Mauretania Caesariensis

Provincia Mauretania Caesariensis

42 AD–7th century

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The province of Mauretania Caesariensis within the Roman Empire, c. AD 125

Capital

Caesarea

Historical era

Classical antiquity

•

Africa reorganized

42 AD

•

7th century

Today part of

Algeria

Mauritania Caesariensis (Latin for "Caesarian"Mauretania") was a Roman province located in what is now Algeria in the Maghreb. The full name refers to its capital Caesarea (Mauritaniae) (modern Cherchell) in order to distinguish it from neighboring Mauretania Tingitana, which was ruled from Tingis (now Tangiers in Morocco).

In the 1st century AD, Roman emperor Claudius divided the westernmost Roman province in Africa, named Mauretania (land of the Mauri people, hence the word Moors), into Mauretania Caesariensis (named after its capital, one of many cities simply named Caesarea after the imperial cognomen that had become a title) and Mauretania Tingitana.

Mauretania Caesariensis contained eight colonies founded by the Emperor Augustus: Cartennas, Gunugu, Igilgili, Rusguniae, Rusazu, Saldae, Zuccabar, Tubusuctu; two by the Emperor Claudius: Caesarea formerly "Iol" the capital of Juba, who gave it this name in honour of his patron Augustus, and Oppidum Novum; one by the Emperor Nerva: Setifis; and in later times, Arsenaria, Bida, Siga, Aquae Calidae, Quiza Xenitana, Rusucurru, Auzia, Gilva, Icosium and Tipasa in all 21 well-known colonies, besides several “municipia” and “oppida Latina.”