 45 BC , Roman " dictator perpetuus " ( dictator - for - life ) Julius Caesar defeated and killed king Juba I , and annexed his kingdom of Numidia to the Roman province , calling it Africa Nova ( " New Africa " ) . This however dispossessed the ancient pro - Roman dynasty of Numidian kings founded by Massinissa , whose decision during the Second Punic War to switch allegiance from Carthage was critical to the decisive Roman victory at the Battle of Zama 158 years earlier . The Numidian king ' s young son , Juba II was brought up and educated at Rome , where he became a close friend of Caesar ' s grand - nephew Octavian , who assumed the title of Augustus after he became sole ruler of the Roman empire in 30 BC . Caesar ' s settlement was modified in 25 BC by Augustus . He placed Juba II on the vacant throne of Mauretania , and added to it the southern and eastern parts of Africa Nova . Juba thus nominally ruled a vast realm stretching from the Strait of Gibraltar in the West to Cyrenaica in the East . Augustus ' strategic conception was that Juba ' s native warriors would provide the Roman province ' s first line of defence against incursions by the nomadic desert tribes . But Juba proved unequal to the task , not least because the fiercely independent desert tribes refused to recognise his overlordship , despising him as a tool of Roman imperialism . The fertile part of Numidia was retained in the Roman province . This part included the central Tunisian plateau , land ideal for the cultivation of wheat , for which the Romans had an ever - increasing demand . The region , some 27 , 000 km in area , offered the prospect of doubling the province ' s grain production . At some point in the first half of Augustus ' rule , it appears that the single legion deployed in the province ( the III Augusta ) was stationed at Theveste ( Tébessa , Algeria ) , strategically placed on the western edge of the plateau so as to protect it from incursions from the Aurès mountains . ( Later , during Tacfarinas ' insurgency , the 3rd legion ' s base was moved to Ammaedara - Haïdra , Tunisia - right in the centre of the plateau ) . The road northeast to the provincial capital at Carthage dissected the plateau . In AD 14 , the 3rd legion is recorded as having built a new road southeast to Tacapae ( Gabès ) on the coast . Hand - in - hand with the Roman infrastructural expansion came the fencing off of land that was converted from pasture to wheat cultivation . The Romans also pursued a policy of deliberately restricting the transhumance movements of the nomads into the province . Conflict with nomadic tribes . The Tunisian plateau was also the traditional summer grazing region of the semi - nomadic Musulamii , Gaetuli and Garamantes . The result of Roman encroachment in this region was prolonged and bitter conflict between the nomads and Rome during Augustus ' rule . His proconsuls in Africa fought a series of campaigns against them : campaigns are recorded in 21 BC , 19 BC , ca . 15 BC , ca . AD 3 and AD 6 , some large enough to gain Triumphs for their generals , each implying the killing of at least 5 , 000 enemy . After AD 6 , no major operations are recorded , but the conflict mutated into a chronic low - level guerrilla resistance to Roman rule . It was in this context of conflict that Tacfarinas grew up . Indigenous forces . However , the desert tribes ' relationship with the Romans was not exclusively hostile . The other side of the coin is that many volunteered to serve in the Roman army , in both the regular auxilia and irregular native " foederati " ( allied ) units ( although conscription was still common at this time - and was another cause of discontent ) . The army provided the prospect of a well - paid career which gave scope for the tribesmen ' s martial nature , which was highly regarded by the Romans . Numidian cavalry ( " equites Numidarum " or " Maurorum " ) , which had played a prominent role in Roman armies since the Second Punic War ( 218 - 201 BC ) , were regarded as the best light cavalry in the Roman world . A Numidian cavalryman rode his small but agile and resilient desert mount without bridle , saddle or stirrups , restraining it by a loose rope round its neck and directing it by leg movements and voice commands . Unarmoured , he was protected by just a small round leather shield . His weaponry consisted of several javelins . Exceptionally fast and manoeuvrable , Numidian cavalry would harass the enemy by hit - and - run attacks , riding up and loosing volleys of javelins , then scattering and retreating faster than any opposing cavalry could pursue . They were superbly suited to scouting , harassment , ambush and pursuit . Numidian foot soldiers were also