Arabia
Arabia, located on the Arabian Peninsula, holds a rich historical significance that stretches back to ancient civilizations. Knowledge of this region began to flourish during the Hellenistic period, notably with the explorations supported by rulers such as Alexander the Great and Ptolemy II of Egypt. Various kingdoms, such as the Sabaeans and Himyarites, emerged as prominent players in trade, especially in valuable commodities like myrrh and frankincense. The Roman Empire recognized Arabia's strategic importance, leading to military expeditions and eventual annexation, particularly under Emperor Trajan, who established the province of Arabia with its capital at Bostra.
Throughout its history, the region has been characterized by a blend of cultural influences and trade connections, including interactions with neighboring civilizations. The Roman presence strengthened trade routes and military frontiers, reflecting Arabia's role as a crossroads of commerce and culture. Archaeological findings, such as those at El-Lejjun, underscore the significance of military and trade activities in the area. Today, Arabia's historical legacy continues to intrigue scholars and visitors alike, offering insights into its ancient civilizations and their contributions to regional history.
Subject Terms
Arabia
Knowledge of the country among the Greeks began in the time of Alexander the Great, whose admiral Hieron of Soli sailed down the Persian Gulf (324/3), while Anaxicrates proceeded down the Red Sea through the Gulf of Bab el-Mandeb to the southern coast of Arabia
In Hellenistic times the Seleucid monarchs planted settlements along the coast of the Persian Gulf between the mouths of the Euphrates-Tigris and Gerrha (in the Hofhuf oasis) in the west of the Arabian peninsula (where they arranged trade agreements). The Egyptian King Ptolemy II Philadelphus sponsored explorations of the Red Sea and punished the hostile and active Nabataeans of northwestern Arabia (Petraea) by concluding a commercial treaty with the Lihyanites of Dedan to their south and thus tapping the route which led through Medina and the Nabataean capital Petra to Syria.
In the southern region, Arabia Eudaemon (Felix)—of which a civilization of the second millennium BC has now been discovered in the interior of North Yemen—the geographer Eratosthenes (c 275–194 BC) noted a fourfold division between the kingdoms of the Minyans, Sabaeans, Qatabanians and Hadhramautites. Subsequently the Sabaeans (producers of myrrh and frankincense and cinnamon who, like another people, the Himyarites, copied the Athenian coinage from the third through the first centuries BC) gained the ascendancy over the others. The Roman emperor Augustus sent an expedition under the governor of Egypt, Aelius Gallus, to conquer the region (25–24). But, as Strabo suggests, it totally failed; the blame was placed on the duplicity of Syllaeus, chief minister of the Nabataean state, which for the previous forty years had been a client kingdom (often at odds with neighboring Judaea). Nevertheless, Roman naval supremacy in the Red Sea was secured not long afterward by the reduction of Arabia Eudaemon and the establishment of friendly relations with the southern Arabian rulers.
In Arabia Petraea Augustus' grandson Gaius Caesar conducted operations against nomads threatening the Roman frontier (AD 1). But subsequently Trajan decided that nothing less than the annexation of the Nabataean kingdom was necessary for the protection of his border defences and trade routes. This task was carried out c 106 by Aulus Cornelius Palma Frontonianus, as inscriptions confirm, and was followed c 111–12 by the constitution of the Roman province of Arabia, with its capital at Bostra (Busra Eski Sham), where a legion was stationed. Under Diocletian (289–305) the frontier was greatly strengthened, as excavations at El-Lejjun, a major garrison fortress east of the Dead Sea, confirm. At this period the province underwent enlargement, but was subsequently divided, so that while Bostra remained the capital of a diminished Arabia, the remainder of its former territory was incorporated in Syria Palaestina, and later (by about 358) became part of the separate province of Palaestina Tertia Salutaris (perhaps after a short career under the name of Arabia Secunda), consisting principally of Sinai. See alsoBostra, Nabataea, Petra.