UNION ACADÉMIQUE INTERNATIONALE (UAI) INTERNATIONAL UNION OF ACADEMIES (IUA) Project 69: China and the Mediterranean World ¥]-^µ BYZANTINE SOURCES ON EASTERN LANDS AND PEOPLES ¥]-^µ Compiled by Samuel N.C. Lieu President UAI –IUA (2017-2021) Bye-Fellow of Robinson College Cambridge ¥]-^µ Online version as at 28.8.2020 CAMBRIDGE ¥]-^µ ANCIENT INDIA AND IRAN TRUST ZOSIMUS On the Empire of Palmyra Samuel N.C. Lieu ¥]-^µ SELECTIONS FROM THE HISTORIA NOVA The so-called ‘New History’ (Historia Nova) of Zosimus Comes et Exadvocatus Fisci is second only in importance as a narrative source on the History of the Later Roman Empire to the ‘History’ (Res Gestae) of Ammianus Marcellinus. Like Ammianus, Zosimus was a pagan and the value of his work is particularly felt in the periods covered by the lost first thirteen books of Ammianus (96-353 CE). Zosimus narrative also goes down to 410 CE, thus giving a fuller account of the Invasions than does the Res Gestae of Ammianus which finished with the events of 378 CE. For the period from 270-404 CE, Zosimus made extensive use of the now lost historical work of the pagan historian Eunapius of Sardis and he might even have had access to the now lost books of Ammianus except we have no idea when those books cease to be circulated. Zosimus is the only early Byzantine historian to have given a full account of the rise of the Empire Palmyra under Odaenathus and its fall under the redoubtable Zenobia. For UAI Project 69: China and the Mediterranean World, the importance of the history of Palmyra as a trading centre is of utmost importance as the only silk textile of certain Chinese manufacture and embroidered with legible Chinese writing was found in one of the tower tombs of the city. Zosimus has left us the only detailed account of the unexpected rise of the city to a small but transitory mini-Empire in the Roman Near East. No less important is Zosimus’ account, albeit more disjointed, of the invasion of the Roman Empire by the Huns, probably the later West Iranian descendants of the Chinese Xiongnu. ¥]-^µ SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY Edition: L. Mendelssohn, Zosimi comitis et exadocati fisci Historia Nova (Leipzig, 1887). Edition with translation: F. Paschoud, Zosime, Histoire Nouvelle, 6 vols. (Paris, 1971-1989) Translations: J.J. Buchanan and H.T. Davis, Zosimus: Historia Nova (San Antonio, 1967) S. Rebenich, Zosimos. Neue Geschichte (Stuttgart 1990) R.T. Ridley, Zosimus, New History, Byzantina Australiensia 2 (Canberra, 1982) On Palmyra as a trading centre: Seland, E.H., Ships of the Desert and Ships of the Sea: Palmyra in the World Trade of the First Three Centuries CE, Philippika 101 (Harrasowitz 2016). On the Palmyrene Empire: U. Hartmann, Das pamyrenische Teilreich, Oriens et Occidens 2 (Stuttgart, 2001). 2 Byzantine Sources on Eastern Lands and Peoples SELECTIONS FROM ZOSIMUS Historia Nova ed. L. Mendelssohn (Leipzig, 1887) ¥]-^µ The rise and fall of Palmyra Extracts from I,39-61 39 Tῶν δὲ Σκυθῶν τὴν Ἑλλάδα κάκιστα 39 The Scythians had laid waste to Greece διαθέντων καὶ τὰς Ἀθήνας αὐτὰς and had even taken Athens by siege, when ἐκπολιορκησάντων, Γαλλιηνὸς μὲν ἐπὶ Gallienus advanced against those who were τὴν πρὸς τούτους μετῄει μάχην ἤδη τὴν already in possession of Thrace, and ordered Θρᾴκην καταλαβόντας, τοῖς δὲ περὶ τὴν Odaenathus of Palmyra, a person whose ἑῴαν πράγμασιν οὖσιν ἐν ἀπογνώσει ancestors had always been highly