Leptis Magna

Founded by Phoenicians about 1,000 BC, Leptis Magna became a Punic city and, after the defeat of Carthage by the Roman Empire, became one of the great harbor cities of Roman North Africa. Siding with Pompey the Great in Rome's civil wars, Leptis was required by Julius Caesar to pay a heavy annual tribute to Rome in its most exportable product - 3 million pounds of olive oil.

During the Roman period, Lepcis was the Mediterranean outlet of a trade route through the Sahara into the interior of Africa. Its economy was based on agriculture, and some of its products, particularly olives, became profitable trade items.

Inscriptions and literary sources attest to the wealth of the Lepcis Magna elite, who supported the continuing growth of the city. It was the birthplace of the Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus.

The main streets of the city were the Decumanus Maximus (north-south) and the Cardo Maximus (east-west). Primary buildings, mostly dating from the reign of its famous native son, Septimus Severus, include the Amphitheatre for Games, the Theatre for literature, music and drama, the Basilica, and the new Forum.

For more information on Leptis Magna, try:

Lepcis Magna: The Roman Empire in Africa

Pictures of Leptis Magna

Africa: Province of the Roman Empire

Leptis Magna Pictures