A queen for all seasons : Zenobia of Palmyra
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch University, Department of Ancient Studies
Abstract
Throughout the centuries a number of truly remarkable women emerged to awe the
world. One of these is a charismatic warrior queen of antiquity, Zenobia, last ruler of the
once wealthy and exotic city-state of Palmyra in Syria, that flourished in the late Roman
Empire of the third century AD. She rose to power upon the death of her husband
Odenathus, a client-king of Rome, when she acted as regent for their son Vaballathus2
born in 260 AD. The queen was just and capable, a patron of artists and philosophers,
learned, strong-willed and dynamic, and reputed to be one of the great beauties of
history. She fought alongside her troops and astounded the ancient world by carving out
a large territory beyond Palmyra, even subjugating Egypt, before being overthrown by
the formidable Emperor Aurelian who came to power in 270 AD. At his triumph in
Rome, Aurelian displayed the Palmyrene queen weighed down by gold chains and
jewels, but so great was his respect for her that according to one tradition he settled her
in Rome where she lived out the rest of her life.
Description
CITATION: Breytenbach, M. M. 2005. A queen for all seasons : Zenobia of Palmyra. Akroterion, 50:51-66, doi:10.7445/50-0-76.
The original publication is available at http://akroterion.journals.ac.za/pub
The original publication is available at http://akroterion.journals.ac.za/pub
Keywords
Zenobia -- Queen of Palmyra, Rome --History -- Aurelian, 270-275, Tadmur (Syria) -- History, Tadmur (Syria) -- Kings and rulers
Citation
Breytenbach, M. M. 2005. A queen for all seasons : Zenobia of Palmyra. Akroterion, 50:51-66, doi:10.7445/50-0-76