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(Updated April 23, 2025) Gravestones from Cirta on display in the Louvre, France. About 1000 of these were found in total and are known as the Cirta Steles. Cirta was later known as Constintine. Another large collection is the Pricot de Sainte-Marie steles. Cirta is the Druid Akkadian phrase K.IR.T.A meaning "Involving the astrological-fate-powers with astrology-magic's results."
Steles so far translated by inventory number
- AO 1012
- AO 1013
- AO 1015
- AO 1016
- AO 1017
- AO 1018
- AO 1019
- AO 1020
- AO 1022
- AO 5191
- AO 5209
- AO 5295
References
References
Overview of Cirta Steles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta_steles
Cirta Steles at the Louvre: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/recherche?page=1&limit=150&q=Constantine+tophet+d%27El+Hofra+%3D+El+Hofra<=mosaic
Pricot de Sainte-Marie steles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pricot_de_Sainte-Marie_steles
Map of Carthaginian State Showing Cirta
Map of Carthaginian State Showing Cirta
Cirta is located at the confluence of 2 rivers with the main one being the Rhumel river.
From: François Bertrandy, Maurice Sznycer (1987) Les stèles puniques de Constantine. Preview online at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Les_st%C3%A8les_puniques_de_Constantine/sBMBEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1
Carthaginian Empire at Max Extent in 270 BCE
Carthaginian Empire at Max Extent in 270 BCE
(April 23, 2025) Cirta, later known as Constantine, was a city located on a rocky diamond-shaped plateau that is surrounded, except at the southwest by a precipitous gorge. After the fall of Carthage it became an important town of the new Roman allied state of Numidia and the residence of the kings of the Massyli. Under King Micipsa (200-100 BCE) it reached the height of its prosperity and was able to furnish an army of 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry to Rome.
Cirta received a Roman settlement during the reign of Julius Caesar and later served as head of a confederation of four Roman colonies on the North African coast. In the war of the Roman emperor Maxentius against Alexander, the Numidian usurper, the city was razed, and on its restoration in 313 CE, it was renamed for its patron, Constantine I the Great. It remained uncaptured during the Vandal invasion of North Africa but fell to the Arabs during the 600's.
Reference
Reference
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