Al-Harith ibn Jabalah
Encyclopedia
Al-Ḥārith ibn Jabalah [Flavios] Arethas in Greek
sources and Khalid ibn Jabalah in later Islamic sources, was a king of the Ghassanids
, a pre-Islamic Arab
people who lived on the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire
. The fifth Ghassanid ruler of that name, he reigned from ca. 528 to 569 and played a major role in the wars with Persia
and the affairs of the Monophysite Syriac Church
. For his services to Byzantium, he was made a patricius and a gloriosissimus.
(Gabalas in Greek sources) and brother of Abu Karib (Abocharabus), phylarch
of Palaestina Tertia. He became ruler of the Ghassanids and phylarch
of Arabia Petraea
and Palaestina Secunda probably in 528, following the death of his father in the battle of Thanuris. Soon after (ca. 529) he was raised by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I
(r. 527–565), in the words of the historian Procopius
, "to the dignity of king", becoming the overall commander of all the Empire's Arab allies (foederati
) in the East with the title of patrikios ' onMouseout='HidePop("21818")' href="/topics/Phylarch">phylarch
of the Saracens"). His actual area of control however may initially have been limited to the northeastern part of Byzantium's Arab frontier. At the time, the Byzantines and their Arab allies were engaged in a war
against the Sassanid Persians and their Arab clients, the Lakhmids
, and Justinian's move was designed to create a counterpart to the powerful Lakhmid ruler, Mundhir, who controlled the Arab tribes allied to the Persians.
In this capacity, Harith fought on behalf of the Byzantines in all their numerous wars against Persia. Already in 528 he was one of the commanders sent in a punitive expedition against Mundhir. In 529, he helped suppress the wide-scale Samaritan
revolt, capturing 20,000 boys and girls whom he sold as slaves. It was perhaps Harith's successful participation in this conflict that led Justinian to promote him to supreme phylarch. It is possible that he took part with his men in the Byzantine victory at Daras
in 530, although no source explicitly mentions him. In 531, he led a 5,000-strong Arab contingent in the Battle of Callinicum
. Procopius, a source hostile to the Ghassanid ruler, states that the Arabs, stationed on the Byzantine right, betrayed the Byzantines and fled, costing them the battle. John Malalas
however, whose record is generally more reliable, reports that while some Arabs indeed fled, Harith stood firm. The charge of treason levelled by Procopius against Harith seems to be further undermined by the fact that, unlike Belisarius, he was retained in command and was active in operations around Martyropolis
later in the year.
In 537/538 or 539, he clashed with Mundhir of the Lakhmids over grazing rights on the lands south of Palmyra
, near the old Strata Diocletiana
. According to later accounts by Tabari
, the Ghassanid ruler invaded Mundhir's territory and carried off rich booty. The Persian ruler, Khosrau I
(r. 531–579), used this dispute as a pretext for restarting hostilities with the Byzantines, and renewed war broke out in 540. In the campaign of 541, Harith and his men, accompanied by 1200 Byzantines under generals John the Glutton and Trajan, were sent by Belisarius
into a raid into Assyria
. The expedition was successful, penetrated far into enemy territory and gathered much plunder. At some point however, the Byzantine contingent was sent back, and subsequently Harith failed to either meet up with or inform Belisarius of his whereabouts. According to Procopius' account, this, in addition to the outbreak of a disease among the army, forced Belisarius to withdraw. Procopius further alleges that this was done deliberately so that the Arabs would not have to share their plunder. In his Secret History however, Procopius gives a different account of Belisarius' inaction, completely unrelated to the Ghassanid ruler. In ca. 544/545, Harith was involved in armed conflict with another Arab phylarch, al-Aswad, known in Greek as Asouades.
From ca. 546 on, while the two great empires were at peace in Mesopotamia
after the truce of 545, the conflict between their Arab allies continued. In a sudden raid, Mundhir captured one of Harith's sons and had him sacrificed. Soon after however, the Lakhmids suffered a heavy defeat in a pitched battle between the two Arab armies. The conflict continued, with Mundhir staging repeated raids into Syria
. In one of these raids, in June 554, Harith met him in the decisive battle of Yawm Halima (the "Day of Halima", celebrated in pre-Islamic Arab poetry) near Chalcis
, at which the Lakhmids were defeated. Mundhir fell in the field, but Harith also lost his eldest son Jabalah.
