ABSTRACT
Sources for the period from Septimius Severus to Theodosius The end of the second century AD saw the ascendancy of the military men as rulers of the Roman empire. This was accompanied by inner and outer convulsions that a century later had transformed it into something new. The foundation was laid for what we could call the Byzantine version of the Roman empire, which was to last until the Moslem conquests. Also other parts of the Orient saw convulsions: a new dynasty took power in Iran, and an empire was formed in South Arabia. These three were now to dominate political events in Arabia and adjacent lands until the whole scenario was drastically changed by the Moslem conquerors.
