Palmyra and the Parthians

This chapter analyses the relationship between Palmyra and the Parthians in the context of political and military developments in the Near East from the first century BC to the third century AD. It uses the plentiful evidence of inscriptions from Palmyra to explain how Palmyra and its citizens continued to engage with the Parthian world despite the increasing dominance of Rome over the city and its territory up to the second half of the second century AD. The chapter also investigates the possible causes of a decline in Palmyrene caravan trade with the cities of Parthian-controlled southern Mesopotamia after AD 160. The ongoing impact of Parthian culture on Palmyrene culture is also investigated.