Exarchat de Carthage

The exarchat of Carthage is the concerning field the Byzantine Empire and corresponding to old the provinces of Africa and Numidie like in the islands of Corsica and Sardinia (Judicat S of Sardinia).

Its creation, just like that of the Exarchat de Ravenne, aims at protecting a province offset from the external pressures by concentrating the civil and military capacities in the hands of the Exarchat (plenipotentiary representative of the emperor). The exarchat disappears with the Arab conquest.

History

After the end of the Roman Empire of Occident in 476, the Byzantine Empire remains always a bastion against the “Barbare S” and the kingdom sassanide. Between 533 and 553, the Byzantine emperor Justinien I {{er}} share with the reconquest of the North Africa, Italy, Dalmatie and south of the Spain. The wars of conquest as well as the defense of the new territories pose problems as for the poor resources of the empire. However, the following emperors refuse to yield these territories.

The permanent danger emanating from the Lombards in Italy, of the Berbères in North Africa as well as Visigoths in Spain presses the Byzantine empire with to decentralize the civil and military capacity in the conquered territories more especially as the Avars and the Slaves advance on the Balkans and that the Persian Sassanides of minor Asia, of Arménie and of Syria threaten more still the empire. Under these conditions, Maurice I {{er}} (582 - 602) creates the exarchats Carthage and of Ravenne.

Roman North Africa before the creation of the exarchat

Carthage is become again the Capitale of the Roman province of Africa after the victory of Bélisaire over Gélimer with the battles of AD Decimum and Tricamarum which has as a consequence the destruction of the Royaume vandal in 533. Just like Ravenne, Carthage then has a port in excellent state. Moreover, Carthage is famous like the “Rome of Africa”. The Roman Africa also includes/understands the provinces of Byzacène, of the Maurétanie Césarienne, the Maurétanie Tingitane, the Numidie, the Sardinia as well as Tripolitaine. At certain times, the south of Spain as well as the Balearic Islands also form part of Roman Africa.

The capacity civil and military is shared between the Préfet of the court and the Magister militum of the province of Africa. Maurice Ier combines these capacities when it creates, in 590, six years after the foundation of the exarchat of Ravenne, the exarchat of Carthage.

Exarchat between 590 and 642

The first exarque one, Gennadios (591 - 598) is victorious against the Moors, which offers to the province of Africa decades of peace. Maurice Ier is then in a position to negotiate a peace favorable with the Perses (see Guerres perso-Romans) for then facing the Miserly ones and with Slavic (see military Campagnes of Maurice I {{er}} on Balkans). Although the Byzantine empire falls into the disorder and the Anarchie under the emperor Phocas, the situation in Africa remains stable. Héraclius Old the, probably the successor of Gennadios named by Maurice Ier, manages to be essential on the tribes Berbères - especially in the Aurès and the county of Masuna - by the ways policy and soldier. This is supported by the fact that certain Berber tribes like the Sanhadja and the Zénètes are allies of the exarchat.

When Héraclius the Old one and its son revolt in 610, the Berber ones provide the major part of their Flotte with which Héraclius moves towards Constantinople while the Embargo on the Blé S emanating from Héraclius the Old one regulates in its turn the destiny of Phocas with Constaninople. The project of Héraclius in 618, to make of Carthage the new capital of the Byzantine empire, is a testimony of the power of the exarchat. However, this project is never carried out, Constantinople survives the seat of 626 and Héraclius beats Persians in once and for all 627.

Fight against the Arabs

After the conquest of the Egypt by the Arab , the exarchat must face the Islamic expansion. The first Arab forwardings in 642 are directed by the emir Amru Ben Al-Have and his nephew Oqba Ibn Nafaa. Forwardings in Cyrénaïque do not meet any resistance. Byzantine control is reduced then to some stations on the coast already badly defended. After the second conquest of Alexandria in 646, the Arabs are with the current of the weakness of the Byzantine empire in the south of the Mediterranean.

In 646, exarque revolts again against the emperor, this time within the framework of the monothelic discussions with Byzance. Gregoire, a relative of the cousin of Héraclius Niketas, made defection of the Byzantine empire, and installs its capital with Sufetula. According to Arab sources, its capacity is supported by approximately: 100000 Berber. The Arabs make the conquest of Cyrénaïque and advance on Tripolitaine and Byzacène where they meet resistance again. Gregoire then gathers his troops and his allies close to his Sufetula capital without being able to count on the support of Byzance. According to Arab sources, it deals with Abdullah Ibn Saad and its: 12000 men but however loses the battle in which he probably dies.

After the battles, the Arabs withdraw themselves in Tripolitaine while the exarchat of Carthage falls down under the Byzantine influence under exarque the Gennadios II. Carthage is again capital after Gregoire transferred it to Sufetula inside the country by fear from a Byzantine forwarding. New the exarque tent to calm the Arabs in a their paying tribute, which leads to the lifting of high taxes which have as a consequence a dissatisfaction with the population. However, the primary reason for which the exarchat lives then in peace is an internal struggle between the Arabs for the station of the Caliph. Under Muawiya I {{er}}, the conquest is taken again in 661. The general Oqba Ibn Nafaa founds the town of Kairouan and arrives until the Atlantic Ocean.

The exarque one however manages to obtain a considerable victory in 683 with Biskra, four years after the first seat of Constantinople by the Arabs, while being the ally of the Berber tribes carried out by Kusayla. The beaten Arabs move back in Egypt, which gives to the exarchat time to breathe. In 695, the Arabs take again the fight against the exarchat become weak during the years of engagements. The Visigoths come to them to the assistance, their king fearing - rightly - he also an Arab attack. In 698, the general Hassan ibn year-Numan besieges Carthage with: 40000 men. The emperor Leonce II envoit the Byzantine fleet under the command of Tibère. The fleet manages to obtain successes but must be however withdrawn in Crete to take reinforcements. This makes it possible besieging Arab to conquer Carthage with their fleet jointly. The city is reduced same manner as at the time of the Roman conquest in 146 av. J. - C..

The loss of the province of Africa is heavy for the Byzantine empire. After the loss of Egypt in 698, the empire loses its second corn attic. However, the fall of Carthage offers to Tibère the imperial throne, its officers fearing to be made responsible for the defeat. Leonce does not lose only his throne but one also cuts the Nez to him.

Exarques de Carthage

Source

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