Читать книгу A Companion to the Hellenistic and Roman Near East онлайн

83 страница из 236

Aurelian, proclaimed emperor by his troops in Moesia in September of 270 ce, refused to share his power as Zenobia had proposed and endeavored to hold and then drive back the Palmyrene troops. The Palmyrenes were forced out of Egypt (May–June of 272 ce), and then suffered defeats at Tyana (southern Cappadocia) and near Antioch, and finally near Emesa, which forced Zenobia’s troops to retreat to Palmyra which fell in August of 272 ce. Zenobia tried to flee but was caught near the Euphrates and taken as a captive to Rome. An uprising in Palmyra over the following months brought a new Roman intervention and the city was pillaged. A garrison was installed, reinforced by Diocletian, and the city lost its essential role in trading with the Persian Gulf, due in particular to clauses in the peace treaty of 298 ce that established Nisibis as the center of trade.

One can overlook the expedition launched against the Persians by Carus, accompanied by his son Numerian, in the spring or early summer of 283 ce, in spite of its success (the taking of Ctesiphon in August of 283 ce), because when Carus died at Ctesiphon, the conquests were abandoned and the army withdrew. Carus had probably wanted to take advantage of the Persian dynastic difficulties, since the sons of Shapur I were fighting each other for the throne. In March of 284 ce, Numerian returned to Emesa.