In November 563, Harith visited the emperor Justinian in Constantinople
, to discuss his succession and the raids against his domains by the Lakhmid ruler 'Amr
, who was eventually bought off by Justinian. He certainly left a vivid impression in the imperial capital, not least by his physical presence: John of Ephesus
records that years later, the Emperor Justin II
(r. 565–578), who had descended into madness, was frightened and went to hide himself when he was told "Arethas is coming for you".
(Alamoundaros in Byzantine sources). Taking advantage of this, the new Lakhmid ruler Qabus
launched an attack, but was decisively defeated.
. Throughput his rule, al-Harith supported the anti-Chalcedonian tendencies in the region of Syria, presiding over church councils and engaging in theology, contributing actively to the Monophysite church
's revival during the 6th century. Thus in 542, following two decades of persecutions which had decapitated the Monophysite leadership, he appealed for the appointment of new Monophysite bishops in Syria to the Empress Theodora
, whose own Monophysite leanings were well-known. Theodora then appointed Jacob Baradaeus
and Theodore as bishops. Jacob in particular would prove a very capable leader, converting pagans
and greatly expanding and strengthening the organization of the Monophysite church.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
sources and Khalid ibn Jabalah in later Islamic sources, was a king of the Ghassanids
Ghassanids
The Ghassanids were a group of South Arabian Christian tribes that emigrated in the early 3rd century from Yemen to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and the Holy Land....
, a pre-Islamic Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
people who lived on the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. The fifth Ghassanid ruler of that name, he reigned from ca. 528 to 569 and played a major role in the wars with Persia
Roman-Persian Wars
The Roman–Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between states of the Greco-Roman world and two successive Iranic empires: the Parthian and the Sassanid. Contact between the Parthian Empire and the Roman Republic began in 92 BC; wars began under the late Republic, and continued...
and the affairs of the Monophysite Syriac Church
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
. For his services to Byzantium, he was made a patricius and a gloriosissimus.
Early life
Harith was the son of JabalahJabalah IV ibn al-Harith
Jabalah IV ibn al-Ḥārith, known also by the tecnonymic Abū Shamir, in Greek sources found as Gabalas , was a ruler of the Ghassanids. At first an enemy of the East Roman Empire, he raided Palestine but was defeated, becoming a Byzantine vassal in 502 until ca...
(Gabalas in Greek sources) and brother of Abu Karib (Abocharabus), phylarch
Phylarch
A phylarch is a Greek title meaning "ruler of a tribe", from phyle, "tribe" + archein "to rule".In Classical Athens, a phylarch was the elected commander of the cavalry provided by each of the city's ten tribes....
of Palaestina Tertia. He became ruler of the Ghassanids and phylarch
Phylarch
A phylarch is a Greek title meaning "ruler of a tribe", from phyle, "tribe" + archein "to rule".In Classical Athens, a phylarch was the elected commander of the cavalry provided by each of the city's ten tribes....
of Arabia Petraea
Arabia Petraea
Arabia Petraea, also called Provincia Arabia or simply Arabia, was a frontier province of the Roman Empire beginning in the 2nd century; it consisted of the former Nabataean kingdom in modern Jordan, southern modern Syria, the Sinai Peninsula and northwestern Saudi Arabia. Its capital was Petra...
and Palaestina Secunda probably in 528, following the death of his father in the battle of Thanuris. Soon after (ca. 529) he was raised by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
(r. 527–565), in the words of the historian Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
, "to the dignity of king", becoming the overall commander of all the Empire's Arab allies (foederati
Foederati
Foederatus is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the end of the Western Roman Empire...