predominantly light infantry , relying on speed and manoeuvrability . However , both Numidian foot and mounted warriors were vulnerable in close - order combat with Roman troops , who mainly wore metal armour . Early life . Nothing is known about Tacfarinas ' family background and early life , except that he was probably a member of the Musulamii tribe of Numidians and apparently not of royal or noble birth . Presumably when he reached military age ( i . e . around 20 years old ) , he enlisted in a Roman auxiliary regiment . It is unclear whether he volunteered or was conscripted , or whether he joined a cavalry or infantry regiment . He served for a number of years . Conflict with Rome . Camillus proconsul ( 15 - 17 AD ) . At some point during his term of military service , Tacfarinas deserted . Gathering around him a band of marauders , he carried out many minor raids on Roman territory . Using his experience of the Roman military , he organised his ever - growing following into distinct units , to the point where he commanded an effective armed force . A political turning - point for Tacfarinas came when the disparate Musulamii clans accepted him as their paramount leader . Thereafter , Tacfarinas rapidly gained the support of some of the Mauri , the western neighbours of the Musulamii , substantial numbers of whom were brought over by a leader called Mazippa , presumably a rebel against the Roman - installed king of Mauretania , Juba II . The Cinithii tribe who lived within Roman territory in southern Tunisia also joined him . While Tacfarinas trained a division of specially selected men into a Roman - style force , Mazippa led his traditional light - armed Mauri horsemen on devastating raids deep into Roman - occupied territory . By AD 17 , the Roman proconsul of Africa , Marcus Furius Camillus ( II ) was in a quandary . The threat to his province was now far more serious than the usual border raiding by the desert tribes . But while Tacfarinas relied on hit - and - run raids , he had little effective response . Although his own forces ( the 3rd legion and at least the same number of auxiliaries , totalling ca . 10 , 000 men ) were now greatly outnumbered by Tacfarinas ' followers , Camillus decided to capitalise on the Romans ' advantages in armour and training by offering Tacfarinas a decisive pitched battle . To this end , he led out into the field most of his force . Tacfarinas felt confident that with superior numbers , his newly modelled army , combining the best elements of Roman and Numidian warfare , was equal to the challenge . His men joined battle with the Romans - and were utterly routed . Tacitus gives no details on how this was accomplished , but later events suggest that the Numidian line was probably broken by the legionary infantry charge . Tacfarinas fled into the desert with the shattered remnants of his army and Camillus was awarded triumphal honours . Apronius proconsul ( 18 - 20 AD ) . But the Romans were much mistaken if they believed this battle to be the end of Tacfarinas . The latter proved a resilient and determined adversary . For the ensuing 7 years , he waged a devastating war on the Roman province . But neither side was able to score a decisive victory . Tacfarinas could not defeat the Romans in conventional military operations such as pitched battles and sieges . The Romans , for their part , could not eradicate such a mobile enemy , despite inflicting severe defeats on him , as Tacfarinas enjoyed the ultimate resort of vanishing into the desert or the mountains , beyond the Romans ' reach . In the meantime , Tacfarinas ' raiding inflicted massive economic damage on the province . It is likely that the sky - high grain prices recorded at Rome during this period were caused by Tacfarinas ' insurgency . These in turn threatened the emperor with civil disorder in the City of Rome itself : Tacitus records riots in protest at grain prices in AD 19 . In 18 , Camillus was replaced by Lucius Apronius as proconsul of Africa . Tacfarinas launched a series of lightning raids on Roman territory , destroying the villages he had ransacked and disappearing into the desert before Roman forces could intervene . Emboldened by success , Tacfarinas attempted a conventional siege operation . His men surrounded a strategic Roman fort on the river " Pagyda " ( location uncertain ) held by a cohort of the 3rd legion . Its commander , one Decrius ( presumably the cohort ' s most senior centurion - the " pilus prior " or " front spear " centurion ) , " considered it disgraceful that Roman legionaries should sit besieged by a rabble of deserters and tramps " , Tacitus reports . Decrius ordered a sortie . His troops tried to break through the besiegers , but were soon forced back by the far superior numbers of enemy . Decrius , cursing his standard - bearers for not standing their ground , shouted at his men to follow him . Although struck by arrows in one eye and in several other places , he rushed at the enemy . But his men retreated into the fort as their commander went down fighting . Roman soldiers were forbidden to retreat before an enemy unless ordered to do so by their commander . When Apronius was informed of the incident , he ordered the cohort to be decimated for cowardice . This ancient , extreme and rarely used form of military punishment required every tenth man in the unit ( i . e . ca . 