The Palmyrene Empire was a breakaway state in the Roman East, centred on the desert city of Palmyra in Syria and ruled by Queen Zenobia for her son. It lasted from about AD 270 to 273, until the emperor Aurelian defeated it.
Key takeaways
- The Palmyrene Empire is dated to about AD 270 to 273, with the kingdom behind it going back to about AD 260.
- Queen Zenobia ruled as regent for her young son Vaballathus, after the murder of her husband Odaenathus in AD 267.
- At its largest it held Syria, Egypt and much of Asia Minor, but our map draws these lands as part of the Roman Empire.
- Historians disagree on whether it wanted independence or the Roman throne itself.
How the Palmyrene Empire works
The Palmyrene Empire is the modern name for a state that broke away from Roman control in the east during the crisis of the third century. It was centred on Palmyra, a wealthy desert trading city in what is now Syria. The state is dated to about AD 270 to 273, and the kingdom that grew into it to about 260 [1].
Palmyra's leader Odaenathus had been given the title "Governor of the East" and was a powerful ally of Rome against Persia. He and his son were murdered in AD 267 [1]. His widow Zenobia then ruled as regent for their young son Vaballathus [1]. Under her the state expanded to take in Syria, Arabia Petraea, Egypt and large parts of Asia Minor [1].
Why it happened is still argued. Some historians see the Palmyrenes as contenders for the Roman throne, others as seeking both independence and the throne, and one scholar thinks the evidence cannot yet decide. The imperial rank was claimed only in the final year [1]. So it is an open question whether this was a separate country at all.
It ended when the emperor Aurelian marched east. He besieged Palmyra in the summer of AD 272 and captured Zenobia. After a rebellion in AD 273 he destroyed the city [1]. With the remains of the Gallic Empire defeated in AD 274, the empire was reunited [2]. The sources disagree on some dates, so the years here are approximate.
An example from our data
The map does not draw the Palmyrene Empire. It treats the whole region as Roman. You can see the lands it took in the data, though. Syria, with its capital Antiochia, was annexed in 64 BC and covers 87,517 km² on the map. Aegyptus, annexed in 30 BC, covers 494,488 km² with its capital at Alexandria. Both are inside the AD 211 outline, which is a few decades before the revolt. The province outlines are those of AD 200, not of the breakaway state.
Today's Syria was up to 82% inside the empire, with 264 Roman places in the Pleiades gazetteer. Palmyra's own ruins are in that country.
The thing people get wrong
Zenobia is often described as the queen of an independent country that fought Rome. The picture is more mixed. Roman rule in the east had been shaped by Palmyra's help against Persia, and the sources do not agree on whether the revolt aimed at independence or at the Roman throne [1]. The state also lasted only a few years. A second mistake is to confuse it with the Gallic Empire in the west. They were separate and far apart, but both were ended by the same emperor.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Zenobia?
The queen of Palmyra who ruled as regent for her son Vaballathus. She was captured by the emperor Aurelian in AD 272.
Does the map show the Palmyrene Empire?
No. The map has one outline for the Roman Empire and no layer for breakaway states. Syria and Egypt are drawn as Roman.
How much of modern Syria was in the Roman Empire?
Up to 82% of it, at the largest extent on our map.
Sources
- Palmyrene Empire, Wikipedia.
- Crisis of the Third Century, Wikipedia.
- Every figure from our own map is worked out from the datasets on the data sources page (checked against Ancient World Mapping Center outlines and Pleiades).