Himyarite Kingdom

an ancient state that arose in southwestern South Arabia at the end of the second century B.C. By the beginning of the first century A.D., the Himyarite kingdom included all sea trading points on the southwestern coast of South Arabia. The kingdom conquered part of the coast of East Africa and a significant portion of the territory of Saba. By the end of the second century A.D., the combined forces of Saba, Aksum, and Hadhramaut defeated the Himyarite kingdom and made it a vassal state of Saba. In the early fourth century, all of South Arabia again came under the power of the Himyarite kingdom. The territory of the kingdom was conquered by the Ethiopians in the early sixth century and by the Sassanids in the 570’s.