Diocese of Africa explained

Conventional Long Name:Diocese of Africa
Common Name:Diocese of Africa
Subdivision:Diocese
Nation:the Roman Empire
Era:Late Antiquity
Capital:Carthage
Title Leader:Vicarius
Image Map Caption:Diocese of Africa - AD 400
Life Span:314 – 439
Year Start:314
Event Start:Administrative reforms of Diocletian
Year End:439
Event End:Vandals sack Carthage
Event1:Arrival of Vandals
Date Event1:429
S1:Vandal Kingdom
Political Subdiv:Africa proconsularis
Byzacena
Numidia
Mauretania Sitifensis
Mauretania Caesariensis
Tripolitania
Today: Algeria
Tunisia
Libya

The Diocese of Africa (Latin: '''Dioecesis Africae''') was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of North Africa, except Mauretania Tingitana. Its seat was at Carthage, and it was subordinate to the Praetorian prefecture of Italy.

The diocese included the provinces of Africa proconsularis (also known as Zeugitana), Byzacena, Mauretania Sitifensis, Mauretania Caesariensis, Numidia Cirtensis, Numidia Militiana and Tripolitania. In current geo-political terms, the Diocese of Africa included the entire coastline of Tunisia, Algeria with some mountainous hinterlands, plus the western half of Libya's coastline.

The diocese existed from the time of the Diocletianian and Constantinian reforms in the last years of the 3rd century until it was overrun by the Vandals in the 430s. The provincial organization were retained under the Vandals, and after their defeat and the reconquest of Africa by the Eastern Roman Empire in the Vandalic War, they were grouped anew, but this time in a praetorian prefecture.

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