Hatra, Sasanids, and Arabs: Arabic verses and legends

Arabic verses and legends reveal new insights into the fall of Hatra (240 A.D.), challenging long-held assumptions about its downfall. Contrary to Muslim accounts, evidence suggests that the Sasanid king Ardashir I Pabagan, not Hatra's king, initiated the conflict after Arabs from the Ḳuḍāʿa tribal confederation invaded Shahrazur. The siege of Hatra, marked by a legendary romance involving Shapur (Ardashir’s son or a Sasanid general) and a Hatraean princess, was ultimately won through a stratagem. This study cross-references Arabic sources with antique records to reconstruct the events, providing a more accurate narrative of Hatra's historical memory in the Euphrates region.

Mishin, D. E. (2023). Hatra, Sasanids, and Arabs: Arabic verses and legends. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya 13. Vostokovedenie, (2023-1), 18. https://doi.org/10.55959/msu0320-8095-13-67-1-2