) in the East with the title of patrikios ' onMouseout='HidePop("21818")' href="/topics/Phylarch">phylarch
Phylarch
A phylarch is a Greek title meaning "ruler of a tribe", from phyle, "tribe" + archein "to rule".In Classical Athens, a phylarch was the elected commander of the cavalry provided by each of the city's ten tribes....
of the Saracens"). His actual area of control however may initially have been limited to the northeastern part of Byzantium's Arab frontier. At the time, the Byzantines and their Arab allies were engaged in a war
Iberian War
The Iberian War was fought from 526 to 532 between the Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Empire over the eastern Georgian kingdom of Iberia.-Origin:After the Anastasian War, a seven-year truce was agreed on, yet it lasted for nearly twenty years...
against the Sassanid Persians and their Arab clients, the Lakhmids
Lakhmids
The Lakhmids , Banu Lakhm , Muntherids , were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq, and made al-Hirah their capital in 266. Poets described it as a Paradise on earth, an Arab Poet described the city's pleasant climate and beauty "One day in al-Hirah is better than a year of...
, and Justinian's move was designed to create a counterpart to the powerful Lakhmid ruler, Mundhir, who controlled the Arab tribes allied to the Persians.
Military career
Samaritan
The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Religiously, they are the adherents to Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism...
revolt, capturing 20,000 boys and girls whom he sold as slaves. It was perhaps Harith's successful participation in this conflict that led Justinian to promote him to supreme phylarch. It is possible that he took part with his men in the Byzantine victory at Daras
Battle of Dara
The Battle of Dara was fought between the Sassanids and the Byzantine Empire in 530. It was one of the battles of the Iberian War.- Background :...
in 530, although no source explicitly mentions him. In 531, he led a 5,000-strong Arab contingent in the Battle of Callinicum
Battle of Callinicum
The Battle of Callinicum took place Easter day, 19 April 531, between the armies of the Eastern Roman Empire under Belisarius and the Sassanid Persians under Azarethes. After a defeat at the Battle of Dara, the Sassanids moved to invade Syria in an attempt to turn the tide of the war...
. Procopius, a source hostile to the Ghassanid ruler, states that the Arabs, stationed on the Byzantine right, betrayed the Byzantines and fled, costing them the battle. John Malalas
John Malalas
John Malalas or Ioannes Malalas was a Greek chronicler from Antioch. Malalas is probably a Syriac word for "rhetor", "orator"; it is first applied to him by John of Damascus .-Life:Malalas was educated in Antioch, and probably was a jurist there, but moved to...
however, whose record is generally more reliable, reports that while some Arabs indeed fled, Harith stood firm. The charge of treason levelled by Procopius against Harith seems to be further undermined by the fact that, unlike Belisarius, he was retained in command and was active in operations around Martyropolis
Martyropolis
Martyropolis was the former name of a city in Turkey, now known in Turkish as Silvan, in Aramaic as Meiafarakin .It is a Catholic titular see....
later in the year.
In 537/538 or 539, he clashed with Mundhir of the Lakhmids over grazing rights on the lands south of Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
, near the old Strata Diocletiana
Strata Diocletiana
The Strata Diocletiana was a fortified road that ran along the eastern desert border, the limes Arabicus, of the Roman Empire. As its name suggests, it was constructed under Emperor Diocletian as part of a wide-ranging fortification drive in the later Roman Empire...
. According to later accounts by Tabari
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was a prominent and influential Sunni scholar and exegete of the Qur'an from Persia...
, the Ghassanid ruler invaded Mundhir's territory and carried off rich booty. The Persian ruler, Khosrau I
Khosrau I
Khosrau I , also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just Khosrau I (also called Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anushirvan or Anushirwan, Persian: انوشيروان meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just...
(r. 531–579), used this dispute as a pretext for restarting hostilities with the Byzantines, and renewed war broke out in 540. In the campaign of 541, Harith and his men, accompanied by 1200 Byzantines under generals John the Glutton and Trajan, were sent by Belisarius
Belisarius
Flavius Belisarius was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to Emperor Justinian's ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously....
into a raid into Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
. The expedition was successful, penetrated far into enemy territory and gathered much plunder. At some point however, the Byzantine contingent was sent back, and subsequently Harith failed to either meet up with or inform Belisarius of his whereabouts. According to Procopius' account, this, in addition to the outbreak of a disease among the army, forced Belisarius to withdraw. Procopius further alleges that this was done deliberately so that the Arabs would not have to share their plunder. In his Secret History however, Procopius gives a different account of Belisarius' inaction, completely unrelated to the Ghassanid ruler. In ca. 544/545, Harith was involved in armed conflict with another Arab phylarch, al-Aswad, known in Greek as Asouades.
