▁this ▁was ▁partly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Sever an ▁dynast y ' s ▁relations ▁with ▁and ▁connections ▁to ▁Em esa . ▁Part ly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁influence ▁and ▁rule ▁of ▁the ▁Em es ene ▁dynast y , ▁Em esa ▁had ▁grown ▁and ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁East . ▁Despite ▁the ▁Em esen es ▁being ▁a ▁war like ▁people ; ▁they ▁export ed ▁whe at , ▁g rap es ▁and ▁ol ives ▁throughout ▁the ▁Roman ▁world , ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁trade ▁route ▁which ▁stretch ed ▁from ▁the ▁main land ▁to ▁the ▁coast , ▁which ▁benef ited ▁the ▁local ▁and ▁the ▁Roman ▁economy . ▁The ▁Em esen es ▁sent ▁men ▁into ▁the ▁Roman ▁leg ions ▁and ▁contributed ▁their ▁arch ers ▁to ▁the ▁auxili aries ▁of ▁the ▁imperial ▁army . ▁In ▁modern ▁Sy ria , ▁Em esa ▁has ▁retained ▁its ▁local ▁significance ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁market ▁centre ▁for ▁surrounding ▁villages . ▁ ▁Arch ae ology ▁The ▁royal ▁family ▁of ▁Em esa ▁is ▁imper fect ly ▁known . ▁What ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁the ▁Em es ene ▁dynast y ▁and ▁their ▁kingdom ▁is ▁from ▁surv iving ▁arch ae ological ▁evidence , ▁as ▁the ▁ancient ▁Roman ▁historical ▁sources ▁do ▁not ▁provide ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁information ▁about ▁them . ▁It ▁is ▁from ▁surv iving ▁ins cri ptions ▁that ▁we ▁know ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁the ▁Em es ene ▁Pri est - K ings ; ▁the ▁Em es ene ▁Pri ests , ▁their ▁known ▁relatives ▁and ▁the ▁limited ▁information ▁about ▁them