03-10-2011, 04:42 PM
Quote:PALMYRENE EMPIRE - Really not sure here other than cataphract cavalry types. Would such an army be Roman legionary themed with Syrian bloodstock, and perhaps some eastern style armors? Or perhaps defector legions, maybe Legio XII and others?
We briefly discussed this a while back:
The Army of Palmyra
It would seem that, if III Gallica are representative of other legions, the Roman army in the east remained loyal to Rome after the death of Odenathus. There could well have been defections, but as far as I know there's no evidence for this.
Palmyrene cavalry was very heavily armoured, so cataphracts would be a good guess. Otherwise, Zosimus gives Zenobia 'Syrians... Saracens and Armenians' - apparently light cavalry. Palmyra was a great trading centre, and probably made good use of mercenaries - the shifting allegiance of the Saracens and Armenians might reflect this.
Aurelian's army of the period was similarly polyglot: 'Mauritanian horse... Tyaneans... Mesopotamians... Syrians... Phoenicians, and... Palestinians' besides the Praetorians and legionary troops drawn from the Danube. (all quotes Zosimus , Historia Nova, Book I)
- Nathan
Nathan Ross
