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Bocchus, often referred to as Bocchus I for clarity, was king of Mauretania from – 80 BCE. He was father-in-law to the king Jugurtha, with whom he initially allied against the Ancient Rome in the Jugurthine War, a lengthy and indecisive conflict.
King Bocchus eventually betrayed Jugurtha to the Romans in 105 BCE. Jugurtha was captured and imprisoned in Rome, while the Romans and Bocchus divided Jugurtha's Numidian kingdom between them.
Bocchus's North African kingdom was bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Moulouya River (). Roman historian Sallust in Bellum Jugurthinum ( The Jurguthine War) notes:
According to Sallust, by custom Bocchus had many wives and four known children: his daughter (name unknown), who married Jugurtha of Numidia; his eventual heir Sosus/Mastanesosus; and two other sons, Bogud (not to be confused with king Bogud) and Volux.
As Jugurtha continued to evade the Romans and the war dragged on, Bocchus began reconsidering the alliance and sought a consultation with an ambitious quaestor named Sulla. Mauretanian ambassadors were dispatched to Rome. The Senate was cautiously encouraging but requested a demonstration of commitment to the alliance. Bocchus again consulted Sulla and requested a meeting with Jugurtha, who walked into their trap. Bocchus turned Jugurtha over to Sulla.
By treaty, Bocchus and the Romans divided the kingdom of Numidia between them. Marius was given a Roman triumph for victory over Numidia, but Sulla always wore a gold ring that King Bocchus had made for him, which depicted Bocchus handing Jugurtha over to Sulla. This cites:
Bocchus was a reliable supplier of exotic African animals to Rome, including panthers and Barbary lion for Roman spectacles.
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