﻿Mtr 



NUBLE. 



KUMIDIA. 



klntd th* groasd in lign of kllegiuioe. On ths nnt morning he 

 ■■niriTilnl tns army and proceeded to the muuioo of the new king, 

 ■ant tbe Hoslem guard back to Egypt) and aeizing bii rival, dreand 

 Um in an oz-«kin and tied him to a poat, where he wa< left till he 

 died. SamamouQ then wrote to the aultan of Egrpt, asking hie 

 pardon, and promiaing to forward the bakt ragularly, and in the 

 maantime sent alavea and other preaenta, which were accepted. 



Tbeae erenta happened in the early part of the 14th centnry. After 

 that time little i« known of the history of Kubia, but it aeems that 

 the power of the kinga of Dongola being broken, the country became 

 diTided into rarioua petty atates, while freeh immigrationa of lieduin 

 Araba took place, and Christianity became gradually extinct in all the 

 oountriea between ^ypt and Abyaainia. The old kingdom of Nubia 

 oeaaed to exist, andlnatead of it rose varioua petty Mohammedan 

 ■tataa, auch aa Snkkot, Hahaaa, Dongola, Berber, and othera, each 

 ■fOTatned by a melek, or ddet In 1820, Mehemet Ali, the paaha of 

 K^pt, directed an expedition againat Upper Nubia, which overcame 

 the opposition of the principal atates, took poaseaaion of Kendy, and 

 erer since Nubia has remained in at least nominal aubjeotion to the 

 nilcn of Egypt. 



The appearance of part of the country of Lower Nubia is described 

 midar Batk-el-Hajxii. The districts of Sukkot and Dar-el-Mabass, 

 wUdi lie farther south, are more favoured by nature. The inhabit- 

 ants of Mahass apeak the Nouba language, but appear to be a distinct 

 race from the Noubas, having more of the negro character, though 

 thsy pretend to be descendants of the Koreyah Arabs. 



Siatdj/ is the principal place in the country of Atbara, the ancient 

 island of Meroe, so called because it is in a manner inclosed between 

 the Nile on the west, the Atbara or Tacacze on thh north and east, 

 and the Dandar, Rahat, and other streams coming from the mountains 

 of Abyssinia on the south. The interior of this vast country is little 

 known; it is nominally divided between the states of Sheudy aud 

 Hidfsy, which is to the south of the former, the two meleka or chiefs 

 of which are said to be able to bring into the field 80,000 well-mounted 

 honemea. The town of Shendy, the capital of the country, about 

 half a mile from the east bank of the river, is large, and perhaps con- 

 tains SOOO or 6000 inhabitants ; the streets are wide and airy ; the 

 houses are low, but well built of clay ; there are regular market-places, 

 Where, besides meat, fowls, liquid butter, grain, and vegetables, spices 

 from Jidda, gum Arabic, beads and other ornaments for the women 

 are sold. Great numbers of slaves from Abyssinia, Sennaar, and 

 Dar-fur are purchased at a moderate price : a handsome Abyssinian 

 girl sells for 40 or SO dollars. 



There is another town on the opposite or western bank of the Nile, 

 called Shendy-el-Obarb (Shendy on the West), which ia also large and 

 well built, and contains about 6000 inhabitants. It has three market- 

 places, where the people of the country exchange dourra and dollars 

 for other provisions and goods. The people of Shendy have a bod 

 character : they are said to be fraudulent, debauched, and treacherous. 



Many Arab tiibea inhabit the territory of Shendy, the great part of 

 whom still lead the Beduin life. The merchants of the town, and 

 sapedally the brokera, are moatly foreign aettlera from Dongola, Sen- 

 oaar, Dar-fur, and Kordofan. A aucceaaion of Arab meleka, or kings, 

 of whom CSaiUiand gives the series, had ruled Shendy for nearly two 

 eaotnriM and a balZ The habila of the people are nearly the same as 

 ■t Berber, but there is more wealth, in consequence of the great trade, 

 and mors well-dressed persons ars seen than in the latter country. 



