As a land between empires, Arabia was multi-faceted, intriguing and challenging to dominate. Winged by the Persians in the East and Greeks, later Romans in the West, trust and loyalty were often swayed by political interests and religious adherence for the population of pre-Islamic Arabia. In this study of a centuries old relation between Rome and Arabia, the author takes us through colorful personalities of vassals such as King Arethas of Nabataea and Odenathus of Palmyra, later succeeded by his ambitious and rebellious widow, the enigmatic Zenobia; to Arabs who adorned the imperial robe...