Nabataean Kingdom

"When Nabatea was free, we could all die with our heads held high, and the sky was an endless banner of happiness..."

―Haganu singing about the former kingdom, 38 BCE

The Nabataean Kingdom, also known simply as Nabatea, was the political state of the Nabataeans, existent from the 3rd century BCE until the Roman Empire annexed it in 106 CE. It was based in the Arabian Peninsula with its capital at Petra, in what is now Jordan.

By the mid-1st century CE, the Nabataean Kingdom took control of the al-Ula region and established its regional authority at Hegra. The city's influence grew due to the Nabataeans' agricultural developments coupled with trade through the Incense Road, which considered Hegra an essential stop, resulting in the Nabataeans accruing great wealth as their culture adapted influences from their many trading partners, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece. As part of their funeral customs, a number of necropoli were carved onto the area's many sandstone outcrops, examples of which include al-Banat Mountain and the Tomb of Hayyan ibn Kuza.

Despite being a key trading partner to the Roman Empire, the kingdom entered a succession crisis following King Rabbel II Soter's death in 106 CE without royal issue. Rather than recognize any claimants to the throne, Emperor Trajan sent the Roman army to invade and militarily annex the territory, converting it into the Roman province of Arabia Petraea and moving the new capital to Bosra before establishing Roman occupation with members from Cyrenaica's Legio III. Despite the annexation, Nabataean culture thrived for centuries after.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Hidden Ones (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Valley of Memory (mentioned in Database entry only)