Masinissa

238 BCE – 148 BCE(lived 90 years)

Masinissa (c. 238–148 BCE), king of Numidia, turned the Second Punic War. First a Carthaginian ally in Iberia, he switched to Rome in 206 BCE, reclaimed his throne with Scipio’s help, and provided the lightning cavalry that decided Zama in 202. After Carthage’s defeat, he built a unified, prosperous Numidia and, by pressuring a shackled Carthage, helped trigger the Third Punic War. In this timeline, Masinissa is the alliance Rome needed: mobility, intelligence, and local power that transformed strategy into victory.

Biography

Masinissa was born around 238 BCE, son of Gaia, a chief of the eastern Numidian Massylii. Raised in a culture where the horse was livelihood and identity, he mastered fast-moving warfare on the steppe-like plains of North Africa. As a young prince he fought alongside Carthaginian commanders in Iberia, learning their strengths and weaknesses. Ambitious and quick to read shifting winds, he understood that Numidia’s future lay with whichever great power could offer unity and security for his people.

Key figure in Punic Wars

Masinissa's Timeline

Key events involving Masinissa in chronological order

-206 — -204

Alliance with Masinissa

Between 206 and 204 BCE, Scipio forged an alliance with Masinissa, the Numidian prince, trading recognition for riders. Dun-colored horsehair crests and swift hooves became Rome’s edge. When the dust rose in Africa, it would be Roman discipline with Numidian speed that met Hannibal [17][18].

diplomatic

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-204

Scipio’s African Invasion

In 204 BCE, Scipio crossed to Africa and camped near Utica, forcing Carthage to recall Hannibal. Red standards snapped above sandy trenches; Numidian horse hovered on the flanks. With Africa’s wind in his face, Scipio turned the war toward Carthage’s own walls [17].

military

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-202

Battle of Zama

In 202 BCE at Zama, Scipio Africanus and Masinissa shattered Hannibal’s army. Elephants were channeled, lines reformed, and cavalry—Roman-Numidian—swept back onto Hannibal’s rear through yellow dust. By sunset, the field belonged to Rome, and Carthage sought terms [17][18].

military

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-201

Peace Settlement After Zama

In 201 BCE, Rome imposed peace terms on Carthage: 10,000 talents, a fleet limited to ten ships, elephants banned, and overseas territories surrendered. The clauses dismantled Punic power with legal screws and fiscal weights. Victory at Zama now spoke in parchment and silver [17][18].

diplomatic

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-149

Third Punic War Begins

In 149 BCE, Rome initiated the Third Punic War with a diktat that stripped Carthage of self-defense. Surrender arms, submit to inspections, even abandon your city—terms that turned negotiation into provocation. Utica bent; Carthage refused; black ships gathered off the North African coast [4][16].

military

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Total Events

-206

First Event

-149

Last Event

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