ABSTRACT
One of the most famous of the sites associated with the caravan trade is the city of Palmyra. Indeed, there can be very little doubt of the significance of the caravan trade at Palmyra, as well as the fact that Palmyra on at least one occsion in the third century rose, albeit briefly, to the forefront of affairs in the Roman world. There is considerable question, however, as to what extent the trade may have influenced the growth of Palmyra, the evident prosperity of the city, and the political developments which occurred there.
