comes Africae

The comes Africae was a military official in the Later Roman Empire responsible for the field army in Africa. This role was established during the military and political crisis of the 3rd century AD, with the army in Africa numbering around 21,000 men. The comes Africae commanded this force independently of the provincial governors. This reorganization, along with the division of the province of Africa into smaller administrative units like Tripolitania, Byzacena, and Africa, aimed to strengthen the empire's defenses against external threats and internal revolts, such as those by tribal groups in the Mauretanian mountains.1