In the Shadow of Greater Kingdoms But Numidians were not content to always dwell in the shadow of Carthage. Their independence soon became prominent, and a strong, prosperous kingdom was about to emerge. Polybius, the crucial ancient Greek historian, was amongst the first to write about Numidia. Around 200 BC, he mentions them as the peoples who live to the west of Carthage, in a territory that roughly corresponds to modern day Algeria. The name Numidians allegedly stems from the ancient Greek word for “nomads” (Νομάδες). The Latin interpretation of this word became “Numidae,” from which emerged the exonym we know today: Numidia.