Aristippus of Cyrene

from THE ARCHITECTURE, by MARCUS VITRUVIUS POLLIO.
BOOK THE SIXTH, INTRODUCTION.

ARISTIPPUS, the Socratic philosopher, shipwrecked on  the coast of Rhodes, perceiving some geometrical diagrams thereon, is reported to have exclaimed to his companions, " Be of good courage, I see marks of  civilization" and  straightway making for the city of  Rhodes, he arrived at the Gymnasium; where, disputing on philosophical subjects, he obtained such honours, that he not only provided for himself, but furnished clothing and food to his companions. When his companions had completed their arrangements for returning home, and asked what message he wished to send to his friends, he desired them to say that the possessions and provision to be made for children should be those which can be preserved in case of shipwreck; inasmuch as those things are the real supports of life which the chances of fortune, the changes of public affairs, and the devastation of war, cannot injure.

Hic sunt Garamantes

"Satellites and aerial photographs have revealed evidence of over a hundred fortified farms, villages, and towns - many with castle-like structures - in the southwestern deserts of Libya. These structures date back to between 1 and 500 C.E., meaning they predate the rise of Islam. ...
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester have used all this aerial data to identify as much as they can about the so-called Garamantes people, who are otherwise known purely through Greek and Roman sources. They've already discovered "the mud brick remains of the castle-like complexes, with walls still standing up to four metres high, along with traces of dwellings, cairn cemeteries, associated field systems, wells and sophisticated irrigation systems." "
http://io9.com/5857958/satellites-reveal-libyas-lost-2000+year+old-cities

Libya's UNESCO World Heritage Sites

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Libya  are:
Archaeological Site of Cyrene
Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna
Archaeological Site of Sabratha
Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus
Old Town of Ghadamès
 Libya's UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Settimio Severo

« Sono diventato tutto quel che ho voluto. E mi accorgo che non ne valeva la pena »
questo disse Settimio Severo, a un suo luogotenente, come riporta Wiki.
Lucio Settimio Severo era nato a Leptis Magna, in Libia nel 146. Morì a York nel 211. Da generale divenne imperatore romano, iniziando la dinastia severa. Prima della sua morte, l'impero su estendeva sull'isola britannica fino al vallo di Adriano.

Map of the Roman Empire with the provinces of 210 AD.

Map created by Mandrak, Wikipedia, on public domain.

Garamantes

Garamantes lived in fertile areas of Sahara, corresponding to the southwestern Libya, which had not always been a desert. In a period lasting from about 10,000 to 6,000 before current era, the country was like a savanna, with some perennial lakes. During the sixth millennium, several great droughts forced people to abandon the region. The lakes disappeared, leaving large fields of salt, one of the main articles of future Garamantian trade.
more http://www.livius.org/ga-gh/garamantes/garamantes.html

Leptis Magna

Leptis Magna was a punic and then roman settlement. Septimius Severus (145 – 211), Roman Emperor from 193 to 211, was born in this town. Leptis Magna: in the past was known as the "Town of  white shadows", a name due to the white statues appearing and disappering amid the dunes of sand. The city had  temples, a theatre and an amphitheatre, with a profusion of decorations and statues.
Leptis Magna’s market is a particularly well preserved example of such structures of a Roman city. In fact, many of the features of this market are unique. Along with typical porticoes of shops, the structure had two central circular stalls. The system used by stall holders for measuring the quantities of goods was still found in the market.
"The Roman food market of Leptis Magna was built in 8 BC by a wealthy citizen Hannibal Tapapius Rufus. The evidence for this comes from two inscriptions: one in Latin over the entrance of the market and another in neo Punic on the architrave of one of the market’s circular central stalls."
http://www.suite101.com/content/the-market-place-leptis-magna-a138237
For a web tour in this town, see for instance

http://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/LeptisMagna.htm#

Three poleis - Tripoli

By the fifth century B.C., Carthage, the greatest of the overseas Phoenician colonies, had extended its hegemony across much of North Africa, where a distinctive civilization, known as Punic, came into being. Punic settlements on the Libyan coast included Oea (Tripoli), Labdah (later Leptis Magna), and Sabratah, in an area that came to be known collectively as Tripolis, or "Three Cities".

read more http://countrystudies.us/libya/5.htm Libya, by Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Libya: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1987.

Tripoli is the mondern town corresponding to the old Oea, one of the three old Phoenician towns along the coast of Tripolitania, in Libya. http://www.livius.org/oa-om/oea/oea.html