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During the reign of Massinissa, Numidia massively developed its agricultural production. In 179 BCE, Massinissa even donated 100 tons of wheat do the Greek island of Delos.
During his reign, King Massinissa of Numidia developed a system of vast royal agricultural domains producing wheat on a large scale. This policy enriched his kingdom considerably, and also accelerated the sedentarisation of its population. Numidian excess production allowed it to export wheat to Rome, especially to supply the Roman army. Later on, North Africa became the bread basket of the Roman Empire.
Delos is a Greek island in the Cyclades archipelago. In Greek mythology, Delos is considered as the birthplace of the gods Apollo and Artemis, and thus as a sacred island. At the time of Massinissa, Delos, previously under Athenian authority, was independent. Like other Greek port cities, Delos was too small to produce enough wheat to feed its population, making it dependent on importation. (Source) The port of Delos also served as wheat distribution center towards the neighboring islands.
In 179, Massinissa gave the Delians around 145.000 liter of wheat – in weight, around 220.000 pounds or 100 tons. For Numidia, this was a way to dispose of its production surplus, while affirming itself as a trustworthy trade partner for its Greek allies. Contrary to what certain social network publications claim, this was not a humanitarian donation to help the island in a time of famine, but a commercial gesture: Numidia gave Delos wheat for free, but in exchange, it obtained privileged trade links with the Greek world.
To commemorate this donation of wheat, the Delians built a monument in honor of Massinissa on their island. This monument contained a statue of Massinissa, which is now lost, but its base still exist, with an inscription: “[β]ασιλέα Μασαννά[σαν] βασιλέως Γαία ‘Ερμων Σόλωνος τὸν αὑτοῦ φίλον Ἀπόλλωνι. Πολιάνθης ἐπόει.” In English: “Hermon son of Solon [dedicated the statue] of King Masannasa, son of King Gaia, his friend, to Apollo. Polianthes made it.” Hermon son of Solon was a Delian dignitary who ordered the statue. Polianthes was a well-known Delian sculptor.
Other inscriptions, on jars, describe how the wheat donated by Massinissa was sold at a low price to the inhabitants of Delos and the neighboring islands, under the supervision of a commission of three men, one of whom was Hermon son of Solon. One jar even mentions that part of the wheat was told to the island of Rhodes.
(Source)
