Palmyrene Empire

The Palmyrene Empire broke away from Rome under Queen Zenobia between 270-273 CE, although it had led a De Facto existence since 263 CE. It occurred during the Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 CE), when the Roman Empire was breaking apart.
At its peak, it ruled over the Roman Provinces of Syria, Eastern Turkey, the Levant, Egypt and Mesopotamia. It successfully attacked and prevented the Persian Empire from invading from the East.

Rise of Odaenathus (240-260 CE)
- In the 240’s CE He became Ras, meaning Lord, of Palmyra.
- By 258 CE, he was made Provincial Governor of Palmyra (Consularis), with command over the armies.
- This led to the Creation of a De Facto Palmyrene Empire.

Buffer State to Persia (260-273 CE)
- In 260 CE, the Emperor Valerian and his army were defeated by the Persians, but Odaenathus inflicted a defeat on the Persian Army that stopped their army invading Syria.
- Odaenathus then supported Valerian‘s son Gallienus. When Gallienus was challenged by usurpers, Odeanthus successfully defeated them.
- In 262 CE, Odeanathus pre-empted another Persian invasion by invading Persia and reached Ctesiphon. When he withdrew, he had reclaimed Carrhae and Nisibis and all the lands lost since the Persian Invasions of 252 CE.
- In 263 CE, Odeanathus then crowned himself ‘King of Kings’ and made his son, Hairan I, co-King, probably to challenge the claims of Shapur I.
- Despite ruling completely independently of Rome, he acknowledged the Roman Emperor as his overlord.

De Facto Palmyrene Empire
- By 263 CE, Odeanathus held suzerainty over Levant, Mesopotamia and the Roman Provinces in eastern Turkey, as well as Egypt and Syria.
- In 266 CE, Odeanathus invaded Persia a second time, but had to withdraw in 267 CE to fight a Germanic invasion of Bithynia.
- During this campaign in Bithynia, both he and his son, Hairan I, were assassinated by persons unknown.

After Odaenathus‘ death in 267 CE, his son and heir, Vaballathus, became King but was too young to rule.
Odaenathus‘ wife, Queen Zenobia, became Regent, and declared independence from Rome, creating the Palmyrene Empire.
Queen Zenobia of Palmyrene became the de facto Ruler.
She was known as ‘the Warrior Queen’ and claimed to be descended from Queen Dido, Queen of Carthage, and from Queen Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt.

The rise of the Palmyrene Empire, ended any hopes Parthia may have had of retaking the Eastern Mediterranean.
During 270-271 CE Queen Zenobia conquered Egypt, Syria, Syria Palaestina and Asia Minor as far as Ankara.
Queen Zenobia ruled the Empire from her official Capital at Palmyra, and but also from Antioch, in Syria.

In 272 CE Aurelian defeated Queen Zenobia at the Battle of Immae and again at the Battle of Emesa (Homs).
In 273 CE He finally besieged Palmyra, which surrendered and Queen Zenobia was captured and taken to Rome in golden chains and held under house arrest in a villa at Tivoli, near Rome.
Palmyra later rebelled again, and this time Aurelian sacked the city. The Ruins of Palmyra can be visited today.

Palmyra, Syria