Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

168 5 Arabia between the great powers
reign of ˇ Sāpūr I (240–72). This meant that he controlled the Arabs living
within the Sasanian Empire. Imruulqais’ political activities, however,
are discussed without agreement among scholars. In particular the statements
made in the grave inscription of this Arab ruler do not correspond
with Tabarī’s account. The former was discovered by the French scholars
R. Dussaud and F. Macler in 1901 when they found an inscription in the rubble
of a completely destroyed mausoleum southeast of an-Namarā (modern
Jordan), carved into a large basalt block. Originally the block had served as
a door-lintel of the entrance to the grave. It is the oldest Arabic inscription
that has been found so far and also the only one that was incised in the
Nabataean alphabet. Since its first publication in 1902 it has received much
attention from both epigraphists and historians. 89
According to the inscription the Arab ruler Imruulqais died on the
seventh day of the month Keslül in the year 223 (= 328). The dating formula
uses the era of Bostra, an Arabic centre in the north-western part of the
Arabian Peninsula. 90 Imruulqais’ name, descent and title are given. The
Arab ruler had the right to call himself ‘king of all Arabs’. 91 With regard to
the Roman–Sasanian relations it is noteworthy that Imruulqais appears as
a Roman client king and that he took measures to make this relationship
with Rome last beyond his death. 92 On first sight the alliance between
Rome and Imruulqais seems to contradict the role accredited to him by
Tabarī, namely that of Sasanian governor. It would appear, however, that
he changed sides at some point, probably during the reign of the Sasanian
king Bahrām III (293), so that his sphere of influence shifted to the West.
Henceforth he was a Roman client king and in this role allowed to call
himself ‘king of all Arabs’, as we learn from his grave inscription. We can
only speculate about his motives for the ‘change of front’. According to
Tabarī Imruulqais was a declared Christian but this can hardly have been
the main reason. It is more likely that his decision was motivated by the
unstable situation that arose after the death of Bahrām III. Given that he
had been the king’s supporter and could expect the new Persian ruler Narsē
to be hostile he must have decided to escape. 93
89 For the text and a German translation see Altheim and Stiehl 1965: 312–32; for a more recent – but
problematic – English translation and interpretation see Bellamy 1985: 31–51.
90 After the Nabataean empire had been integrated into the Roman Empire in 105/6 Bostra became the
capital of the newly created Roman province of Arabia; at this point the era of Bostra was established.
91 Funke 1996: 231 has pointed out that this is the first instance where the legitimacy of rule stems from
a pan-Arabian ideology.
92 Altheim and Stiehl 1965: 316–17; according to Bellamy 1985: 34–5 and 46 Rome assigned special titles
to the Arab vice kings appointed by Imruulqais and thereby turned them into rulers by Roman
authority. As phylarchs they were supposed to protect Roman interests in this region.
93 Thus Altheim and Stiehl 1965: 320.