Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.
|
See also:ODAENATHUS, or ODENATUS (Gr. 'OSalvaOos, See also:Palm, ris = " little See also:ear ") , the Latinized See also:form of ODAINATH, the name of a famous See also:prince of See also:Palmyra, in the second See also:half of the 3rd See also:century A.D., who succeeded in recovering the See also:Roman See also:East from the Persians and restoring it to the See also:Empire . He belonged to the leading See also:family of Palmyra, which See also:bore, in token of Roman citizenship, the gentilicium of Septimius; hence his full name was Septimius Odainath (See also:Vogue, Syrie centrale, Nos . 23, 28= See also:Cooke, See also:North-Semitic Inscrr . Nos . 126, 13o) . It is practically certain that he was the son of Septimius IIairan the " senator and See also:chief of Tadmor," the son of Septimius Odainath " the senator " (N.S.I. p . 285) . The See also:year when he became chief of Palmyra is not known, but already in an inscription dated A.D . 258 he is styled " the illustrious See also:consul our See also:lord " (N.S.I . No . 126) . He possessed the characteristic vigour and astuteness of the old Arab stock from which he sprang; and in his wife, the renowned See also:Zenobia (q.v.), he found an able supporter of his policy .
The defeat and captivity of the See also:emperor See also:Valerian (A.D
.
260) See also:left the eastern provinces largely at the See also:mercy of the Persians; the prospect of See also:Persian supremacy was not one which Palmyra or its prince had any See also:reason to See also:desire
.
At first, it seems, Odainath attempted to propitiate the See also:Parthian monarch Shaper (Sapor) I.; but when his gifts were contemptuously rejected (Petr
.
Patricius, § 1o) he decided to throw in his See also:lot with the cause of See also:Rome
.
The See also:neutrality which had made Palmyra's See also:fortune was abandoned for an active military policy which, while it added to Odainath's fame, in a See also:short See also:time brought his native See also:city to its ruin
.
He See also:fell upon the victorious Persians returning See also:home after the See also:sack of See also:Antioch, and before they could See also:cross the See also:Euphrates inflicted upon them a considerable defeat
.
Then, when two usurping emperors were proclaimed in the East (A.D
.
261), Odainath took the See also:side of See also:Gallienus the son and successor of Valerian, attacked and put to See also:death the usurper Quietus at Emesa (Iioms), and was rewarded for his See also:loyalty by the See also: 103)2 In a See also:series of rapid and successful See also:campaigns, during which he left Palmyra under the See also:charge of Septimius Worod his See also:deputy (N.S.I . Nos . 127-129), he crossed the Euphrates and relieved See also:Edessa, recovered See also:NisIbis and Carrhae, and even took the offensive against the See also:power of See also:Persia, and twice invested See also:Ctesiphon itself, the See also:capital; probably also he brought back See also:Armenia into the Empire . These brilliant successes restored the Roman See also:rule in the East; and Gallienus did not disdain to hold a See also:triumph with the captives and trophies which Odainath had won (A.D . 264) . While observing all due formalities towards his overlord, there can be little doubt that Odainath aimed at independent empire; but during his See also:life-time no See also:breach with Rome occurred . He was about to start for See also:Cappadocia against the Goths when he was assassinated, together with Herodes his eldest son, by his See also:nephew Maconius; there is no reason to suppose that this See also:deed of violence was instigated from Rome . After his death (A.D . 266—267) Zenobia succeeded to his position, and practically governed Palmyra on behalf of her See also:young son Wahab-allath or See also:Athenodorus (see PALMYRA) . (G . A . |
|
|
[back] OCYDROME |
[next] ODALISQUE |
There are no comments yet for this article.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.
Links to articles and home page are encouraged.