respected βοηθεῖν Ὀδαίναθον ἔταξεν, ἄνδρα by the emperors, to assist in the east which Παλμυρηνὸν καὶ ἐκ προγόνων τῆς παρὰ was then in a very desperate condition. τῶν βασιλέων ἀξιωθέντα τιμῆς: ὃ δὲ τοῖς Accordingly, having joined to the remnants αὐτόθι λελειμμένοις στρατοπέδοις δύνα- of the legions in the east the maximum μιν ἀναμίξας ὅτι πλείστην οἰκείαν ἐπεξῄει number of his own troops, he attacked τῷ Σαπώρῃ κατὰ τὸ καρτερόν, καὶ τάς τε Shapur with great vigour; and having taken πόλεις ἀνεκτᾶτο τὰς ἤδη παρὰ Περσῶν several cities belonging to the Persians, he ἐχομένας, καὶ Νίσιβιν εἰλημμένην μὲν ὑπὸ also retook Nisibis, which Shapur had Σαπώρου τὰ Περσῶν δὲ φρονοῦσαν ἑλὼν formerly taken and favoured the Persian ἐξ ἐφόδου κατέσκαψεν. 2. Ἐπεξελθὼν δὲ course, by a first assault and ravaged it. μέχρι Kτησιφῶντος αὐτοῖς οὐχ ἅπαξ 2. Then advancing not once merely, but a ἀλλὰ καὶ δεύτερον, Πέρσας μὲν τοῖς second time, as far as Ctesiphon, he shut the οἰκείοις ἐναπέκλεισεν, ἀγαπῶντας εἰ Persians up in their fortifications, and παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ ἑαυτοὺς rendered them content to save their wives, περισώσαιεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἤδη their children and themselves, while he πεπορθημένην χώραν, ὡς οἷός τε ἦν, εὖ restored order as best as he could to the διετίθει: ἐπεὶ δὲ διατρίβων κατὰ τὴν pillaged territory. Shortly afterwards (i.e. his Ἕμισαν καί τινα γενέθλιον ἄγων ἑορτὴν victory over Shapur), whilst residing at ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς ἀνῃρέθη, τῶν ἐκεῖσε Emesa, he (i.e. Odaenathus) was killed in a πραγμάτων ἀντιλαμβάνεται Zηνοβία, conspiracy as he was celebrating the birth- συνοικοῦσα μὲν Ὀδαινάθῳ, φρονήματι day of a friend. Zenobia then took over the δὲ ἀνδρείῳ χρωμένη καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐκείνῳ reins of government. She was the wife of συνόντων τὴν ἴσην εἰσφέρουσα τοῖς Odaenathus, but had the courage of a man, πράγμασιν ἐπιμέλειαν. and with the assistance of her husband's friends, governed with the same circum- * * * spection. 44 Tῶν Σκυθῶν τοίνυν, ὡς διεξῆλθον, 44 The Scythians, as I have already ἐσκεδασμένων καὶ τὸ πολὺ μέρος ἀπο- recounted, were thus dispersed, with the loss βαλόντων, μειζόνων ἐφιεμένη ἡ Zηνοβία of a great part of their troops. Zenobia now Byzantine Sources on Eastern Lands and Peoples 3 πραγμάτων Zάβδαν ἐπὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον began to conceive of more ambitious projects ἐκπέμπει, Tιμαγένους ἀνδρὸς Αἰγυπτίου and sent Zabdas into Egypt, because τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς Αἰγύπτου Παλμυρηνοῖς Timagenes an Egyptian, attempted to place καταπραττομένου. συναχθέντος δὲ τοῦ Egypt under the government of the στρατεύματος ἐκ Παλμυρηνῶν καὶ Palmyrenes. He had for this purpose raised Σύρων καὶ βαρβάρων ἐς ἑπτὰ μυριάδας, an army of Palmyrenes, Syrians and καὶ Αἰγυπτίων δὲ πέντε μυριάσιν ἀντι- barbarians, to the number of seventy παραταξαμένων, μάχης καρτερᾶς γενο- thousand, which was opposed by fifty μένης περιῆσαν οἰ Παλμυρηνοὶ παρὰ thousand Egyptians. A sharp engagement πολὺ τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ φρουρὰν ἐγκατα- ensued between them, in which the στήσαντες πεντακισχιλίων ἀνδρῶν Palmyrenes had the greater advantage. He ἀνεχώρησαν. 