NABATAEAN KINGDOM
The
Nabataean kingdom was a political state of the
Nabataeans which existed during
Classical antiquity and was annexed by the
Roman Empire in Ad 106..
Diodorus describes the Nabataeans as nomads who 'range over a country which is partly desert and partly waterless, though a small section of it is fruitful... It is their custom neither to plant grain, set out any fruit-bearing tree, use wine, nor construct any house... Some of them raise camels, others sheep, pasturing them in the desert... They themselves use as food flesh and milk and those of the plants that grow wild from the ground which are suitable for this purpose'.
Straddling the northern end of the
caravan route from South Arabia to the Mediterranean, the Nabataean kingdom emerged as a great merchant-trader realm during the first centuries B.C. and A.D.
FACTION GOALS
Hold(number)of settlements and destroy or outlive faction/factions Ptolemaic empire,Seleucid Empire...
Seleucids-The Nabataeans were allies of the first
Hasmoneans in their struggles against the
Seleucid monarchs.
Ptolemaic empire-"Some Nabataeans indulged in piracy on the Red Sea, profitably attacking the merchant ships of Ptolemaic Egypt."
-During the King Malichus II reign, in 32 BC
Herod the Great started a war against Nabatea, with the support of
Cleopatra. The war started with Herod's army plundering Nabataea and with a large cavalry force, and the occupation of
Dium. After this defeat the Nabatean forces amassed near
Canatha in
Syria, but were attacked and routed. Athenio (Cleopatra's General) sent Canathans to the aid of the Nabateans, and this force crushed Herod's army which then fled to Ormiza. One year later, Herod's army overran Nabataea.
So the Ptolomaic empire can be allys and enemies,you choose?
FACTION LEADER NAMES
I couldn't find many of them so you will have to make up some names yourselvs along with these historical names.
These three were the most important leaders:
Aretas I(first known king of the Nabataeans- His name appeared on the oldest Nabataean inscription dating from 168 BC which was found at Halutza.)
Rabbel II Soter(
Soter-"Savior of the People" was the last ruler of the Nabataean Kingdom")
Aretas IV Philopatris(at his time Nabataean kingdom was the stronges-he was in bad relations with the Romans)
Other leaders:
Malichus I
Erotimus
Aretas II
Obodas I
Rabbel I
Aretas III Philhellen
Obodas II
Malichus I
Obodas III
Chuldu(female-queen)
Malichus II
Shaqilath(queen)
Gamilath(queen)
After Gamilath Nabataean Kingdom was annexed by Trajan becoming the Roman province of Arabia Petraea!
NABATAEAN CITIES
Not all these are Nabataean cities-look at the border map below!
Important cities
Petra(capital of the Nabataean kingdom-)
Bostra(first Nabataean city-it was important because of the trading roots that passed through the city)
Nabataean Kingdom border(so you can better point it out on the campaign map)
Remains of the capital city of the Nabathaean Kingdom-Petra
NABATAEAN RELIGION-GODS
Being a trade junction, the Nabateans were effectively exposed to many different belief systems, whether from Egypt, Syria, Canaan, Assyria, Babylon, Greece or Rome. This situation was decisive for the development of Nabatean religion.
Their religion was as most other religions of the time, polytheistic. Gods were represented as rocks, both in a symbolic but also in a literal sense. The rocks were holy in themselves and a part of the divine, but also a link to a dimension beyond. The rocks can be understood as a sort of altar.
Dushara-the highest,most important Nabataean god
-he was the god of the sun and wine
Atagatis-goddess of fertility( so if you choose this shrine-population growth +)
Allat-God of the Moon
Manat-God of fate
Uzza-god of water
NABATAEAN ARMY
Nabataean desert infantry
Judean slingers
Arabian slingers
Judean Zealot heavy infantry
Canaan skirmishers
Egyptian native slingers
Eastern light cavalry(just attach a horse in the scripts)
Assyrian allied infantry
Nabataean noble spearman
Nabataean eastern infantry
Assyrian cavalry(put the bow insted of the spear)
Bedouin camel archers
WEAPONS AND ARMOR
Eastern helmets(The big one in the bottom left is of a slinger
Eastern shields
Swords
Spears
Bows