Theveste was a Roman colony situated in what is now Tébessa,

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

History

In 146 BC, the Romans conquered the region, where existed an old city called " Tbessa". Theveste was founded by the Romans in 75 AD near an old Berber village located next to the Aurès Mountains, in order to control the mountain region. During the 1st century CE, the Legio III ''Augusta'' resided there before being transferred to Lambaesis. It was made a colonia probably under

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

. Theveste flourished under

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...

reaching a population calculated in nearly 30,000 inhabitants, and was even an important Dioceses See. There is mention of a council held there by the Donatists. Among its saints were Lucius, its bishop, who assisted at the Council of Carthage (256) and died as a martyr two years later; Maximilianus, martyred 12 March, 295 AD; and Crispina, martyred 5 December, 304 AD. By 400 AD, Crispina's grave, situated in a cemetery outside the town, had become a significant pilgrimage complex. Some of its bishops are known: Romulus in 349 AD; Urbicus in 411 AD; Felix exiled by the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...

in 484 AD; and Palladius mentioned in an inscription. During the 4th and 5th century AD, Thebeste was a centre of Manichaeism as well. In June 1918 a codex of 26 leaves written in Latin by Manichaeans was discovered in a cave near the city. Theveste was raided by the

, but it was rebuilt and made part of Byzantine North Africa at the beginning of the reign of

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

by the '' patricius''

Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...

. He erected a tomb there, which still exists. The city was nearly destroyed by

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...

forces, but a small village (probably initially populated by a few surviving Christian Berbers) remained for centuries.Under the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, Theveste had a garrison of Janizaries. In 1851 it has been occupied by the French. Under the name of Tebessa it became the capital of a canton of the Department of Constantine in Algeria. Modern Tebessa is very rich in ancient monuments, among them being a

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...

, a temple, a Christian

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

of the 4th century and the huge walls.

Main architectural remains

Around the Roman Forum it is possible to see even today the remains of: *'' Arch of Caracalla'', a Roman

dating from 214 AD. This edifice, which was the North entrance to the town is positioned as a square at the junction of two roads. The four facades of this door are all identical. *''Temple of Minerva'' (early 3rd century AD), with walls decorated by mosaics. The Minerva Temple dates from the beginning of the 3rd Century. The interior walls of this Temple are ornamented with beautiful mosaics. One finds inside it various prehistoric articles (money, arms, lamps, etc.) *Remains of the Basilica of St. Crispinus (4th century AD), one of the biggest in Africa. It also has chapels, baptism urns, catacombs and gardens. The basilica is situated at the exterior of the old city at the north of the Arc of Caracalla. There are various pathways, huge steps, stables, walkways, and many Roman edifices around. This basilica is consecrated to a local Saint, Saint Crispina, and dates from the end of the 4th Century. *''Byzantine walls'' (6th century), popularly known as "Solomon's Walls" and flanked by thirteen square towers. The Solomon wall encircles the old town centre. These walls are flanked by towers which open onto the outside by four doors. One of these four doors is an Arc de Triomphe (Caracalla's door). *''Roman theatre''. Small in size, it was created when the city was refounded as a base for the Legio III Augusta. *'' Amphitheatre'' (4th century AD). Divided into two sections. * ''Roman aqueduct''. Still partially working.

Notes

Bibliography

* Laffi, Umberto. ''Colonie e municipi nello Stato romano'' Ed. di Storia e Letteratura. Roma, 2007 * Mommsen, Theodore. ''The Provinces of the Roman Empire'' Section: Roman Africa. (Leipzig 1865; London 1866; London: Macmillan 1909; reprint New York 1996) Barnes & Noble. New York, 1996 * Smyth Vereker, Charles. ''Scenes in the Sunny South: Including the Atlas Mountains and the Oases of the Sahara in Algeria''. Volume 2. Publisher Longmans, Green, and Company. University of Wisconsin. Madison,1871
Roman Theveste
)

External links

Images of Theveste (Tebessa)
in Manar al-Athar digital heritage photo resource {{coord, 35, 24, N, 8, 07, E, display=title, region:DZ_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Ancient Berber cities Archaeological sites in Algeria Buildings and structures in Tébessa Province Coloniae (Roman) Former populated places in Algeria Roman fortifications in Roman Africa Roman legionary fortresses in Algeria Roman towns and cities in Algeria

History

Main architectural remains

See also

Notes

Bibliography

External links