Français – عربي – ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ – English
King Jugurtha of Numidia had two sons: Iampsas and Oxyntas, who were deported to Rome with him. After his father died, Oxyntas was set free and exiled to Venusia, in Southern Italy. He later played a role in the Social War, a war between Rome and its Italian allies.
The tribune of the plebs Marcus Livius Drusus, who wanted to give Roman citizenship to all Roman socii (allies) in Italy, was assassinated in 91 BCE. His assassination caused the Italian people who would have benefited from his reform, like the Marsi and the Samnites, to revolt against Rome: the Social War, or Marsic War, lasted from 91 to 88.
In this context, one of the insurgent leaders, a Samnite called Gaius Papius Mutilus, used the young Oxyntas, who was living in his territory, to inspire defections among the Numidian troops serving in the Roman army. This strategy seems to have been fairly successful, as many Numidian fighters deserted at the sight of their former king’s son.
The Romans finally defeated the insurgents. What became of Oxyntas after the end of the war is unknown.
