The Periplus explicitly states that Azania (which included Rhapta) was subject to Charibael, the king of both the Sabaeans and Homerites in the southwest corner of Arabia. The kingdom is known to have been a Roman ally at this period. Charibael is stated in the Periplus to be a friend of the (Roman) emperors, thanks to continuous embassies and gifts and, therefore, Azania could fairly be described as a vassal or dependency of Rome, just as Zesan is described in the 3rd-century Chinese history, the Weilüe.