Iarbas (or Hiarbas) was a Roman mythological character, who has appeared in works by various authors including Ovid and Virgil. The character is possibly based on a historical king of Numidia.

In Roman mythology, Iarbas was the son of Jupiter Hammon (Hammon was a North African god associated by the Romans with Jupiter, and known for his oracle) and a Garamantian nymph.^[1] He became the king of Getulia. According to Virgil's Aeneid, he was a suitor for the Carthaginian queen Dido, who rejected his advances.^[2]

Variations of the story were referred to by Ovid. In Ovid's Heroides, Dido describes Iarbas as one of her suitors,^[3] to whom Aeneas would be handing her over as a captive if he should leave her.^[4] In Ovid's Fasti, Iarbas and the Numidians invade Dido's land after her suicide, resulting in his capturing her palace.^[5]

Macrobius, and Pompeius Trogus also tell versions of the myth; in Justin's epitome of Pompeius he is king of the Muxitani.

Silius Italicus, in his epic poem Punica borrows the name of Hiarbas for one of his characters.^[6] Hiarbas is the Garamantian leader of the Gaetuli, Nasamones and Macae and the father of Asbyte, one of the Carthaginian leaders in the Second Punic War.^[7] He traces his ancestry back to Jupiter.^[8] He is killed by the Saguntine hero Murrus.^[6]

Iarbas is briefly referenced in Dante's Purgatorio as owning part of the land south of Italy.^[9] Iarbas is also a character in Christopher Marlowe's play Dido, Queen of Carthage.^[10]

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