Rome in Africa

Nearly three thousand years ago the Phoenicians set up trading colonies on the coast of North Africa, and ever since successive civilizations have been imposed on the local inhabitants, largely from outside. Carthaginians, Romans, vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, TUrks, French and Italians have all occupied the region in their time. The Romans governed this part of Africa for six hundred cities, twelve thousand miles of roads and hundreds of aquaducts, some fifty miles long. The remains of many of these structures can be seen today. At the height of its prosperity, during the second and third centuries AD, the area was the granary of Rome, and produced more olive oil than Italy itself. The broadening horizons of the Roman Empire provided scope for the particular talents of a number of Africa's sons: the writers Terence and Apuleius; the first African Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, famous Christian theologians like Tertulllian and Saint Augustine - these are just some who rose to meet the challenges of their age.

Susan Raven is a journalist. She is the co-author, with Alison Weir, of Women in History.

Chapter 1 Between the Desert and the Sea; Chapter 2 The Rise of Carthage; Chapter 3 The Wars Between Rome and Carthage; Chapter 4 New Masters for Africa; Chapter 5 The Conquest of a Country; Chapter 6 Granary of the Empire; Chapter 7 The Six Hundred Cities; Chapter 8 Careers Open to Talent; Chapter 9 The First African Emperor; Chapter 10 The New Religion; Chapter 11 A Church Divided; Chapter 12 The Greatest African; Chapter 13 The Vandal Interregnum; Chapter 14 Africa Returns to the East;