The South: Arabia Felix
"Despite their physical isolation, the southern Arabs were as technically and socially advanced as any other people in the Ancient World."
– Sitwell, p82.
Alexander the Great had been planning to circumnavigate and conquer Arabia at the time of his death. Preliminary explorations had been made of both the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
The 'riches' of the southwest of the peninsular were already well-known. Despite its southerly latitude, high mountains in the Yemen, catching biannual rains, led to a very early development of civilization.
Among the first kingdoms was Saba (aka 'Sheba'), perhaps established as early as the 8th century BC. The Sabaeans had their own script, built towns, temples, roads and, notably, outstanding irrigation works. Their capital Marib, facing the desert, was the terminus of a caravan route extending north to Petra and beyond. The trails were older, made possible by the domestication of the camel around 1200 BC.
In the 1st century BC the coastal Himyarites, with control of the sea routes, established their dominion over Saba, and over the other south Arab kingdoms during the 1st century AD. They effectively monopolized supply of both indigenous resins (frankincense and myrrh – sought after by every temple of the ancient world) and imports of spice, textiles and ivory from India and East Africa.
Understandably the country was dubbed 'Arabia Felix' ('Arabia the Happy') by the Romans, who had an insatiable demand for its exports.
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Tuesday, December 25th 2012 at 9:22PM
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