Palmyrena

PEuphr. show that the history of Palmyra most probably had a development comparable to that of Edessa in the 3rd century. The existence of a Palmyrene dynasty of which Odenathus was not the founder reinstates a piece of news by Zosimus (1.39), which so far has been regarded with suspicion. An analysis of the three passages on Palmyra by Zosimus is proposed here (1.39, 1.44 and 50-61.1). The former two, most probably due to Deixippus, give important news about Palmyra, while the latter – a long text, a true digression – on the contrary has proven to be a collection of bookish and almost useless information as far as Palmyra is concerned. More specifically a comparison with Pan. lat. X (4).22-24 undoubtedly shows that the conflict between Aurelian and the Palmyrene generals were invented, shaped upon the narration of the battle of Turin by the rethor Nazarius in 321.