Zenobia

Zenobia was beautiful and intelligent. She had a dark complexion, her teeth were pearl white, she had black bright eyes and jet black hair that fell to her hips. Zenobia had a strong and melody voice and had the charms of a woman.
Zenobia was well educated and knew at least eight languages, Greek, Arabic, Egyptian and Latin were among them. She was very interested in history and interested in the works of Homer, Plato and other writers from Greece.
She also enjoyed hunting animals and drinking with the men.
Zenobia married King of Palmyra Septimius Odaenathus by 258 as his second wife. She had a stepson Hairan, a son from Odaenathus’ first marriage. As in 258, there is an inscription ‘the illustrious consul our lord’ at Palmyra, dedicated to Odaenathus who was chief of Palmyra, by Zenobia, who was a supporter of his.
Around 266, Zenobia bore Odaenathus a second child a son, Lucius Iulius Aurelius Septimius Vaballathus Athenodorus. Her son Vaballathus (Latin from the Arabic as Wahballath), is the name of Odaenathus’ paternal grandfather that means ‘gift of the Goddess’. In 267, Zenobia’s husband and stepson were assassinated. Vaballathus, not old enough to rule as king, his mother succeeded his father and ruled Palmyra on his behalf. Although, Vaballathus was declared king, Vaballathus was only king in title and position only, as his mother had the real power and ruled the throne. Zenobia bestowed upon herself and her son, the honorific titles of Augusta and Augustus.
To the memory of her husband and legacy to her son, she wanted conquer and increase the Palmyrene Empire. She wanted to protect the Eastern Roman Empire from the Sassanid Empire, for the peace of Rome, however it was really to increase the power for her throne.
In 269, Zenobia, her army and the Palmyrene General Zabdas violently conquered Egypt with help from their Egyptain ally, Timagenes and his army. The Roman prefect of Egypt, Tenagino Probus and his forces, tried to expel them from Egypt, however Probus was captured and then beheaded. After Zenobia’s victory, she proclaimed herself Queen of Egypt. From this moment, Zenobia became a ‘Warrior Queen’. She was an able horse rider and could walk three or four miles with her foot soldiers.
Zenobia with her large army made expeditions and conquered Asia Minor as far as Ancyra or Ankara and Chalcedon, then to Syria, Palestine and Lebanon. In her short lived empire, Zenobia took the vital trade roots in these areas from the Romans. Roman Emperor Aurelian, probably did recognise Zenobia and Vaballathus, who was at that time campaigning with his forces in the Gallic Empire. However this relationship, began to degenerate when Aurelian began a military campaign to reunite the Roman Empire in 272/3. Aurelian and his forces, left the Gallic Empire and arrived in Syria. Aurelian, Zenobia and their forces met and fought near Antioch. After a crushing defeat, the remaining Palmyrenes briefly fled into Antioch and into Emesa. Zenobia was unable to remove her treasury at Emesa as Aurelian successfully entered and sieged Emesa. Zenobia and her son, escaped from Emesa on camel back with help from the Sassanids and were captured on the Euphrates River by Aurelian’s horsemen. Zenobia’s short lived kingdom and the Palmyrene Empire had ended. There is a claim, after Aurelian’s defeat Zenobia committed suicide, however this is not likely. The remaining Palmyrenes who refused to surrender were captured by Aurelian and were executed on Aurelian’s orders. Among those who were executed was her chief counsellor and Greek sophist Cassius Dionysius Longinus.
Zenobia and Vaballathus were taken as hostages to Rome by Aurelian.
In 274, Zenobia appeared in golden chains in Aurelian’s military triumph parade in Rome. Aurelian out of clemency, impressed by her beauty and dignity freed Zenobia. Aurelian granted her an elegant villa, in Tibur (modern Tivoli, Italy). She lived in luxury and she became a prominent philosopher, socialite and Roman matron.
Zenobia married a Roman governor and senator (whose name is unknown), bore him daughters (their names are unknown) and their daughters married into Roman noble families. She would have further descendants surviving in the fourth and fifth century.