2. Πρόβος δὲ καθῆραι τῶν then departed, leaving them a garrison of five καταποντιστῶν τὴν θάλατταν ἐκ βασι- thousand men. 2. Probus, who had been λέως ταχθείς, ἐπειδὴ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἔγνω appointed by the emperor to clear the sea of παρὰ Παλμυρηνῶν ἐχομένην, ἅμα τῇ σὺν pirates, when hearing of the subjugation of αὐτῷ δυνάμει καὶ Αἰγυπτίων ὅσοι μὴ τὰ Egypt by the Palmyrenes, marched against Παλμυρηνῶν φρονοῦντες ἔτυχον them with his own forces, and with as many ἐπιθέμενος τὴν μὲν φρουρὰν ἐξέβαλεν. of the Egyptians as were opposed to the αὖθις δὲ Παλμυρηνῶν ἐπιστρατευ- Palmyrenes, and drove out their garrison. The σάντων, συναγαγόντος δὲ καὶ Πρόβου Palmyrenes rallied with fresh forces but στρατόπεδον Αἰγυπτίων τε καὶ Λιβύων, Probus, who also levied a body of Egyptians ὑπέρτεροι μὲν ἦσαν Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ τῶν and Africans, gained another victory, and ὁρίων τῆς Αἰγύπτου Παλμυρηνοὺς drove the Palmyrenes out of Egypt. When ἤλαυνον, Πρόβου δὲ τὸ πρὸς τῇ Probus was encamped on a mountain near Bαβυλῶνι καταλαβόντος ὅρος καὶ ταύτῃ Babylon, thereby cutting off the passage of τὴν ἐπὶ Συρίαν τῶν πολεμίων πάροδον the enemy into Syria, Timagenes, who was ἀποκλείοντος, Tιμαγένης ἅτε δὴ ἴδρις well acquainted with the country, gained the τῶν τόπων, ἅμα δισχιλίοις Παλμυρηνῶν summit of the mountain with two thousand τὴν ἄκραν τοῦ ὅρους κατασχών, ἀδοκή- men and attacked the Egyptians by surprise. τοις ἐπιστὰς τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις διέφθειρεν. Probus was among those taken prisoner but ἐν οἷς καὶ ὁ Πρόβος ἁλοὺς ἑαυτὸν he killed himself. 45 Egypt was now in the ἀποσφάττει. 45 1. Tῆς Αἰγύπτου τοίνυν hands of the Palmyrenes … ὑπὸ Παλμυρηνοῖς γενομένης, … 50 Διῳκημένων δὲ ω|δε τῶν περὶ τὴν 59 After the problems in Italy and Pannonia Ἰταλίαν καὶ Παιονίαν, ὁ βασιλεὺς had been solved, the emperor (i.e. Aurelian) στρατείαν ἐπὶ Παλμυρηνοὺς ἄγειν prepared to march against the Palmyrenes, διενοεῖτο, κρατοῦντας ἤδη τῶν τε who had already become master of all Egypt Αἰγυπτιακῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ τῆς ἑῴας ἁπάσης and the East, as far as Ancyra in Galatia, and καὶ μέχρις Ἀγκύρας τῆς Γαλατίας, would have acquired Bithynia even as far as ἐθελήσαντας δὲ καὶ Bιθυνίας μέχρι Chalcedon, if the Bithynians had not learned Χαλκηδόνος ἀντιλαβέσθαι, εἰ μὴ that Aurelian had been made emperor, and so βεβασιλευκέναι γνόντες Αὐρηλιανὸν τὴν shook off the Palmyrene yoke. 2. Ancyra Παλμυρηνῶν ἀπεσείσαντο προστασίαν. submitted to the Romans as soon as the 2.Ἐλάσαντος τοίνυν ἅμα στρατῷ τοῦ emperor arrived there, and afterwards Tyana, βασιλέως, Ἀγκύρα τε προσετίθετο τῇ and all the cities betwen that and Antioch. Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ καὶ Tύανα μετὰ ταύτην There finding Zenobia with a large army καὶ ἑξῆς ἅπασαι μέχρις Ἀντιοχείας, ἐν ᾗ ready to engage, as he himself also was, he Zηνοβίαν εὑρὼν ἅμα στρατῷ πολλῷ marched into battle as honour obliged him. παρεσκευασμένην εἰκότως ἐς μάχην 3. But observing that the Palmyrene cavalry 4 Byzantine Sources on Eastern Lands and Peoples ἀπήντα καὶ αὐτὸς εὐτρεπής. 3. Ὁρῶν δὲ placed great confidence in their armour, τοὺς Παλμυρηνῶν ἰππέας ὁπλίσει βαρείᾳ which was very strong and heavy, and that καὶ ἀσφαλεῖ τεθαρρηκότας καὶ ἅμα they were very much better horsemen than πείρᾳ τῇ περὶ τὴν ἰππασίαν πολὺ τῶν his soldiers, he placed his infantry by σφετέρων προέχοντας, τοὺς μὲν πεζοὺς themselves somewhere on the other side the πέραν που τοῦ Ὀρόντου ποταμοῦ διεχώ- Orontes.