Not far from eaatem Shendy, to the northward, near a village called 

 Aasoor, or Hatchour, are a number of tanbyls, or pyramids, the largest 

 of which is about 60 feet high. There are also extensive fragments of 

 walls, columns, square pillara, and the ramains of a amall temple 60 

 fret in length, near the bcrden of ths desert, and those of a larger 

 one, with its propylsram. At another place called Naga, a little above 

 Biaaidy, on the nver side, are the remains of a Typhonium and other 

 ruins ; and farther south, at acme distance from the Nile, ars the 

 remains of other templas, and of an avenue of sphinxes, and several 

 ■eolptarss executed in a rude and heavy atyle. About 12 miles nearly 

 Am N. ttom Kaga, in a valley bordering on the desert, are the ruins 

 of B Ma^iaouiat, which consist of several temples of small dimensions, 

 oo BB a et od by gaUsrias and terraces, with a number of small chambera, 

 ths whoU lorrooiidod by a double inclosure. It is supposed that thia 

 1 not may have been the Uieropolis, or sacred college, of the 

 I of Meroe, and that the city itself was near Asaour. 



HaUhy, which Usa south of Shendy, and between it and Sennaar, is 

 • Issi inpottast state. The head town, of the same name, lies above 

 tka •oofloaaos at the Whits and Blue rivers, aud on ths east bank of 

 the latter, in about 16* 40' N. lat 



The moiramsnU of Lower Nubia have been dasoribed by Oau, 

 Burekhardt, BeUooi, and otliars. The most remarkable are the tem- 

 ples of Aboosarobul, Doudour, and Soleb; though the Isst, lying 

 •bsva ths iss o a id eata ra o t , ia eonsidated hj some writera as in Upper 

 VaMik Tbo aMWUllHuU of Upper Nubia and of Meroe have been 

 dsMribsd by Waddli^|«aa, Caniiaaa, and RUppel. 



NUBLE. rcan.!.] 



MUMA'NTIA, a celebrated town of the Celliberi in Spain, was 

 ritual sd on ths river Durins (Dnaro), at no great distance from its 

 ■ o um a. It was built on a steop hill of moderate size. According to 

 notos (ii. 18), it pcassssed no walls, but it was surrounded on three 



aidea by very thick woods, and could onlv be approached on one aide, 

 which was defended by ditches and pallsadea. (Appian, vi. 76, 91.) 

 It was 21 stadia in ciroumferenoe. (Appian, vi. 90.) Its position haa 

 been a subject of considerable dispute ; but it appeara most probable 

 that it was situated 8 or 4 miles N. from the town of Storia, in Castilla 

 la Vieja. 



Numantia is memorable in history for the war which it carried on 

 against the Romans for the spaoa of fourteen years. (Floras, ii. 18.) 

 The Numantines were originally induced to engage in thia war tiirough 

 the influence of Viriathua. They were fint opposed by Quintus 

 Pompeius, the consul (B.a 141), who was detSaated with great slaughter 

 (Oroa., V. 4), and afterwards by ssveral other Roman commanders, who 

 were all defeated ; till at length the Roman people appointed Sdpio 

 Afrioanus consul (aa 184,) for the express purpose of the conquest 

 of Numantiik After levying a huge army, he invested the town ; and, 

 having in vain endeavoured to take it by storm, he turned the siege 

 into a blockade, and obtained possession of the plaoe (b.c. 133) at the 

 end of a year and three months from the time of his firet attack. 

 The Numontinea displayed the greatest courage and heroism during 

 the whole of the eiege ; and when their provisions had entirely failed 

 they set fire to the city, and perished amidst the flames. 



(Appian, Rom. Ilitt., vi. ; Floras, ii. 17, 18; Livy, SpiloKa ; 

 Plutaroh, Life of Mariiu ; Eutrop., iv. 17; Veil. Pat, ii. 4.) 



NUMI'DIA was originally bounded E. by the dominions of CarthsM 

 W. by the Mulucha or Molocath (the modern Mulwia), N. bywe 

 Mediterranean, and S. by the Qsetuli. The Roman province of Nu- 

 midia was of much smaller extent, being bounded W. by the Ampasgas 

 (Wadi-al-Kebir), and E. by the Tusca (Zain), and thus corresponded 

 to the eastern part of Algiers. 



