One of the most famous Arab queens who ever lived, a warrior who not only took on the fearsome Romans but won. Ruling over a semi-nomadic Arab tribe in southern Syria in many thousands of years ago, leading her troops in a rebellion against the vicious invaders. Considered to be the most powerful woman of her age, legends abound in dozens of fables written since her time. Many simply refuse to believe anyone could have taken on the Romans and won, but the evidence is clear. She was real. And fearsome. This is the story of how a warrior took on the system and won…
Prologue
Mavia was born into a simple family, relatively unknown. Her nomadic Saracens inhabited southern Palestine and northern Sinai, the deserts they called home the territory of the Arab tribes ruled by many. Lost to time as the grains of sand whispering in the wind, stories of kings and queens only surviving in folk songs and oral legends. One such queen was famous, however, for her exploits to become legend. Queen Mawaiyya, her Arabic name, or Queen Mavia, her English name. In her time, few were feared more…
We’re not sure of much when it comes to Mavia’s family, we assume the daughter of Tanukhids, a man who lost support of his Arab tribes and migrated to the northern parts of the Arabian Peninsula. We know his daughter Mavia married al-Hawari, king of the Tanukh tribe, ruling over his kingdom in 375 AD. Mavia had married into royalty. And she became the co-regent. But this was a turbulent time. The Romans were everywhere. And they saw the kingdom of Mavia and al-Hawari and they wanted it.
And you know what? They weren’t gonna let them have it…
The Roman Revolt
The tribe demanded a revolt against the might of the Roman Empire. And why? Because al-Hawari had died and the Roman Emperor saw his opportunity. The tribe was now left in the hands of a woman and therefore she shall be no trouble whatsoever to beat. To say this was history’s greatest understatement is, in of itself, an understatement.
Conquer the tribe, convert them to Christianity. That always ends well. At the time, Mavia’s tribe occupied Aleppo and so she decided to retreat with her tribe, now its sole ruler, to the desert. This was a tactical retreat. Because it gave pagan Queen Mavia a great advantage when it came to taking on the Roman storm coming over the horizon…
The deserts are where she called home. Riding across her land on horseback, Mavia was a renowned fighter and tactician. Without mercy, she defeated countless enemies who disrespected her, her most hated criticism? Her gender. If you thought you could get away with dissing Mavia because she was a woman, think again. Not that you’d be able to. Because you would no longer have a head. She was a force to be reckoned with.
Roman Emperor Valens was trying to move his forces from Antioch over to Thrace to fight the wonderfully named Goths and with it, Mavia decided to go on the offensive. Valens was sending in more and more troops to the area and what better way to assert your authority as the new Queen than take on history’s greatest bastards?
Mavia launched an all-out attack on the settlements on the border of Palestine and Arabia, fierce attacks that went as far as Egypt. The Romans knew, they knew, that Mavia was a serious threat. She laid entire provinces to waste to stop their incursion and in many battles; she wore the Romans down and forced them to retreat. Hundreds of Roman soldiers were killed at Mavia’s hand, whilst many more simply fled.
Her revolt was fast and effective, a blitzkrieg of force sweeping down with her tribe and taking over each new place they went. The Romans had nowhere left to occupy to inflict their retribution, Mavia’s mobile units utilising guerrilla warfare and raids to frustrate the Roman attempts to subdue the revolt.
Simply put, Mavia was too much for the Romans.
The Mavia Revolt
Mavia’s forces were far superior to the Roman forces in open battle, a century of fighting alongside the Romans led to Mavia knowing exactly what they were going to do next, outwitting them every step of the way. And every new settlement she conquered, the people of the region fell for her. She gained the favour of the locals, they too desperate to rid themselves of the Roman ruin. The Romans would not stand for this.
At once, they launched a second wave, a counterattack but Mavia, on horseback, led her troops into battle and fought the Romans hand-on-hand. Get out! Leave this place! But they did not. Who the hell was this woman! And, most importantly, why the hell is she kicking our arses? These were valid questions.
Time and time again, the Romans suffered defeat after defeat. With no native allies to call on, Valens had no choice but to surrender. Mavia had won. To solidify the peace, Mavia married her daughter to Victor, a prominent military official under Valens. At last, Mavia had her own daughter right at the centre of the Roman-Byzantine administration. As part of the truce agreement, Mavia sent her forces to Thrace to help the Romans fight the Goths. Yes, the Romans knew they couldn’t beat Mavia so they enlisted her help. It was hugely humiliating for the Romans but for Mavia, nothing was sweeter.
It didn’t work. The Goths pushed Mavia’s forces back and the Romans retreated to Constantinople, along the way killing Valens. Mavia’s forces were depleted and beaten. And it got worse. The new emperor, Theodosius I, favoured the Goths and gave them many positions in the new emperor’s establishment. This was at the expense of the Arabs, which was not good news for Mavia. She felt betrayed, all the Arabs did.
And so, in 383 CE, she launched another revolt but this time, she would not be victorious…
Epilogue
Mavia’s second revolt, all with her depleted forces, did not end well, put down and finishing the Tanukh-Roman alliance once and for all. Thereafter, Mavia vanishes. Leaving behind little trace she ever existed. She is assumed to have ruled until at least 425 CE but we know nothing of her death. One in a long line of Arab queens who took on the Romans, but the only one who won…
Few in history did what Mavia did, not to mention making the Romans sign a treaty on her terms. We know she was a real person, a strong ruler of the Arab world who was, irrefutably, one of the most influential women in the ancient history of Arab land. Even to this day, Mavia is recognised as a powerful, courageous and fearless leader of the Middle East and is remembered, rightly, as one of the biggest thorns in the side of the Romans.
There are few like her. Her story the stuff of legend…
Mavia was clearly a very capable military commander. She led her armies personally and ravaged the region from Syria throughout the Levant, scattering any opposition sent against her.
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