Editing Numidia (section)

==Trade==
[[File:Amphorae Cirta Museum.jpg|thumb|Rhodean Greek amphora that dates to circa 180 B.C. in Cirta Museum]]The significance of trade in the Numidian kingdom is evident from the development of coinage. Many coins depict a bearded figure on one side and a free, galloping or rearing horse on the other. Some coins bear the inscriptions “MN,” an abbreviation for Massinissa (MSNSN), or “MKWSN” (Micipsa). While coin minting in Numidia predates Massinissa, it expanded significantly during his reign. This increase in coin circulation is attributed to Massinissa, particularly as the largest number of coins has been discovered around Constantine. These coins, made of lead or bronze, were used for domestic trade. Trade also involved rural populations paying taxes in grain. For foreign commerce, Massinissa received gold and silver coins from other nations in exchange for Numidian exports such as grain, ivory, ostrich feathers and eggs, exotic animals for circuses, and wood. 

The Numidian kingdom maintained trade relations with the Iberian Peninsula, Carthage, and Rome, as well as the Greek world, including Rhodes, Athens, and Delos. Grain was the primary export. Historian Camps, referencing Livy, provides detailed records of Numidian grain exports to Rome: 14,000 quintals of wheat and 10,500 quintals of barley in 200 BCE, 14,000 quintals of wheat in 198 BCE, 56,000 quintals of wheat and 28,000 quintals of barley in 191 BCE, and 70,000 quintals of wheat in 170 BCE. 

Massinissa used to provide to the population of Rhodes Toja wood and Ivory,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gsell |first=Stéphane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IV_5GgAACAAJ |title=Histoire d'Algérie: S[tephane] Gsell-G. Marçais-G. Yver. Ouvrage illustré de grav. hors texte |date=1929 |publisher=Boivin |language=fr}}</ref> in [[Cirta]] multiple Rhodian amphorae from the 2nd century B.C were found in burial sites and one of them carries the inscription (Sodamos).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlByAAAAMAAJ&q=d%C3%A9couverte+%C3%A0+constantine+de+deux+s%C3%A9pultures |title=Antiquités africaines |date=2005 |publisher=Editions du Centre national de la recherche scientifique |isbn=978-2-271-06342-7 |language=fr}}</ref> Massinissa encouraged Greek merchants to settle in his cities and welcomed figures like the historian Polybius. During his reign, North Africa established direct trade connections with both the East and the West, bypassing Carthage. This transformation was largely due to Massinissa’s efforts.

Numidia took over most of the famous Carthaginian ports which were one of the most important in the mediterranean, the famous Roman orator and historian [[Cicero]] tells us that the Numidian king had a war navy to protect his trade, in one story, the fleet of Massinissa sailed to Malta and confiscated large ivory elephant pillars from the temple of [[Juno (mythology)|Juno]] and returned to Numidia and gave it as a prize to Massinissa. When the king knew about the origin of the gift, he prepared a nimble fleet of five ships and sent it back to where it came from. This funny story tells us that not only Massinissa had enough ships to perform tasks at will but also these fleets were functioning outside of African shorelines towards the central mediterranean.