Quote: (09-30-2015 04:49 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
Consider this.
The Arabian peninsula traditionally had access to some strategic ports in the Red Sea and in the Persian Gulf (or Arabian Gulf, depending on who's talking). They did have some trading access to India.
South Arabia also had coffee, spices, and a few things not that important today.
But no one ever subdued these tribes and clans. Got to give some respect for that.
Even the great Romans, who defeated everyone, could not get into Arabia. In fact, the big expedition sent there to conquer South Arabia ended in total failure.
Arab guides double-crossed the Roman army led by Aelius Gallus and led it into traps. Then the desert and geography did the rest of the work on them. Read about the expedition here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aelius_Gallus
These guys know who to protect their interests. Longevity counts for something.
The Romans never did too well against the Persians, in fact the Persians once captured a Roman Emperor -Valerian.
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Valerian (/vəˈlɪəriən/; Latin: Publius Licinius Valerianus Augustus;[1] 193/195/200 – 260 or 264, also known as Valerian the Elder, was Roman Emperor from 253 to 260 AD. He was taken captive by Sassanian Persian king Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, becoming the only Roman Emperor who was captured as a prisoner of war, causing instability in the Empire.
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Eutropius, writing between 364–378 AD, stated that Valerianus "was overthrown by Shapur king of Persia, and being soon after made prisoner, grew old in ignominious slavery among the Parthians.".[8] An early Christian source, Lactantius, thought to be virulently anti-Persian, thanks to the occasional persecution of Christians by some Sasanian monarchs,[9] maintained that for some time prior to his death Valerian was subjected to the greatest insults by his captors, such as being used as a human footstool by Shapur when mounting his horse. According to this version of events, after a long period of such treatment Valerian offered Shapur a huge ransom for his release. In reply, according to one version, Shapur was said to have forced Valerian to swallow molten gold (the other version of his death is almost the same but it says that Valerian was killed by being flayed alive) and then had the unfortunate Valerian skinned and his skin stuffed with straw and preserved as a trophy in the main Persian temple. It was further alleged that it was only after a later Persian defeat against Rome that his skin was given a cremation and burial.[10] The captivity and death of Valerian has been frequently debated by historians without any definitive conclusion.[9]
As for the Arabs, they were on the periphery of both empires, so it was probably easier to control them as client states rather than directly conquer them over the years.