The history of Roman North Africa starts in 146 bce with the final defeat and razing of Carthage, Rome's only real rival for supremacy in the Mediterranean. After Egypt was integrated under Augustus in 30 bce, the Romans ruled over the entire Mediterranean coast of Africa, a territory stretching from the Ampsaga River in the west to the border of Cyrenaica, making it not only the biggest but perhaps also the most important colony, frequently being called the 'granary of the empire'. It was also the colony the empire hung on to the longest: Rome lost part of Africa to the Vandals in the fifth century, but only lost complete control of its African colony after the Arab conquest at the end of the seventh century.An Armchair Traveller's History of Roman North Africa is an authoritative gazetteer of all Roman, Punic and Hellenistic ruins in North Africa - featuring 30 site maps, and a discursive travel book combining essays, thoughts and biographies provoked by the lifetime travels of the author. Illustrated with photographs and old scanned engravings, this will be the perfect companion for any lover of Antiquity.