[1] The city was founded soon after the arrival of the Romans around 200 AD under Septimius Severus' and became part of the province of Numidia.

Its name was apparently bowdlerized by the Romans to Ad Piscīnam ("at the piscīna"), implying the presence of important waterworks.

[citation needed] The city fell to the Arab armies during the end of the 7th century.

A significant portion of the inhabitants of the area still descend from the Arab bedouin tribe of Banu Hilal,[2] others are mainly Chaoui Berbers.

The city was the seat of a bishopric in Roman times and was one of the main centers in the Donatist schism of the 4th century.