The Numidians were originally a nomadic people ; they were called 

 by the Greeks Nomadcs, and their country Nomadia. (Polyb., 

 xxxvil 3 ; Sallust, ' Jug.,' 18 ; Pliny, ' Nat. Hist,' v. 2.) When the 

 Qreek and Roman writera speak of the Numidians the term is usually 

 limited to the two great tribes of the Maaaaesylii and Masaylii, the 

 former of whom extended along the northern part of Africa from the 

 Mulucha on the weat to the Ampsagason the east, and the latter &om 

 the Ampsagas to the territories of Carthage. 



When the Romans first became acquainted with the Numidians, 

 which was during the courae of the second Funic war, Syphax was 

 king of the Massccaylii, and Ghtla king of the Maasylii Qala had a 

 sou of the name of Masiuissa, who poaaeaaed extraordinary powen 

 both of miud and body, aud who aerved under Scipio in the African 

 campaign before the close of the aeoond Punic war, and in many 

 engagements rendered eaaential aervica to the Roman arms. The 

 great services of Mosinissa did not pass unrewarded by the Romans. 

 At the conclusion of the second Pmuo war he obtained all the domin- 

 ions of Syphax, and a considerable part of the Carthaginian territory, 

 so that his kingdom extended from the Mulucha on the west to Cyre- 

 naica on the east, and completely surrounded the small district which 

 was left to the Carthaginians on the ooast. (Appian, viii. 106.) 

 Masiniasa laid the foundations of a great and powerful state in 

 Numidia. He introduced the arts of agriculture and civilised life, 

 amassed considerable wealth, and supported a well-appointed army. 

 He died at the age of 90, B.O. 149. 



Mosinissa left three sons, Micipsa, Mastanabal, and Qulussa. The 

 two Litter died soon after tbo death of their father, but Micipsa lived 

 to ac. 118, and bequeathed the kingdom to his two sons Adherbal and 

 Uiempaal, and to his nephew Jugurtha, who was an illegitimate son 

 of Mastanabal. Jugurtha however, not content with a divided sove- 

 reignty, murdered Uiempeal, and obliged Adherbal to fly to Rome, 

 where he appealed to the senate sgainst the usurpation of his cousin. 

 Many of the senaton however were bribed by Jugurtha, and a com- 

 mission was sent to Africa in order to divide Numidia between Adhei^ 

 bal and Jugurtha, The commissionen awarded the bettor part of the 

 country to Jugurtha; but scarcely had they left Africa before he 

 again attacked Adherbal, defeated him in battle, besieged him in Cirta, 

 and, having obliged him to surrender, put him to a cruel death. When 

 this news reached Rome war was dedared against Jugurtha, which, 

 after being carried on with various success, was at length terminated 

 by the capture and death of Jugurtha B.c. 106. 



After the death of Jugurtha the kingdom of Numidia appears to 

 have been given to Hiempsal II. (Hirtius, ' Bell. Afr.,' £6), who was 

 probably the nephew of Uiempaal the son of Micipsa. Uiempsal H. 

 was succeeded, about 8,0. £0, by his son Jaba I., who took an activo 

 part in the civil wan against Cosar. On the death of Juba I. (b.c. 46), 

 Numidia was reduced to the form of a Roman province by Cgasar, who 

 intrnsted the government of it to the historian Sallust (Dion Cassiui<, 

 xliii 9.) In the settlement of the empire after the death of Anthony 

 (b.o. 30), the kingdom of Numidia was given to Juba IL, son of Juba I., 

 but he retained it only till B.c. 25, when he received Mauritania in 

 exchange, and Numidia was finally reduced to a province. 



The chief town in Numidia woa Cirta (the modern Coatanti na, or 

 Constantineh), which was the principal residenca of Syphax, Masinisaa, 

 Micipaa, and Juba. Hippo Regius, the second town in the province, 

 was situated near the coast, about a mile and a half 8. from Bona. It 

 was founded by the Phcoiiicians (Sallust, 'Jug.,' 19), and is well known 

 as the see of St. Augiistiue. It was called Hippo Regius to distinguish 

 it from Hippo Zarytus in the province of Africa. It was' a favourite 