From ca. 546 on, while the two great empires were at peace in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
after the truce of 545, the conflict between their Arab allies continued. In a sudden raid, Mundhir captured one of Harith's sons and had him sacrificed. Soon after however, the Lakhmids suffered a heavy defeat in a pitched battle between the two Arab armies. The conflict continued, with Mundhir staging repeated raids into Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. In one of these raids, in June 554, Harith met him in the decisive battle of Yawm Halima (the "Day of Halima", celebrated in pre-Islamic Arab poetry) near Chalcis
Chalcis, Syria
Chalcis was an ancient city in Syria. Syrian Chalcis was the birthplace of 3rd century Neoplatonist philosopher Iamblichus.It is thought to be the site of the modern town of Qinnasrin, though Anjar in Lebanon has also been suggested as the site of ancient Chalcis....
, at which the Lakhmids were defeated. Mundhir fell in the field, but Harith also lost his eldest son Jabalah.
In November 563, Harith visited the emperor Justinian in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, to discuss his succession and the raids against his domains by the Lakhmid ruler 'Amr
'Amr III ibn al-Mundhir
Amr III ibn al-Mundhir was the king of the Lakhmid Arabs in 554–569.He was the son of the great al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man , and succeeded to the throne upon his father's death. He is also often called Amr ibn Hind after his mother, Hind bint al-Harith b. Amr b. Hujr Akil al-Murar al-Kindi...
, who was eventually bought off by Justinian. He certainly left a vivid impression in the imperial capital, not least by his physical presence: John of Ephesus
John of Ephesus
John of Ephesus was a leader of the non-Chalcedonian Syriac-speaking Church in the sixth century, and one of the earliest and most important of historians who wrote in Syriac.-Life:...
records that years later, the Emperor Justin II
Justin II
Justin II was Byzantine Emperor from 565 to 578. He was the husband of Sophia, nephew of Justinian I and the late Empress Theodora, and was therefore a member of the Justinian Dynasty. His reign is marked by war with Persia and the loss of the greater part of Italy...
(r. 565–578), who had descended into madness, was frightened and went to hide himself when he was told "Arethas is coming for you".
Death
When al-Harith died in 569, possibly during an earthquake, he was succeeded by his son al-MundhirAl-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith
Al-Mundhir ibn al-Ḥārith, known in Greek sources as [Flavios] Alamoundaros , was the king of the Ghassanid Arabs from 569 to c. 581. A son of Al-Harith ibn Jabalah, he succeeded his father both in the kingship over his tribe and as the chief of the Byzantine Empire's Arab clients and allies in the...
(Alamoundaros in Byzantine sources). Taking advantage of this, the new Lakhmid ruler Qabus
Qabus ibn al-Mundhir
Qabus ibn al-Mundhir was the king of the Lakhmid Arabs in 569–573.His name is an Arabic form of the Persian name "Kavus", adopted under the influence of his Sassanid Persian overlords. He succeeded his brother 'Amr III ibn al-Mundhir...
launched an attack, but was decisively defeated.
Religious policies
In contrast to his Byzantine overlords, Harith was a staunch Monophysite and rejected the Council of ChalcedonCouncil of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
. Throughput his rule, al-Harith supported the anti-Chalcedonian tendencies in the region of Syria, presiding over church councils and engaging in theology, contributing actively to the Monophysite church
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
's revival during the 6th century. Thus in 542, following two decades of persecutions which had decapitated the Monophysite leadership, he appealed for the appointment of new Monophysite bishops in Syria to the Empress Theodora
Theodora (6th century)
Theodora , was empress of the Roman Empire and the wife of Emperor Justinian I. Like her husband, she is a saint in the Orthodox Church, commemorated on November 14...
, whose own Monophysite leanings were well-known. Theodora then appointed Jacob Baradaeus
Jacob Baradaeus
Jacob Baradaeus was Bishop of Edessa from 543 until his death. One of the most important figures in the history of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and the Oriental Orthodox churches generally, he was a defender of the Monophysite movement in a time when its strength was declining...
and Theodore as bishops. Jacob in particular would prove a very capable leader, converting pagans
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and greatly expanding and strengthening the organization of the Monophysite church.