Blemmye: Before 30BC?

[Denis Grey]

A question prompted by discussion in one of the Facebook groups.

Various rule sets (DBx, ADLG and MeG) have army lists for the Blemmye starting in 30BC.  Obviously the people and army did not spring to life fully formed on that date, but there are, according to Wikipedia, references to the Blemmye at least 200 years before this. 

Does anyone know the reason why 30BC is given as the start date?

[Duncan Head]

It's the date of the establishment of Roman rule in Egypt. I think the argument may have been that the Blemmyes were not military opponents of Ptolemaic Egypt - Strabo, writing in the early years of Roman rule, describes them among other tribes as "nomads, and not numerous nor warlike, but accounted so by the ancients, because frequently, like robbers, they attacked defenceless persons" - but at later dates did field armies against Roman Egypt.

[Denis Grey]

Duncan,

Thank you.

Denis

[DBS]

To be honest, even 30 BC is probably being quite generous as I am not aware there is any record of them posing a military threat in the early principate; I think it is only late second century off the top of my head that we get a real mention of them needing a campaign to sort them out, unless this is just an accident of surviving sources.

[lionheartrjc]

I am aware of three invasions of Egypt by the Blemmye (c.250CE defeated by Decius, c.265CE defeated by Firmus and c.279CE when they captured Thebais and were defeated by M Aurelius Probus).  Were there any other recorded conflicts involving the Blemmye?

That doesn't mean they hadn't been around and fighting for hundreds of years earlier, but it seems to be that this was the main period when they were active against Roman Egypt.

[DBS]

Exactly. The whole point of Strabo was that the Romans initially only needed three cohorts in Egypt, and only increased when the Ethiopians got cheeky, not the assorted nomads such as the Blemmyes.