The
Numidians were the
Berber people who lived in
Numidia (present day
Algeria) and in a smaller part of
Tunisia. The Numidians were one of the earliest natives to trade with the settlers of Carthage. As Carthage grew, the relationship with the Numidians blossomed. Carthage's military used the
Numidian cavalry as mercenaries. Numidia provided some of the highest quality cavalry of the
Second Punic War, and the Numidian cavalry played a key role in a number of battles, both early on in support of
Hannibal and later in the war after switching allegiance to the
Roman Republic.