other · Egypt, North Africa and Sudan

Palmyrene Egypt

270 CE – 272 CE · capital Alexandria

Egypt under Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, held for two years during her challenge to Roman authority in the East.

Origins

In 270 Zenobia, ruling Palmyra for her young son Vaballathus, sent her general Zabdas into Egypt, helped by the local supporter Timagenes. After fighting with the Roman prefect Tenagino Probus, the Palmyrenes gained control of Alexandria and the province, making it part of the Palmyrene Empire.

Rule and society

The Palmyrene regime kept the Roman administration and at first claimed to act within the Empire: the Alexandria mint issued coins with Vaballathus beside the emperor Aurelian. Control of Egypt's grain gave Zenobia leverage over Rome. By 272 she declared herself and her son emperors.

Decline and legacy

Aurelian responded in 272, defeating the Palmyrene armies in Syria while Roman forces, led according to later sources by the future emperor Probus, recovered Egypt. Zenobia was captured and Egypt returned to direct Roman rule as Roman Egypt.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Palmyrene Egypt. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/palmyrene-egypt
MLA
“Palmyrene Egypt.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/palmyrene-egypt. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Palmyrene Egypt.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/palmyrene-egypt.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Palmyrene Egypt’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/palmyrene-egypt (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