The Institute of Federates in Late Antique Nubia: Essence and Use
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52575/2687-0967-2025-52-1-48-57Keywords:
Late Antiquity, Nubia, Eastern Periphery, Institute of the Federates, the Blemmyes, the NobataiAbstract
For the Roman Empire of Late Antiquity, one of the most important foreign policy aspects was active interaction with the eastern periphery in a broad sense, including the southern borders of the state. In the context of the political instability of Late Antique Nubia, the Roman emperor regularly had to use various tools that would allow him to establish interaction with the region. One of these tools was the gradually forming institute of federates, which was more actively used on the northern borders. However, in one form or another it was also used to the south of Egypt. The article attempts to compare the characteristics of the Federate institute highlighted by researchers and the circumstances in which contacts took place between imperial officials and Nubian potestar formations. Greek and Latin-language sources are analyzed to reveal the use of Nubian federates by Rome and Constantinople. The work shows the verification of relations between the designated parties in the public legal field. Separately, the military-political use (or the possibility of using) federates in armed conflicts on the territory of Northeast Africa and South Arabia is analyzed. The study also shows ways to legitimize relations with federates through authorized officials of the empire.
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Hatke G. 2013. Aksum and Nubia: Warfare, Commerce, and Political Fictions in Ancient Northeast Africa. New York, University Press, 208.
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Huxley G.L. 1980. On the Greek Martyrium of the Negranites. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 55.
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Török, L. 2009. Between Two Worlds: The Frontier Region between Ancient Nubia and Egypt 3700 BC – AD 500. Leiden, Brill Academic Pub., 628.
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