Mawiyya

Mawiyya (from Arabic: ماوية, romanized: Māwiyya, in Ancient Greek: Μαβία, romanized: Māvia), also transliterated Mawia, Mawai, or Mawaiy, and sometimes referred to as Mavia of Tanukh) was an Arab queen, who ruled over the Tanukhids, a confederation of semi-nomadic Arabs, in southern Syria, in the latter half of the fourth century. She led her troops in a rebellion against Valens, riding at the head of her army into Phoenicia and Palestine. After she reached the frontiers of Egypt and repeatedly defeated the Roman army, the Romans finally made a truce with her on conditions she stipulated. Following her victory, Mawiyya was powerful enough to be able to dictate the terms of negotiations, and demanded that a certain orthodox Christian monk, Moses, be named as bishop over her people. The Romans later called upon her for assistance when being attacked by the Goths, to which she responded by sending a force of cavalry. Considered to be "the most powerful woman in the late antique Arab world after Zenobia" much of what is known about Mawiyya comes from early, almost contemporaneous accounts, such as the writings of Rufinus, thought to be derived from a now lost account by Gelasius of Caeserea. Later authors transformed her into a Christian of Roman stock, though she was evidently Arab, and perhaps initially pagan.