50 men in this case ) , chosen by lot , to be flogged to death in front of their comrades . The savage penalty " evidently had a salutary effect " , according to Tacitus : at the next fort to come under attack by Tacfarinas , " Thala " ( Thala , Tunisia ) , the site of a Roman victory over another Numidian rebel leader , Jugurtha , some 120 years before , the garrison of 500 elderly veterans successfully beat off the assailants . The reverse at Thala impressed on Tacfarinas of the difficulty of conducting conventional operations against the Romans . So he reverted to guerrilla tactics , retreating before the advancing Romans , then attacking their supply - lines in the rear . The Romans were soon exhausted and frustrated , unable to respond effectively . Eventually , however , the sheer volume of plunder that Tacfarinas had taken forced him to adopt a more stable base , near the Mediterranean coast in the puppet - state of Mauretania . Here he was surprised by a flying column of auxiliary cavalry and special light - armed legionaries under the proconsul ' s own son , Lucius Apronius Caesianus ( presumably the 3rd legion ' s " tribunus militum laticlavius " - deputy commander ) . Tacfarinas was forced to flee into the Aurès mountains , abandoning most of his booty . For this result , Apronius ( senior ) was also awarded triumphal honours . Blaesus proconsul ( 21 - 23 AD ) . At this point , Tacfarinas sent envoys to Rome to offer peace in return for land in the province for himself and his followers . It is doubtful that this implied a desire by Tacfarinas ' men to become sedentary farmers . More likely , they simply sought restored access to their traditional grazing grounds . If his demands were not met , Tacfarinas warned , he would wage a war without end on the Romans . Although this was probably a serious offer , Tiberius was outraged . He considered it the height of impudence that a man whom he regarded as a deserter and common brigand should be demanding terms like a foreign head of state . The offer was dismissed and Tacfarinas resumed hostilities . Tiberius now demanded that the Senate appoint an especially experienced general to command in Africa so that Tacfarinas could be dealt with once and for all . The man selected by Tiberius was Quintus Junius Blaesus , a veteran who as governor of Pannonia had narrowly escaped lynching by his troops in the great mutinies that broke out on Tiberius ' accession in 14 AD . Blaesus owed his selection to his nephew , Sejanus , Tiberius ' commander of the Praetorian Guard and trusted right - hand man . For the task , Tiberius gave Blaesus an additional legion ( the IX Hispana , transferred from Pannonia on the Danube ) and its attached auxiliary regiments , doubling the total force in Africa to around 20 , 000 . He also authorised Blaesus to offer a general pardon to any of Tacfarinas ' associates who surrendered - but not to Tacfarinas himself , who was to be captured or killed at all costs . Installed in Africa , Blaesus issued his amnesty offer , which was successful in bringing over many of Tacfarinas ' war - weary allies . The new proconsul also employed innovative tactics to deal with his elusive enemy . With a doubled contingent , he was able to cover Tacfarinas ' various entry routes into the province more thoroughly , dividing his forces in three divisions covering the western , central and southern sectors respectively . He built a large number of new forts ( " castella " ) , many very small , accommodating only a single century of troops ( 80 men ) . These were garrisoned year - round , as opposed to only in the campaigning season as previously . From these , small , highly mobile units of desert - trained troops would sally forth and keep Tacfarinas ' bands under constant pressure . This system , similar to the blockhouses used by the British to suppress the Boer insurgency in the latter , guerilla phase of the South African War of 1899 - 1902 , virtually extinguished Tacfarinas ' raiding operations . Blaesus ' campaign achieved its crowning success in AD 22 , when his