Between Empires: Arabs, Romans, and Sasanians in Late Antiquity (Oxford Classical Monographs)

In Between Empires Greg Fisher tackles the problem of pre-Islamic Arab identity by examining the relationship between the Roman Empire and the Empire of Sasanian Iran, and a selection of their Arab allies and neighbours, the Jafnids, Nasrids, and Hujrids. Fisher focuses on the last century before the emergence of Islam and stresses the importance of a Near East dominated by Rome and Iran for the formation of early concepts of Arab identity. In particular, he examines cultural and religious integration, political activities, and the role played by Arabic as factors in this process. He concludes that interface with the Roman Empire, in particular, played a key role in helping to lay the foundation for later concepts of Arab identity, and that the world of Late Antiquity is, as a result, of enduring interest in our understanding of what we now call the Middle East. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 14 Abbreviations......Page 16 Note......Page 18 List of Maps......Page 19 Arabs and antiquity......Page 20 Jafnid or Ghassān: Arab elites......Page 22 Rationale and background......Page 26 Sources and methodological approach......Page 33 Geography......Page 45 Rome and the Sasanians......Page 48 Introduction......Page 53 Part One: Processes, consequences, and subtexts of Christianisation......Page 54 Part Two: The Jafnids and Nasrids between the Romans and Sasanians......Page 68 Conclusion......Page 90 Introduction......Page 91 Arabs and empires......Page 92 Arabs, the west, and the east......Page 99 The Hujrids and the Nasrids in Arabia and Mesopotamia......Page 103 The Jafnids and Ghassān......Page 114 Damascus and Haurān......Page 118 Settlement and sedentarisation?......Page 127 Clients and allies......Page 135 Conclusion: Between state and tribe......Page 143 Introduction......Page 147 Language, communal membership, and identity: the problem......Page 148 Old Arabic and ethnic identity......Page 154 The Nabataean kingdom and Nemāra......Page 157 The sixth century......Page 163 The oral tradition......Page 172 Bedouin identities and the question of Ishmael......Page 181 Conclusion......Page 189 Introduction......Page 192 Rome and the Jafnids after 582......Page 193 The Nasrids at the end of the sixth century......Page 203 The economy and the Justinianic plague......Page 205 Conclusion......Page 212 The Jafnids and history in east and west......Page 213 Late Antiquity and after......Page 218 Conclusion......Page 229 Abbreviations......Page 232 Primary Sources......Page 233 Secondary Literature......Page 236 A......Page 264 C......Page 265 H......Page 266 J......Page 267 M......Page 268 N......Page 269 P......Page 270 S......Page 271 U......Page 272 Z......Page 273 Cover 1 Contents 14 Abbreviations 16 Note 18 List of Maps 19 1. Introduction 20 Arabs and antiquity 20 Jafnid or Ghassān: Arab elites 22 Rationale and background 26 Sources and methodological approach 33 Geography 45 Rome and the Sasanians 48 2. Aspects of Arab Christianisation in Late Antiquity 53 Introduction 53 Part One: Processes, consequences, and subtexts of Christianisation 54 Part Two: The Jafnids and Nasrids between the Romans and Sasanians 68 Conclusion 90 3. Empires, Clients, and Politics 91 Introduction 91 Arabs and empires 92 Arabs, the west, and the east 99 The Hujrids and the Nasrids in Arabia and Mesopotamia 103 The Jafnids and Ghassān 114 Damascus and Haurān 118 Settlement and sedentarisation? 127 Clients and allies 135 Conclusion: Between state and tribe 143 4. Arabic, Culture, and Ethnicity 147 Introduction 147 Language, communal membership, and identity: the problem 148 Old Arabic and ethnic identity 154 The Nabataean kingdom and Nemāra 157 The sixth century 163 The oral tradition 172 Bedouin identities and the question of Ishmael 181 Conclusion 189 5. Between Empires: The Jafnids, the Nasrids, and Late Antiquity 192 Introduction 192 Rome and the Jafnids after 582 193 The Nasrids at the end of the sixth century 203 The economy and the Justinianic plague 205 Conclusion 212 6. The Jafnids and History in East and West 213 Introduction 213 The Jafnids and history in east and west 213 Late Antiquity and after 218 Conclusion 229 Bibliography 232 Abbreviations 232 Primary Sources 233 Secondary Literature 236 Index 264 A 264 B 265 C 265 D 266 E 266 F 266 G 266 H 266 I 267 J 267 K 268 L 268 M 268 N 269 O 270 P 270 Q 271 R 271 S 271 T 272 U 272 V 273 Y 273 Z 273 9780199599271 Oxford University Press Premium An Examination Of The Complex Inter-relationships Between The Roman And Sasanid Empires, And Some Of Their Arab Allies And Neighbours, During The Last Century Before The Emergence Of Islam. Greg Fisher Stresses The Importance Of A Near East Dominated By Rome And Iran For The Formation Of Early Concepts Of Arab Identity. Aspects Of Arab Christianisation -- Empires, Clients, And Politics -- Arabic, Culture, And Ethnicity -- Between Empires : The Jafnids, The Naṣrids, And Late Antiquity -- The Jafnids And History In East And West. Greg Fisher. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [213]-243) And Index.