Despite the enormous popularity of Petra the Nabateans are still a bit of a mysterious corner of the ancient world. This Italian temple sort of binds them to th

Despite the enormous popularity of Petra the Nabateans are still a bit of a mysterious corner of the ancient world. This Italian temple sort of binds them to the "known universe". It is also an interesting example of so-called political risk: your business fortunes being tied too closely to the whims of a State. > The edification of the sanctuary was possible when the Nabataeans enjoyed the freedom and opportunities offered by the friendship with Rome and the independence of their motherland. In this golden age, from the time of Augustus to that of Trajan (AD 98–117), the Nabataeans accumulated an enormous wealth but then... > the trade routes were absorbed into a general network controlled by the State, with very little space for the initiatives of a people no longer independent