CLAS 335 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Nomadic Pastoralism, Coastal Plain, Tetrarchy
18 Mar 2018
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(cid:318)extraordinary e orescence(cid:319) of nabataean culture in our period. Contact with rome largely con ned to providing troops when requested. New routes elsewhere a(cid:130)en(cid:2210)on turned to agriculture. Society remained tribal despite pretenses at hellenism. Inscrip(cid:2210)ons in greek a(cid:91)er (cid:400)(cid:399)6; rapid decline. Origins of nabataeans unknown: se(cid:130)led in jordan between 6th and (cid:403)th centuries bce. Control of trade routes gave them great wealth. Signi cant military capabili(cid:2210)es (cid:336)(cid:400)(cid:399),(cid:399)(cid:399)(cid:399) warriors? (cid:337): foremost among the arabian tribes. Geography/climate was their greatest defense (cid:336)they used cisterns and similar techniques to survive(cid:337) Province of syria formed by pompey in 6(cid:403) bce. Elsewhere= village life, independent pe(cid:130)y kingdoms and tetrarchies. Parni originally a nomadic tribe in northern iran. A(cid:91)er collapse of seleucid empire, gained control of southern and central. No imposi(cid:2210)on of cultural unity: dura-europus, e. g. , retains greek construc(cid:2210)on and language. Crassus" a(cid:130)ack (cid:336)(cid:404)(cid:404) bce(cid:337): wanted glory and pres(cid:2210)ge. Disaster at carrhae (cid:336)(cid:404)(cid:402) bce(cid:337) established the roman-parthian pa(cid:130)ern for over (cid:401) centuries.
