Vabalatus
Augustus  AD 271 - 272

Lucius Julius Aurelius Septimus Vabalatus Athenodorus (also Wahballat):
Son of Odaenathus and Zenobia;
Half brother of Hairanes (Herodes).

AD 267 - 270 - King of Palmira
AD 270 - 272 - Augustus

Valabathus was the son of the powerful queen of Palmyra, Zenobia, and ruled together with his mother, at a time making a claim for the imperial purple. Palmyra's rise to prominence gave some justification to this claim, especially since the Palmyrans took Syria with Antioch. This situation lasted until early 272 when Aurelian finally had his hands free to put an end to Valabathus's and Zenobia's imperial adventure. His troops recovered Asia Minor without resistance, and Egypt surrendered t his general Probus, the future emperor. The famed Palmyran heavy cavalry was defeated by Aurelian's light horse near Orontes and Syria fell. Welcomed by the Antiochians, Aurelian won another victory on the plain of Emesa and then pursued Zenobia and Valabathus to Palmyra. After a short siege Palmyra fell and Zenobia and her son were captured while attempting to get help from the Persians. They adorned Aurelian's triumph in 274. Zenobia was spared and married to a Roman senator. What happened to Valabathus is unknown.

Mints: Antioch.

List all Vabalatus coins in the Catalog.

« back