Editing Numidia (section)

== Name ==
The Greek historians referred to these peoples as "Νομάδες" (i.e. Nomads), which by Latin interpretation became "Numidae" (but cf. also the correct use of ''Nomades'').<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3DNumida Numida] and [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3DNomas Nomas]</ref> Historian [[Gabriel Camps]], however, disputes this claim, favoring instead a local African origin for the term.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Camps |first=Gabriel |title=Les Numides et la civilisation punique |url=http://www.persee.fr/doc/antaf_0066-4871_1979_num_14_1_1016 |journal=Antiquités africaines |year=1979 |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=43–53 |language=fr-FR |doi=10.3406/antaf.1979.1016}}</ref>

Despite their presence, the Numidians are scarcely mentioned in Greek and Roman historical accounts until the First Punic War (264–241 BC), when the Greek historian [[Polybius]] first noted their cavalry. He also indicated the peoples and territory west of [[Carthage]] including the entire north of Algeria as far as the river [[Mulucha]] ([[Muluya]]), about {{convert|100|mi|km|order=flip}} west of [[Oran]].<ref name="EB1911">{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Numidia |volume=19 |pages=868–869}}</ref>