King Gauda of Numidia

King Gauda was the son of Prince Mastanabal and the grandson of King Masinissa, making him the half-brother of King Jugurtha. During the campaigns of Metellus in the Jugurthine War, Gauda requested royal honors and a Roman cavalry bodyguard, which Metellus haughtily refused; the incident pushed Gauda to endorse Gaius Marius, fundamentally altering Roman political history.

Following Jugurtha's capture and death in 105 BC, Rome recognized Gauda as the legitimate King of Numidia. Despite inheriting a war-torn country, Gauda successfully stabilized the agricultural interior of Numidia, established administrative order across the high plateaus, and passed an enduring crown to his sons Hiempsal II and Masteabar.