men captured Tacfarinas ' brother . After this , Blaesus withdrew his troops to normal winter quarters in the province . Tiberius accepted this as marking the end of the war . He granted Blaesus the rare privilege of adopting the honorary title of " imperator " ( " victorious general " ) , the last time this was accorded to a person outside the imperial house . When Blaesus returned to Rome at the end of his term in 23 , he was also accorded triumphal honours , the third such award in the Tacfarinas War . The emperor now ordered the withdrawal of the 9th legion from Africa , confident that it was no longer needed . But Tacitus suggests that Blaesus and Tiberius were being over - optimistic about the situation , given that Tacfarinas himself was still at large with a substantial following . Final defeat of Tacfarinas ( 24 AD ) . In any event , the Romans were soon disabused of their complacency . The new proconsul , Publius Cornelius Dolabella , who arrived in 24 , was faced by as grave a threat from the desert as had any of his predecessors . Tacfarinas ' great strength was that there was an inexhaustible supply of would - be raiders among the desert tribes . So even if he lost many of his followers in encounters with the Romans , which he frequently did , he could rapidly reconstitute his raiding - bands . Moreover , Tacfarinas now started posing as the leader of a war of national liberation . He used the news of the withdrawal of half the Roman garrison to spread rumours that the empire was crumbling due to native revolts in its other regions , forcing the Romans to run down their forces in Africa . He claimed that the remaining garrison could be overcome , and Numidia permanently freed , by a concerted effort of all Numidians . His propaganda was highly effective . He was joined by large numbers of Mauri warriors who turned their backs on their young pro - Roman king , Ptolemy , who had recently succeeded his father , Juba II . In addition , many Libyphoenician peasants , the poorest stratum of African society , abandoned their fields and joined the insurgents . Tacfarinas also received " deniable " assistance from the king of the Garamantes , who , although officially allied with Rome , was making handsome profits as receiver of Tacfarinas ' plunder and made little effort to prevent substantial numbers of his warriors from joining the insurgents . Given the emergency , Dolabella would have been justified in requesting the postponement of the 9th legion ' s imminent departure , but he did not dare to confront Tiberius with the grim reality of the situation in Africa . By the start of the AD 24 campaign - season , Tacfarinas felt strong enough to lay siege to the Roman strongpoint of " Thubuscum " ( Khamisa , Algeria or Teboursouk , Tunisia ) . Dolabella hurriedly assembled all his available troops and rushed to raise the siege . Once again , the Numidians proved unable to withstand the Roman infantry charge and were routed on first assault and fled westwards into Mauretania . Dolabella now embarked on an all - out effort to hunt down the ever - elusive Tacfarinas , as it was evident that , unless its leader was eliminated , the insurgency would never end . The proconsul summoned assistance from Ptolemy , in whose kingdom Tacfarinas had taken refuge , and who supplied large numbers of those Mauri horse who had remained loyal to him . Thus reinforced , Dolabella divided his force into 4 divisions advancing in parallel to cover as much territory as possible , with the allied cavalry acting as scouts , criss - crossing between the main columns . These tactics soon paid off , as the crucial intelligence was obtained that Tacfarinas had established a camp near the half - ruined fort of " Auzea " ( Sour el - Ghozlane , SE of Algiers ) , which Tacfarinas ' men had themselves previously burnt down . Well to the west of the Roman province , the site was surrounded by extensive forests and Tacfarinas evidently discounted the possibility that the Romans could discover his location , as he apparently failed to post a screen of sentries in the woods . In a repeat of Caesianus ' raid 4 years earlier , Dolabella immediately despatched a flying strike - force of light - armed infantry and Numidian cavalry . They approached Tacfarinas ' camp unobserved , under cover of the woods and the pre - dawn darkness . At the break of dawn , the Numidians , many of whom were still asleep and unarmed , and whose horses were grazing at a distance , were jolted awake by the clamour of Roman trumpets sounding the charge . The Romans attacked the camp in full battle - order as the disorganised Numidians scrambled to pick up their weapons and to find their horses . The complete surprise resulted