Odaenathus

c. 220s–267

Odaenathus was the ruler of Palmyra who became Rome’s most effective commander in the east after the Persian capture of Emperor Valerian. He defeated Sasanian forces, recovered territory and received exceptional Roman titles while retaining local authority. Odaenathus and his eldest son were assassinated around AD 267 under uncertain circumstances. Power then passed to his widow Zenobia, who created an even more independent Palmyrene state.

Odaenathus appears in Harry Sidebottom’s Warrior of Rome series and in historical fiction about Valerian, Shapur I and Zenobia. He is often presented as the loyal saviour of Rome whose success made later rebellion possible. The ambiguous nature of his titles lets novelists explore whether he intended partnership with the empire or was already building a separate monarchy.

In Harry Sidebottom’s Lion of the Sun, the vacuum allows Odaenathus of Palmyra to emerge as the leading power in the east.

Series

Series featuring Odaenathus (1 series)

Warrior of Rome in Order

by Harry Sidebottom 8 books 4.3

The Warrior of Rome series follows Marcus Clodius Ballista, an Angle raised within the Roman world who becomes a senior imperial commander during the Crisis of the Third Century. His service carries him from the Persian frontier to Palmyra, the Black Sea, the Eurasian steppe, Rome, Sicily and…

All books in this series