Kingdom of Hatra | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd century CE–241 | |||||||||
 Approximate map of the kingdom of Hatra (green) and other Parthian Mesopotamian vassal kingdoms in AD 200 | |||||||||
| Status | Autonomous state, frequently a vassal of theParthian Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Hatra | ||||||||
| Common languages | Hatran Aramaic Old Arabic | ||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 2nd century CE | ||||||||
• Fall of Hatra | 241 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Iraq | ||||||||
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TheKingdom of Hatra (Arabic:مملكة الحضر,romanized: Mamlakat al-Ḥażr[1]), also calledKingdom of Arabaya[2] andAraba,[3] was a 2nd-centuryArab kingdom centered on the city ofHatra and located between theRoman and the Parthian empires, mostly under Parthian suzerainty,[4][5] in modern-day northernIraq.
The name of "Hatra" appears various times in theAramaic Hatrene inscriptions asHatran Aramaic:𐣧𐣨𐣣𐣠,romanized: ḤṬRʾ,vocalized as:Ḥaṭrā), probably meaning "enclosure, hedge, fence".[5]
The history of Hatra before theParthian Empire is obscure. It has been suggested that a settlement was founded there under theNeo-Assyrian or theAchaemenid Empire, but that remains speculative.[5]
The earliest known records that mention Hatra are from the late 1st century.[6] The early rulers of Hatra used the title ofmarya "lord", but starting from the 170s, they started using the title ofmalka "king", often in the form of "King of the Arabs".[7][8] This elevation of titulature is considered to be related to theRoman incorporation ofEdessa in 165, which resulted in Hatra being the westernmost part of the Parthian Empire, and thus of higher strategic importance.[9]
In the first and second century, Hatra was ruled by a dynasty ofArab princes. It capital rose to prominence and became an important religious center as a result of its strategic position along caravan trade routes. Hatra is one of the first Arab states to be established outside of theArabian Peninsula, preceded byOsroene (132 BCE – 216 CE) and theEmesa (64 BCE – 300s CE), and followed by theGhassanids (220–638) and theLakhmids (300–602), buffer states of theRoman andSasanian empires, respectively.
Hatra withstood repeated sieges - in the 2nd century by Roman emperorsTrajan andSeptimius Severus, and in the 220s by the Sasanian kingArdashir I. The kingdom was finally conquered after the 240/41 capture of its capital by the Sasanians underShapur I, who destroyed the city.[10]
Hatra was part of the Parthian commonwealth, a term used by historians to refer to cultures that were under Parthian control, but mainly populated by non-Iranians.[11] Although theHatran language and its cults were very similar to that of the rest of Aramaic-speaking world in Mesopotamia andSyria, the Parthian Empire had heavily influenced the culture and political system of Hatra, as attested byepigraphic and archaeological findings.[12]
Many Parthian titles are known to have been used, many which were also used in slightly different variants inArmenia as well as some inParthia. This includes titles such asnaxwadār (also attested in Armenian asnaxarar), which was seemingly used as a personal name in Hatra. Other titles includepasāgrīw (heir-apparent),bitaxs (possibly viceroy),asppat (head of cavalry),ašpazkan (chamberlain), hadarpat (possiblychiliarch),naxširpat (chief of the hunt), anddahicpat, a word used as an epithet of the godNergol. Not all the titles are solely Parthian, as some of the seem to have been derived fromOld Persian. Regardless, these titles are attested in all the western parts of the Parthian Empire, which indicates that the Hatran court was shaped to imitate that of the Parthian royal court.[13]
Like the rest of the Parthian commonwealth, Iranian personal names are also well attested in Hatra. The ruling family adopted the same names used by the Arsacid kings, such asWorod, Walagash and Sanatruq. The local populace also dressed inParthian clothing, used Parthian jewellery and boreParthian weapons.[14]
Various gods were honored in the kingdom, including those of Sumero-Akkadian, Greek, Aramean, and Arabian religions.[3]
| Name | Title | Date | Portrait | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worod | mry´ | |||
| 2 | Ma’nu | mry´ | |||
| 3 | Elkud | mry´ | 155/156 | ||
| 4 | Nashrihab | mry´ | 128/29 - 137/38 AD | ||
| 5 | Naṣru | mry´ | 128/29 - 176/77 | ||
| 6 | Wolgash I | mry´ andmlk | |||
| 7 | Sanatruq I | mry´ and mlk | 176/177 | Ruled together with Wolgash I | |
| 8 | Wolgash II | ||||
| 9 | Abdsamiya | mlk | 192/93 - 201/202 | Supported the Roman emperorPescennius Niger | |
| 10 | Sanatruq II | mlk | 207/08 - 229/230 | Became a vassal of the Romans underGordian III duringRoman-Persian Wars | |
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