in a massacre , made all the bloodier by the Romans ' lust for revenge after years of hardship and humiliation . Acting on strict orders , the Roman centurions directed their men against Tacfarinas himself . The latter and his entourage were soon surrounded by overwhelming numbers , and in a fierce fight his bodyguards were killed and his son taken prisoner . Recognising that this time there was no possibility of escape , Tacfarinas impaled himself on the massed spears of his assailants . Aftermath . The death of Tacfarinas put an end to Musulamii hopes of halting the Roman takeover of their traditional grazing lands . The registration of the whole plateau for tax purposes was launched by Dolabella immediately after Tacfarinas ' demise and completed in 29 / 30 AD , as evidenced by the stone markers laid down by the Roman surveyors , some of which survive to this day . They reach as far as the Chott el Jerid on the province ' s southern border . The region was largely turned to grain production and the Musulamii and other tribes most likely permanently excluded from their former grazing areas . Dolabella applied to the Senate for triumphal honours . But his motion was voted down at the behest of Tiberius , despite the fact that arguably Dolabella deserved the accolade more than any of his three predecessors , since unlike them , he had actually brought the war to an end by eliminating its instigator . Tacitus suggests that the reason was Sejanus ' concern that his uncle ' s glory should not be diminished by comparison . Doubtless , Tiberius ' embarrassment that the war had flared up again after he had declared it won also played a part . The Garamantes , fearing that their own clandestine support for Tacfarinas may have been revealed to the Romans , despatched an embassy to Rome to protest their loyalty , although it is unknown how successfully . Ptolemy , king of Mauretania , was rewarded for his real loyalty by the title " rex , socius et amicus populi Romani " ( " king , ally and friend of the Roman people " i . e . puppet - king ) . As a special token of esteem , the ancient ritual was revived , whereby the title was conferred in person by a Roman senator , who travelled to the king ' s capital with an accompanying gift of triumphal regalia : an ivory baton and a toga picta ( all purple , with embroidered gold border ) . Ironically , the toga eventually caused Ptolemy ' s downfall , according to the Roman historian Suetonius . Many years later , in AD 40 , the Mauretanian king wore it on a state visit to Rome as guest of the emperor Caligula ( ruled 37 - 41 ) . When the two leaders entered the amphitheatre together , the toga and its owner were accorded much admiration by the crowd . In an apparent fit of envy , the deranged emperor ordered Ptolemy ' s immediate execution . Beyond Suetonius ' superficial explanation , it is likely that the Roman government was becoming concerned by Ptolemy ' s growing wealth and independence of action and that his deposition , if not outright execution , was planned . Dio suggests that Ptolemy was executed because he had become too wealthy . Ptolemy had started issuing gold coins , which was the traditional prerogative of an independent head of state . Another likely factor was Ptolemy ' s distinguished pedigree , which gave him a dangerously broad appeal in north Africa . On his father ' s side , Ptolemy was the scion of the ancient Numidian dynasty descended from king Massinissa ( ruled 201 - 148 BC ) . On his mother ' s side , he was the grandson of Mark Antony ( the last political rival to Augustus ) and Cleopatra , the last pharaoh of an independent Egypt . It must have occurred to the Roman leadership that if Ptolemy ever turned against Rome , his pedigree , wealth and power could endanger the whole Roman position in north Africa . Indeed , Ptolemy had by this time become a far more popular ruler than on his succession 16 years earlier , when thousands of his Mauri subjects had defected to Tacfarinas . His execution sparked a massive anti - Roman revolt under one Aedemon , who is described as a freed slave in Roman sources but was more likely a Mauri prince . For the Romans , the war proved as arduous as that against Tacfarinas , although it lasted only 5 years , and its suppression required the services of Gaius Suetonius Paulinus and Gnaeus Hosidius Geta , two of the finest generals of the Julio - Claudian era . After its end in 44 , Caligula ' s successor Claudius decided to annex Ptolemy ' s kingdom , dividing it into two Roman provinces , Mauretania Caesariensis and Mauretania Tingitana . By this means , he brought the territory between Roman Africa and Roman Spain and the entire Berber nation under direct Roman rule .