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{{Short description|Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman town}}
'''Ruspina''' was a [[Phoenicians|Phoenician]], [[Carthaginians|Carthaginian]] and [[Ancient Romans|Roman]] town located in [[Monastir, Tunisia|Monastir]], [[Tunisia]], situated in Roman times in ''[[Africa propria]]'', and mentioned by [[Pliny the Elder]] and [[Geography (Ptolemy)|Ptolemy]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Macbean|first=A.|author-link=Alexander Macbean|title=A Dictionary of Ancient Geography: Explaining the Local Appellations in Sacred, Grecian, and Roman History |publisher=G. Robinson |year=1773|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_EqwBAAAAYAAJ_2/page/n247 14]|language=en|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_EqwBAAAAYAAJ_2 |quote=Africa propria (Pliny's Natural History).|oclc=6478604}}</ref>

{{anchor|Etymology|Names|Toponymy}}

==Name==
The [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] and [[Punic language|Punic]] name {{smallcaps|ršpn}} ({{lang|phn|𐤓‬𐤔‬𐤐𐤍}}) or {{smallcaps|ršpnt}} ({{lang|phn|𐤓‬𐤔‬𐤐𐤍𐤕}}) seems to mean "[[Angle]] [[Headland|Cape]]".{{sfnp|Huss|2006}} It was used for the cape and hills at the south end of the [[Bay of Hammamet]] and for the main settlement near the cape.{{sfnp|Huss|2006}} The Punic name was variously [[hellenization|hellenized]] as ''Rhouspînon'' ({{langx|grc|Ῥουσπῖνον}}),<ref name=Strabo>[[Strabo]], [[Strabo's Geography|''Geogr.'']], Book XVII, Ch. iii, §12.</ref> ''Rhouspino'', ({{lang|grc|Ῥουσπίνῳ}}),<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-grc1:17.3.12 Strabo, Geography,§17.3.12]</ref> ''Rhouspína'' ({{lang|grc|Ῥουσπίνα}}),<ref>[[Claudius Ptolemy|Ptol.]], ''[[Ptolemy's Geography|Geogr.]]'', Book IV, Ch. iii, §9.</ref> or ''Rhoúspina'' ({{lang|grc|Ῥούσπινα}})<ref>[[Cassius Dio|Cass. Dio]], ''Rom. Hist.'', Book XLII, Ch. lviii, §4.</ref> but consistently [[latinization of names|latinized]] as Ruspina.{{sfnp|Huss|2006}}

==Geography==
The exact location of the city is uncertain. Nathan Davis believes it was located at modern day [[Monastir, Tunisia|Monastir]]. Multiple tombs and ruins have been discovered in this city that may have been part of Ruspina.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Ruined Cities Within Numidian and Carthaginian Territories|url = https://archive.org/details/ruinedcitieswit01davigoog|publisher = J. Murray|date = 1862-01-01|first = Nathan|last = Davis}}</ref>

==History==
The [[Carthaginian Empire|Carthaginian]] town came under [[Roman Republic|Roman]] hegemony after the [[Punic Wars]]. In 46{{nbsp}}BC, the town was the first in Africa to ally itself with [[Julius Caesar]] during [[Caesar's Civil War|his civil war]].<ref>[[Julius Caesar|Jul. Caes.]], ''[[De Bello Africo|Bell. Afr.]]'', Book VI, §7, and Book IX, §1.</ref> The same year, the [[Battle of Ruspina]] was a victory for [[Pompey]]'s ally [[Titus Labienus|T. Labienus]].

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last=Huss |first=Werner |authorlink=Werner Huß |contribution=Ruspina |location=Leiden |publisher=Brill |title=Brill's New Pauly Encyclopedia of the Ancient World |date=2006 |editor=Hubert Cancik |editor2=Helmuth Schneider |editor3=Christine F. Salazar |editor4=Manfred Landfester |editor5=Francis G. Gentry |display-editors=0 }}.
{{refend}}

{{phoenician colonies|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|35.7694|N|10.8253|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

[[Category:Phoenician colonies in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek geography of North Africa]]


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