Romans in sub-Saharan Africa

Ancient Roman expeditions into Africa
Romans in sub-Saharan Africa
Roman expeditions to sub-Saharan Africa west of the Nile River
Operational scopeEstablishing direct and secure trade routes to access valuable goods such as gold, animals, slaves, spices and other resources from Africa and expanding Roman territorial claims.
Date1st century BC – 1st century

Between the first century BC and the fourth century AD, several expeditions and explorations to Lake Chad and western Africa were conducted by groups of military and commercial units of Romans who moved across the Sahara and into the interior of Africa and its coast. However, there was a more significant Roman and Greek presence in modern-day Eritrea and Ethiopia. The primary motivation for the expeditions was to secure sources of gold and spices from Axumite piracies.

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