From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
6th-century king of the Lakhmids
Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man
(
Arabic
:
?????? ?? ???????
), also known as
Al-Mundhir ibn Imri' al-Qays
(
?????? ?? ???? ?????
) (died 554) was the king of the
Lakhmids
in 503/505?554.
Biography
[
edit
]
His mother's name was Maria bint Awf bin Geshem. The son of
al-Nu'man II ibn al-Aswad
, he succeeded his father either immediately upon his death in 503 or after a short interregnum by
Abu Ya'fur ibn Alqama
. He is one of the most renowned Lakhmid kings, and is known for his military achievements. These started before he was crowned a king, during the
Anastasian War
, with a raid in
Palaestina Salutaris
and
Arabia Petraea
in the year 503, capturing a large number of Romans.
[1]
Mundhir's raids covered the area between
Euphrates
from the east up to
Egypt
in the west
[2]
and
Najd
southward, where in 516 he engaged in a battle with
Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan
, the
Himyarite king
.
[3]
In 526, the
Iberian War
between the
Byzantine Empire
and
Sasanian Empire
began, and Mundhir attacked Syria, ravaging it. Two Roman high-ranking commanders were captured, Timostratus and John. This caused
Justinian I
to send al-Mundhir an embassy for peace consisting of Abraham son of Euphrasius (his son is
Nonnosus
the historian) and
Simeon of Beth Arsham
. They were joined by Sergius of Rasafa (who was later sent by Justinian with gifts to al-Mundhir). In 528 al-Mundhir attacked Syria and returned with much booty. The next year (529) he renewed his attacks, firstly taking all the area of frontiers which was Khabour. Afterwards, he marched towards
Arzona
and
Nisibis
spoiling and ravaging the cities before continuing to
Apamea
and
Chalcedon
. Al-Mundhir was unable to conquer
Antioch
because Justinian dispatched a large army to protect it. Al-Mundhir returned with much booty, among them 400 nuns, whom he burnt to the goddess
al-Uzza
.
Al-Mundhir was killed in the battle of
Yawm Halima
with the
Ghassanids
under
Al-Harith ibn Jabalah
in June 554. He was succeeded by his three sons,
'Amr III ibn al-Mundhir
(r. 554?569),
Qabus ibn al-Mundhir
(r. 569?573) and
Al-Mundhir IV ibn al-Mundhir
(r. 574?580).
Sources
[
edit
]
- ^
John Binns,
Ascetics and ambassadors of Christ: the monasteries of Palestine
, 314-631. p.113; Frank R. Trombley, J. W. Watt,
The chronicle of pseudo-Joshua the Stylite
(the margin) p.108; Cyril of Scythopolis,
Life of John the Hesychast
, 211. 15-20
- ^
Procopius I. xvii. 41; Rothstein, Dynastie der Lahmiden, p. 46; Shahid, Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fifth Century, pp.24-25
- ^
Le Museon, LXVI, 1953, P. 307, 310, Ryckmans 510-446
Further reading
[
edit
]