Septimius Odaenathus, or Odenatus (Greek: Οδαίναθος (Hodainathos), (Arabic: أذينة = little ear Othayna), the Latinized form of Odainath, was a ruler of the Arab kingdom of Palmyra, Syria and later of the short lived Palmyrene Empire, in the second half of the third century, who succeeded in recovering the Roman East from the Persians and restoring it to the Empire. Arabic redirects here. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Early morning panorama of Palmyra. ... Aurelian, personification of Sol, defeats the Palmyrene Empire, and celebrates ORIENS AVG, the Augustus Rising Sun. ... (2nd century - 3rd century - 4th century - other centuries) Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. ... Persia redirects here. ...

His full name was Septimius Odainath.^[1] His gentilicium Septimius shows that his family received the Roman citizenship under an emperor of the Severan dynasty, and thus it was the leading family in Palmyra since the 190s. He was the son of Septimius Herod (Hairān), the "senator and chief of Tadmor", the son of Vaballathus (Wahballath), the son of Nasor.^[2] The toga was the characteristic garment of the Roman citizen. ... The Severan dynasty is a lineage of Roman Emperors, reigning several decades from the late 2nd century to the early 3rd century. ... Centuries: 1st century - 2nd century - 3rd century Decades: 140s - 150s - 160s - 170s - 180s - 190s - 200s - 210s - 220s - 230s - 240s 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 // Events and trends Commodus is assassinated on the last day of 192, leading to a period of civil war, which ends... Early morning panorama of Palmyra. ...

The year when Septimius Odaenathus became chief of Palmyra is not known, but already in an inscription dated 258 he is styled "the illustrious consul our lord" (N.S.I. No. 126). In his wife, the renowned Zenobia, he found an able supporter of his policy. This article is about the Queen of the Palmyrene Empire who conquered Egypt. ...

The defeat and captivity of the emperor Valerian in 260 left the eastern provinces largely at the mercy of the Persians; the prospect of Persian supremacy was not one which Palmyra or its ruler had any reason to desire. At first, it seems, Odaenathus attempted to propitiate the Persian monarch Shapur I; but when his gifts were contemptuously rejected (Petr. Patricius, 10) he decided to throw in his lot with the cause of Rome. The neutrality which had made Palmyra's fortune was abandoned for an active military policy which, while it added to Odaenathus's fame, in a short time brought his native city to its ruin. He fell upon the victorious Persians returning home after the sack of Antioch, and before they could cross the Euphrates inflicted upon them a considerable defeat. Publius Licinius Valerianus[1] (c. ... Events Valerian I captured by the Persian king Shapur I; Gallienus becomes sole Roman emperor. ... A coin of Shapur I. Shapur I, son of Ardashir I (226–241), was King of Persia from 241 to 272. ...

Then, when two usurping emperors were proclaimed in the East (261), Odaenathus took the side of Gallienus the son and successor of Valerian, attacked and put to death the usurper Quietus at Emesa (modern Homs) and was rewarded for his loyalty by the grant of an exceptional position (262). He may have assumed the title of king before; but he now became totius Orientis imperator, not indeed joint-ruler, nor Augustus, but independent lieutenant of the emperor for the East (Mommsen, Provinces, ii. p. 103). Gallienus depicted on a lead seal Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (218-268) ruled the Roman Empire as co-emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and then as the sole Roman Emperor from 260 to 268. ... Quietus coin celebrating Eternal Rome. ... Homs (Arabic: , transliteration: ) is a western city in Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. ... Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (30 November 1817 - 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar and historian, generally regarded as the greatest classicist of the 19th century. ...

In a series of rapid and successful campaigns, during which he left Palmyra under the charge of Septimius Worod his deputy (N.S.I. Nos. 127-129), he crossed the Euphrates and relieved Edessa, recovered Nisibis and Carrhae (modern Harran). He even took the offensive against the power of Persia, and twice invested the Persian capital Ctesiphon itself; probably also he brought back Armenia into the Empire. These successes restored the Roman rule in the East; and Gallienus did not disdain to hold a triumph with the captives and trophies which Odaenathus had won (264). Septimius celebrated his victories in the East sharing with his eldest son Hairan (Herodes)^[3] the eastern title "king of kings". For the song River Euphrates by the Pixies, see Surfer Rosa. ... The heritage of Roman Edessa survives today in these columns at the site of Urfa Castle, dominating the skyline of the modern city of Şanlı Urfa. ... The newly excavated Church of Saint Jacob in Nisibis. ... Harran, also known as Carrhae, is a district of Şanlıurfa Province in the southeast of Turkey, near the border with Syria, 24 miles (44 kilometres) southeast of the city of Şanlıurfa, at the end of a long straight road across the roasting hot plain of Harran. ... Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian and Pahlavi: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun, Persian: ‎, also known as in Arabic Madain, Maden or Al-Madain: المدائن) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years...

While observing all due formalities towards his overlord, there can be little doubt that Odaenathus aimed at forging an independent empire; but during his lifetime no breach with Rome occurred. He was about to start for Cappadocia against the Goths when he was assassinated, together with Hairan, by his nephew Maeonius. There is no reason to suppose that this deed of violence was instigated from Rome. For other uses, see Cappadocia (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Germanic tribes. ...

According to Historia Augusta, Maeonius killed Odaenathus and his son Hairan during a celebration, because of a conspiracy organized by Zenobia, wife of Odaenathus, who wanted her sons to succeed her husband instead of Hairan (who was the son of Odaenathus by another woman). According to Gibbon, the murder was revenge for a short confinement imposed by Odaenathus to Maeonius for being unrespectful. After his death (266-267), Zenobia succeeded to his position, and practically governed Palmyra on behalf of her young son Vaballathus. This article is about the Queen of the Palmyrene Empire who conquered Egypt. ... Lucius Iulius Aurelius Septimius Vaballathus Athenodorus was prince of the Palmyrene Empire. ...

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References:

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• Long, Jacqueline, "Vaballathus and Zenobia", De Imperatoribus Romanis site.