juliacaesaris:ancient history meme || cities [¾]Caesarea was a Romanized city of Mauretania, in mode
juliacaesaris:ancient history meme || cities [¾]Caesarea was a Romanized city of Mauretania, in modern day Cherchell, Algeria. Originally founded as Iol in 400 BCE, the city was rebuilt as Caesarea beginning in 25 BCE with the reign of Juba II, a former Numidian Amazigh prince, and his wife, Kleopatra Selene II, a former Ptolemaic princess. Juba and Selene did not just rename their new capital, they rebuilt the town as a typical Greco-Roman city in fine Roman style, on a large, lavish and expensive scale. The town design consisted of street grids, and included a theatre, an art collection, and a lighthouse similar to the one at Alexandria. Caesarea was rebuilt in a rich mixture of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman architectural styles. It also became a center of art and learning, attracting scholars, poets, and artists fro around the empire. The monarchs are buried in the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania which can still be seen. The seaport capital and its kingdom flourished during this period, with most of the population being of Greek and Phoenician origin with a minority of Amazighs. Caesarea remained a significant power center under Numidian rule, with Greco-Roman civilization as a veneer, until 40 CE, when its last monarch Ptolemy of Mauretania was assassinated on a visit to Rome. The murder of Ptolemy set in motion a series of reactions resulting in a devastating war with Rome. -- source link