# Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man

Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man (Arabic: المنذر بن النعمان), also known as Al-Mundhir ibn Imri' al-Qays (المنذر بن إمرئ القيس) (died 554) was the king of the Lakhmids in 503/505–554.

## Biography

His mother's name was Maria bint Awf bin Geshem. The son of al-Nu'man II ibn al-Aswad, he succeeded his father either immediately upon his death in 503 or after a short interregnum by Abu Ya'fur ibn Alqama. He is one of the most renowned Lakhmid kings, and is known for his military achievements. These started before he was crowned a king, during the Anastasian War, with a raid in Palaestina Salutaris and Arabia Petraea in the year 503, capturing a large number of Romans. Mundhir's raids covered the area between Euphrates from the east up to Egypt in the west and Najd southward, where in 521 The Himyarites Responding to the cry of help from local Arab tribes Led a campaign against Lakhmids forcing them to withdraw from Najd.
In 526, the Iberian War between the Byzantine Empire and Sasanian Empire began, and Mundhir attacked Syria, ravaging it. Two high-ranking Roman commanders, Timostratus and John, were captured. This caused Justinian I to send al-Mundhir an embassy for peace consisting of Abraham, son of Euphrasius (his son was Nonnosus the historian), and Simeon of Beth Arsham. They were joined by Sergius of Rasafa (who was later sent by Justinian with gifts to al-Mundhir). In 528, al-Mundhir attacked Syria and returned with much booty. The following year (529), he renewed his attacks, firstly taking all the area of frontiers, which was Khabour. Afterward, he marched towards Arzona and Nisibis, despoiling and ravaging the cities before continuing to Apamea and Chalcedon. Al-Mundhir could not conquer Antioch because Justinian dispatched a large army to protect it. Al-Mundhir returned with much booty, among them 400 nuns, whom he burnt to the goddess al-Uzza.
Al-Mundhir was killed in the battle of Yawm Halima with the Ghassanids under al-Harith ibn Jabalah in June 554. He was succeeded by his three sons, Amr ibn Hind (r. 554–569), Qabus ibn al-Mundhir (r. 569–573) and al-Mundhir IV ibn al-Mundhir (r. 574–580).

## Sources

* ↑ John Binns, Ascetics and ambassadors of Christ: the monasteries of Palestine, 314-631. p.113; Frank R. Trombley, J. W. Watt, The chronicle of pseudo-Joshua the Stylite (the margin) p.108; Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of John the Hesychast, 211. 15-20
* ↑ Procopius I. xvii. 41; Rothstein, Dynastie der Lahmiden, p. 46; Shahid, Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fifth Century, pp.24-25
* ↑ "DASI: Digital Archive for the Study of pre-islamic arabian Inscriptions: Epigraph details". dasi.cnr.it. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
* ↑ "an expedition ... on account of the business of the declaration to him, by the Arabs, of a rebellion" (Beeston 1982 b. But in Beeston et al. 1982 the clause is analysed differently: ḏ-ndyn-hmw, ndy: "proclaim"); "parce qu'il a soumis les Arabes en révolte alors que Mḏrm lui faisait la guerre" (Robin).
* ↑ Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1982. A note on Maʿdikarib's Wādī Māsil text. Annali dell'Istituto Orientale di Napoli, 42/2: 307-311
* ↑ Beeston, Alfred F.L., al-Ghūl, Maḥmūd ʿA., Müller, Walter W. and Ryckmans, Jacques 1982. Sabaic Dictionary (English-French-Arabic). Dictionnaire Sabéen (anglais-français-arabe). Louvain-la-Neuve: Éditions Peeters / Beirut: Libraire du Liban.
* ↑ Ryckmans, Gonzague 1953. Inscriptions sud-arabes. Dixième série. Le Muséon, 66: 267-317.