29. After Widespread Devastation, Queen Mavia Finally Got The Bishop She Wanted
When Queen Mavia’s revolt erupted, it took the Roman east by storm. Rufinus of Aquileia, a fourth-century monk, wrote that: “Mavia, the queen of the Saracens, began to rock the towns and cities on the borders of Palestine and Arabia with fierce attacks“. She led her troops into the Roman province of Palestine until they reached the Mediterranean, then continued on as far as Egypt. She proved herself a formidable warrior. Rufinus added that she despoiled Rome’s provinces, laid them to waste, and “wore down the Roman army in frequent battles, killed many, and put the rest to flight“. Mavia’s revolt was a kind of ancient world blitzkrieg, as she swept in with her forces, overran Roman territories, and left slaughters, massacres, and devastation in her wake.
Emperor Valens ran out of options, and had to sue for peace. Mavia demanded an Orthodox bishop, and insisted that a hermit monk named Moses, whom she admired, be made that bishop. The Arian Valens agreed to the investiture, and Moses became the first Arab bishop of the Arabs. In return, the Tanukhids resumed their alliance with Rome, and joined Valens in a war against the Goths, which ended in a Roman defeat at the Battle of Adrianople. The renewed alliance proved short-lived, however, and the Tanukhids rose up in another revolt in 383. This one was quickly put, and it marked the end of the alliance. It is unknown whether Mavia led the second revolt. What is known is that she lived until 425 and died in Khanasir, a town east of Aleppo, where an inscription notes her death that year.