Laodice was a Queen of an unknown Kingdom in Asia. She lived at the time of the Seleucid king of Syria Antiochus X Eusebes who reigned 95 BC-92 or 88 BC.
Laodice is known from the work of the first century historian Josephus. In about 92 BC, she sent a petition to Antiochus X Eusebes of Syria asking for help against Parthia. In response, Antiochus X marched against the Parthians but was killed in battle. [1]
It is hard to identify the people of Laodice; [2] each of the surviving manuscripts containing Josephus' work transmits a different version. [3] There are two names and different varieties of them depending on the manuscript. [4] In the Codex Leidensis (Lugdunensis), it is Γαλιχηνών ( Gileadites). [note 1] [4] The Codex Palatinus (Vaticanus) Graecus has the name Σαμηνών; [3] this rendering was used by Benedikt Niese in his edition of the work of Josephus. [9] Josef Dobiáš stated that the Niese's version is more plausible, [10] and this has become the academic consensus; Σαμηνών is rendered in English, depending on the historian, as Sameans, Sameni or Samenians. [4]
Σαμηνών from the Codex Palatinus is similar to the name of a people mentioned by Stephanus of Byzantium as the Σαμηνώί, [3] or Σαμηνoί (Dobiáš rendered it in French as Samènes); [11] Stephanus described them as Arabian nomadic people, [3] and Dobiáš accepted that the Σαμηνών are the same as the Σαμηνoί (Samènes); thus Laodice was the queen of an Arab tribe. [11] [12] Bernhard Moritz rendered the people mentioned by Stephanus as the Samenoi, and identified them with the Samnei, [13] (Samnaei in the rendition of Dobiáš), who were an Arab tribe of southern Arabia according to Pliny the Elder; Dobiáš is sceptical about Moritz' identification. [11]
Laodice was a Queen of an unknown Kingdom in Asia. She lived at the time of the Seleucid king of Syria Antiochus X Eusebes who reigned 95 BC-92 or 88 BC.
Laodice is known from the work of the first century historian Josephus. In about 92 BC, she sent a petition to Antiochus X Eusebes of Syria asking for help against Parthia. In response, Antiochus X marched against the Parthians but was killed in battle. [1]
It is hard to identify the people of Laodice; [2] each of the surviving manuscripts containing Josephus' work transmits a different version. [3] There are two names and different varieties of them depending on the manuscript. [4] In the Codex Leidensis (Lugdunensis), it is Γαλιχηνών ( Gileadites). [note 1] [4] The Codex Palatinus (Vaticanus) Graecus has the name Σαμηνών; [3] this rendering was used by Benedikt Niese in his edition of the work of Josephus. [9] Josef Dobiáš stated that the Niese's version is more plausible, [10] and this has become the academic consensus; Σαμηνών is rendered in English, depending on the historian, as Sameans, Sameni or Samenians. [4]
Σαμηνών from the Codex Palatinus is similar to the name of a people mentioned by Stephanus of Byzantium as the Σαμηνώί, [3] or Σαμηνoί (Dobiáš rendered it in French as Samènes); [11] Stephanus described them as Arabian nomadic people, [3] and Dobiáš accepted that the Σαμηνών are the same as the Σαμηνoί (Samènes); thus Laodice was the queen of an Arab tribe. [11] [12] Bernhard Moritz rendered the people mentioned by Stephanus as the Samenoi, and identified them with the Samnei, [13] (Samnaei in the rendition of Dobiáš), who were an Arab tribe of southern Arabia according to Pliny the Elder; Dobiáš is sceptical about Moritz' identification. [11]