| Title | Numidian prince Possibly a king |
|---|---|
| Succession | King of the Masaesyli? |
| Reign | unknown |
| Predecessor | Last recorded previous ruler Aylimas |
| Successor | perhaps Syphax |
| Birth date | 3rd century BC |
| Birth place | Eastern Numidia |
| Spouse | Salammbo (3rd daughter of Hamilcar) |
| Spouse-type | Spousse |
| House | Massylii |
| Father | Zelalsan II |
| Native lang 1 | Numidian |
| Dynasty | Massyllian |
Naravas (Numidian: ⵏⵔⴱⵙ, Nrbs(h);[1] xpu: 𐤍𐤓𐤅𐤈, nrwt)[2] was a Numidian prince of the 3rd century BCE,[3] occasionally referred to as a king,[4] descending from the Massylian royal dynasty of Eastern Numidia.[5] He played a pivotal role in the Mercenary War (241–238 BCE), initially joining the Libyan rebels before later aligning with Carthage, an alliance that significantly shifted the balance of power during the conflict.[6] Naravas was the son of Zelalsan II,[3] the uncle of the Numidian King Masinissa,[5] and the son-in-law of the Carthaginian general Hamilcar.[4]
Alliance with Hamilcar Barca
During the Mercenary War, Naravas had joined the army of Spendius. During a critical time, he switched his allegiance to Hamilcar Barca of Carthage.
In 239 BC, he arrived at Hamilcar's camp with 2,000 horsemen. This probably saved the Carthaginian army from destruction. His troops pushed back the mercenaries of Mathos, the Libyan chief, at the Battle of Bagradas River. After the battle, he took possession of the town of Utica.
Family
Naravas married the third daughter of Hamilcar Barca, the sister of Hannibal. Her name is unknown, but Gustave Flaubert gave her the name Salammbo in his novel of that name.
References
- ^ Huss, Werner (1985). Geschichte der Karthager (in German). C.H.Beck. p. 265. ISBN 978-3-406-30654-9.
- ^ Hoyos, B. Dexter (2007). Truceless War: Carthage's Fight for Survival, 241 to 237 Bc. BRILL. p. 148. ISBN 978-90-04-16076-7.
- ^ Hoyos, Dexter (2010-06-10). The Carthaginians. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-96862-4.
- ^ Akyeampong, Emmanuel Kwaku & Jr, Professor Henry Louis Gates (2012-02-02). Dictionary of African Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
- ^ Hoyos, Dexter (2015-05-26). A Companion to the Punic Wars. John Wiley & Sons. p. 209. ISBN 978-1-119-02550-4.
- ^ Kadra-Hadjadji, Houaria (2013). Masinissa, the Great African (in French). KARTHALA Editions. pp. 35 to 43. ISBN 978-2-8111-0915-8.