Vabalathus

Much has already been written about the "revolt" of Palmyra, so I won't go to great lengths here to give the full history. What follows is just a brief overview to learn a little about the times, the region, and the sequence of events, to better put the coins into context.

Tadmor, called by the Greeks and the Romans "Palmyra", was a city on the lucrative Oriental "silk road" trade route halfway between Emessa and the Euphrates River. As such it amassed great wealth, and it's most powerful citizens were those traders, or the leaders of the men who protected the caravans. In the mid-3rd century the most powerful of these was Odenathus.

Septimius Odenathus (whose name means "Little Ear" in Arabic) seems to have risen to fame rather suddenly. Though his family is named in detail on some of his monuments, they don't seem appear on other prior records. His family must have gained citizenship during the reign of Septimius Severus or his sons, as evidenced by his name. Exactly how he came to power isn't known, but perhaps he was fortunate enough to have amassed wealth at a faster rate than others, whether through landowning or caravan protection. He became a great general, being entrusted by Valerian and Gallienus with control of Syria, a buffer zone between Rome and their perpetual enemy Persia, now under control of the new Sasanian rulers.

After the capture of Valerian, Odenathus attacked the Sasanians in force, and had great victories. While on campaign in Asia Minor in 267 he and his oldest son (by his first wife) were murdered, leaving his young son under the regency of his mother, Zenobia.

Zenobia (Bat Zabbai in Arabic, which perhaps means "daughter of the one with beautiful long hair") was younger than Odenathus, and apparently much more ambitious. While Odenathus seems to have been content to fight on behalf of Rome, she invaded and ended up controlling much of the eastern Roman Empire. With the capture of Valerian had come a power vacuum in the East, as his son Gallienus had his hands more than full with ursurpers and invaders in the western part of the empire. With the death of Odenathus the power in the east theoretically fell on his son Vabalathus, but in reality the real power was his mother and regent Zenobia.

Vabalathus is the Latinized form of his Arabic name, Wahballath, "the gift of Allat." Allat was an important Arabic goddess, sometimes equated with Athena. His Greek name Athenodoris reflects this. His name appears on coins variously as Vabalathus, Vhabalathus, or Vaballathus. His mother's rule was in his name, and if she were cautious the rule could have lasted. Unfortunately this seems to have been one of the few virtues she lacked.

Within 3 years of the death of Odenathus, Zenobia had invaded Egypt. She eventually carved out a large portion of the empire for herself and her son, which may be a reflection of the Gallic Secessionist Empire which Postumus had been ruling. Neither Gallienus nor his successor, Claudius Gothicus, were in a position to contest this. When the new Emperor Aurelian came to power, he lost little time beginning his march to Syria.

During this period, coins were minted in Syria and Egypt, with Aurelian identified as the emperor and wearing the radiate crown signifying both the denomination and the ruler. In a break from convention, Vabalathus is featured on the reverse wearing a laurel wreath and showing the abbreviation of the titles he had assumed, VCRIMDR. The exact meaning of these initials is debated, but the most logical arrangement would be Vir Clarissimus Rex Imperator Dux Romanorum (Most illustrious (senatorial rank), king, leader of the army, duke under Rome). This clearly demonstrates him putting himself in the lower position of client king and acknowledges the rule of the emperor, but the invasions and seizure of the eastern portion of the empire was not something Aurelian would overlook. When war broke out in earnest, coins identifying Vabalathus as the emperor and Zenobia as Augusta were minted, though these are much more rare.

Though the armies of Zenobia were initially successful, they could not stand against the full might of the Roman war machine, or the strategic mind of Aurelian. Eventually both Syria and Egypt had been recaptured, and Zenobia (and probably Vabalathus) were both taken into custody and marched in Aurelian's triuphal parade in Rome.

Dictionary| of Roman| Coins|

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VABALATHVS or VHABALATHVS (Latin coins), VABALLATHVS (Greek coins). Vabalathus, son of Odenathus and Zenobia, called by Vopiacus Balbatus, governed Palmyra with his mother after the murder of his father AD 267. He probably perished in the war with Aurelian in AD 272.

The coins of Vabalathus are of two classes; those with his name and head without the titles of |Caesar| or |Augustus|, and on the reverse the name and head of Aurelian; and those with his name and head and the titles of |Caesar| and |Augustus|, and on the reverses various types. They were struck at Antioch with Latin inscriptions, and at Alexandria with Greek. As they offer some difficulty in their interpretation, it is advisable to give both series:

I. ROMAN COINS

A. Without title of |Augustus|.

1. Obv. VABALATHVS VCRIMDR, laureate |bust| of Vabalathus to right. Rev. IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate |bust| of Aurelian to right; below, one of following letters: A, B G, E, ς, Z, or H; billon.

B. With title of |Augustus|.

2. Obv. IM C VHABALATHVS AVG, radiate |bust| of Vabalathus to right. Rev. IOVI STATORI, Jupiter holding globe and leaning on spear; before him a star, at his feet an eagle; billon.

3. Rev. VENVS AVG, Venus standing left holding helmet and spear, and leaning on a |shield|; billon.

4. Rev. VICTORIA AVG, Victory walking left holding a crown and palm; in the field a star.

Other reverses:
AEQVITAS AVG
AETERNITAS AVG
VIRTVS AVG

II. GREEK COINS

A. Without title of |Augustus|.

5. Obv. IAC OTABALLAQOC AQHN T ACP, laureate and diademed |bust| of Vabalathus to right; no date. Rev. A K L DOM ATPHLIANOC SEB, laureate |bust| of Aurelian to right; date LA (year 1).

6. Obv. IAC OTABALLAQOC AQHN T ACPW, as number 5; date LD (year 4). Rev. as number 5; date LA (year 1).

7. Obv. As number 5; date LE (year 5). Rev. as number 5; date LB (year 2).

8. Obv. IAC OTABALLAQOC AQHNO T ATT SPW, as number 5; dates LD (year 4) or LE (year 5). Rev. ATT K L D ATPHLIANOC CEB, as number 5; dates LA (year 1) or LB (Year 2).

9. Obv. ATPHLIANOC AQHNODWPOC, busts of Aurelian and Athenodorus facing each other, the former laureated, the latter laureate and diademed. Rev. LA (year1). LD (year 4), within a laurel wreath.

B. With the title of |Augustus|.

10. Obv. ATT K OTABALLAQOC AQHNO SEB, laureate |bust| of Vabalathus to right. Rev. LE (year 5), Providence standing left raising right hand and holding a double cornucopia.

11. Obv. Same legend and type. Rev. LE (year 5), radiate bust of the Sun to right.

From these coins it seems clear that in the fourth year of Vabalathus and the first of Aurelian, AD 269-270 (Numbers 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), Aurelian recognized the government of Vabalathus, and in the following year (AD 271) associated him as |Augustus| (numbers 2 and 3), but very soon after Vabalathus and his mother, Zenobia, revolted and struck independent coins, both at Antioch and Alexandria (numbers 4, 10, 11).

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