UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

The proto-Berbers
Poseidon, while the Atarantians (IV, 184), the westerly neighbours of the
Garamantes, cursed the sun. Cicero relates (Rep., VI, 4) that Massinissa
gave thanks to the sun and other divinities in the sky. The sun continued
to be worshipped in several towns of Roman Africa such as
Maktar,
Althiburos, Thugga and Sufetula, but some Punic influence may have been
at work here and there.76
Apart from the two major heavenly bodies, both epigraphy and literary
sources reveal a profusion of divinities, often mentioned only once, and
sometimes even referred to collectively, e.g. the Dii Mauri.77 A carving
found near Baja appears to picture a kind of pantheon of seven divinities.
But this no doubt reflects a kind of polytheism introduced under Punic
influence, which led the Libyans to personalize the divine powers. Left
to themselves, the Libyans were always drawn more to the sacred than
to the gods.78
plate 17. i right Lions from Kbor Roumia
76. G. Charles-Picard, 1957, pp. 33-9.
77. G. Camps, 1954, pp. 233-60.
PLATE 17.2 left Libyan stelafrom Abizar (south¬
east ofTigzirt): a bas-reliefsculpture ofan armed
horseman. The left hand holds a round shield
and three javelins; the right arm is extended,
with an indeterminate round object between the
thumb and the index finger. Seated on the
horse's rump is a small figure whose left hand is
touching the warrior, and whose right hand,
which is also raised, holds a weapon. The horse¬
man has a triangular, pointed beard down to his
chest. Around its neck, the horse has an amulet,
possibly a phallus. In front of the horse are two
animals, one a quadruped, perhaps a dog, the
other apparently a bird, perhaps an ostrich.
78. Concerning the theory that there was one major god for the Libyco-Berbers, see
M. Leglay, 1966, pp. 425-31. After ruling out Iolaos, Baliddir and Iuch, the author
expresses the view, that the Theban Amon was on the way to becoming the prevailing god
in Saharan Africa and Africa Minor when the Phoenicians made their appearance on the
continent. This is an attractive theory, but we do not find it fully proven.
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