Tubunae

Map showing Tubunae in the Fossatum Africae, south of Sitifis

Tubunae (or Thubunae) was a Roman settlement in Romano-Berber north Africa. Scholars discuss about the exact location, arguing it can be in Mauretania and/or in Numidia.

Characteristics

There were two towns called Tubunae in the territory of what is now Algeria, when it was part of the Roman Empire. One is referred to as Tubunae in Mauretania, because it was part of the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis. The other (the modern town of Tobna) is called Tubunae in Numidia, because it was situated in the Roman province of Numidia. Writers such as Morcelli uses the spelling "Tubunae" for both of them,^[1] but the Catholic Church's list of titular sees refers to the second of them (corresponding to modern Tobna) as Thubunae in Numidia.^[2]

There it is even the possibility that both names are for the same settlement.

Tubunae in Mauretania

The names of none of the bishops of this town, which is mentioned by Ptolemy, have been preserved. The see was vacant when Huneric summoned the North African bishops to Carthage in 484.^[1]

Tubunae/Thubunae in Numidia

It was to this town "in the depths of Numidia"^[3] that Augustine of Hippo and Alypius went, probably in 421, to meet the Roman official Boniface and exhort him "to serve the Church by protecting the empire from the barbarians".^[4]

In 479 Huneric exiled a large number of Catholics there. Its ruins, known as Tobna, are in the Department of Constantine, Algeria, at the gates of the Sahara, west of the Chott el Hodna, the "Salinae Tubunenses" of the Romans. They are very extensive, for three successive towns occupied different sites, under the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Arabs. Besides the remains of the fortress, the most remarkable monument is a church now used as a mosque.^[5]

Bishops

Three bishops of Tubunae/Thubunae in Numidia are known. Saint Nemesianus assisted at the Council of Carthage in 256. Saint Cyprian often speaks of him in his letters, and we have a letter which he wrote to Cyprian in his own name and in the name of those who were condemned with him to the mines. An inscription testifies to his cult at Tixter in 360, and the Roman Martyrology mentions him on 10 September. Another bishop was Cresconius, who usurped the see after quitting that of Bulla Regia, and who assisted at the Conference of Carthage in 411, where his rival was the Donatist Protasius. A third, Reparatus, was exiled by Huneric in 484.^[1]^[5]

References

1 2 3 Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa christiana, Volume I, Brescia 1816, pp. 331–332
↑ Annuario Pontifico 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 998
↑ Peter Robert Lamont Brown, Augustine of Hippo: A Biography (University of California Press 1969 ISBN 978-0-52001411-4), p. 422
↑ William A. Sumruld, Augustine and the Arians (Association University Presse 1984 ISBN 978-0-94563646-5), p. 86
1 2 Sophrone Pétridès, "Tubunae" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1912)

Bibliography

Laffi, Umberto. Colonie e municipi nello Stato romano Ed. di Storia e Letteratura. Roma, 2007 ISBN 8884983509
Mommsen, Theodore. The Provinces of the Roman Empire Section: Roman Africa. (Leipzig 1865; London 1866; London: Macmillan 1909; reprint New York 1996) Barnes & Noble. New York, 1996
Smyth Vereker, Charles. Scenes in the Sunny South: Including the Atlas Mountains and the Oases of the Sahara in Algeria. Volume 2. Publisher Longmans, Green, and Company. University of Wisconsin. Madison,1871 ( Roman Tubunae )

Romano-Berber cities in Roman North Africa

Morocco	Anfa Iulia Constantia Zilil Iulia Valentia Banasa Iulia Campestris Babba Lixus ² Mogador Sala ¹ Tamuda ¹ Thamusida Tingis Volubilis ¹

Algeria	Aquae Calidae Albulae Altava Auzia Calama Caesarea Cartennas Castellum Dimmidi Castellum Tingitanum Castra Nova Chullu Cirta Civitas Popthensis Cohors Breucorum Cuicul ¹ Diana Veteranorum Gemellae Gunugu Hippo Regius Icosium ¹ Igilgili Iomnium Lambaesis Lamasba Madauros Mascula Mesarfelta Milevum Numerus Syrorum Oppidum Novum Parthenia Pomaria Portus Divinus Portus Magnus Quiza Xenitana Rapidum Rusazu Rusguniae Rusucurru Saldae Setifis Siga Thagaste Thamugadi ¹ Theveste Thibilis Thubursicum Tiddis Tingartia Tipasa ¹ Tubusuctu Tubunae Unica Colonia Uzinaza Vescera Zarai Zuccabar

Tunisia	Althiburos Bulla Regia Capsa Carthago ¹ Cillium Dougga ¹ Gightis Hadrumetum ¹ Hippo Diarrhytus Kelibia Leptis Parva Mactaris Pheradi Majus Pupput Rucuma Ruspae Scillium Sicca Simitthus Sufetula Tacapae Taparura Sufes Thabraca Thanae Thapsus Thuburbo Majus Thuburnica Thysdrus Turris Tamalleni Utica Uthina Vaga Zama Regia

Libya	Cydamus ¹ Gerisa Leptis Magna ¹ Oea Sabratha ¹

Spain	Septem Rusadir

Kingdoms and Provinces	Mauretania Mauretania Tingitana Mauretania Caesariensis Numidia Roman Africa Creta et Cyrenaica Roman Egypt Diocese of Africa Zeugitana Byzacena Vandal Kingdom Praetorian prefecture of Africa Exarchate of Africa

Related articles	North Africa during Antiquity African Romance Limes Tripolitanus Christianity in Roman Africa

¹ UNESCO World Heritage Sites ² Proposed

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.

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