Iles (king)
king of Numidia
Iles or Ilas is the first known king of the Massylian dynasty and (supposedly) its founder.
Biography
The kingdom of the Massylii was formed through great alliances that elected a sovereign to lead it, but the situation changed after the emergence of powerful neighbors from the west and the intensification of competition with them, particularly the Masaesyli. The Masaesyli were influenced by the rich lands and the rich civilization of the east, that is, the civilization of Carthage, which suggests the hypothesis that the Masaesyli adopted the hereditary monarchical system of these two rivals. In any case, Iles ascended the throne of the kingdom of Massylii, establishing the hereditary system that would establish a new dynasty, probably between the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. after the death of the previous ruler Zelalsan, thus forming a new dynasty that would later rule over most of North Africa, and their alliance with Carthage lasted for a considerable period before Massinissa changed tactics and allied with Rome after the Punic Wars.
The public source identifies “Iles (king)” as king of Numidia. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Iles, king and Numidia.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Iles (king)”, the useful work is to connect “king of Numidia” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q98854273. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Iles (king)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Iles (king) primary sources, Iles (king) archive and Iles research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Iles (king)”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Iles (king)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.