What happened to the Zenobia?
Sources differ about Zenobia's fate after her capture. According to some, Zenobia and Vaballathus graced the triumphal procession that Aurelian celebrated at Rome in 274. However, other historians claim that she starved herself to death during the trip to Rome.
What did Queen Zenobia do?
Zenobia, the Rebel Queen Who Took On Rome This ancient queen of Palmyra conquered Egypt, captured Roman provinces, and nearly transformed her realm into an empire equal to Rome. Wealth, culture, and power dwelled in the city of Palmyra in the third century A.D.
Where did the Romans take Queen Zenobia?
Zenobia, her son Vaballathus, and her court officials were brought to the Syrian city of Emesa where they were put on trial. Convicted of treason and various other crimes, most of Zenobia's supporters were executed. She and Vaballathus were spared as Aurelian wanted to display them during his triumph in Rome.
What did Aurelian say to Zenobia?
Aurelian concluded his letter by saying, “Therefore let those whom nothing pleases keep the venom of their own tongues to themselves.” Needless to say, the triumph went on and Zenobia was marched through the streets of Rome with so much gold and jewelry adorning her that she could hardly walk.
Why was Zenobia known as warrior queen?
"Warrior Queen" After her military successes, Zenobia became known as a "Warrior Queen." In leading her army, she displayed significant prowess: she was an able horsewoman and would march several miles with her foot soldiers.
What does the name Zenobia mean?
life of ZeusMeaning:life of Zeus. Parents seeking a timeless name with a mystical aura will love the feminine title, Zenobia. This lyrical name is Greek in origin and means “life of Zeus.” A name that inspires greatness, the third-century-BC Queen Zenobia was the ruler of the wealthy city of Palmyra in the Arabian desert.
Was Zenobia a warrior?
In its short bios of imperial usurpers, it states that Zenobia took part in her husband's campaigns against the Persians and often marched with her troops. It never specifies that she fought in battles. But popular culture has made Zenobia into a warrior queen anyway.
How do you pronounce Zenobia?
0:371:01How To Say Zenobia - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipCenovio sé bien cenovio se ve bien.MoreCenovio sé bien cenovio se ve bien.
Which city was the capital of Queen Zenobia's breakaway empire?
Named after its capital city, Palmyra, it encompassed the Roman provinces of Syria Palaestina, Arabia Petraea, and Egypt, as well as large parts of Asia Minor. The Palmyrene Empire was ruled by Queen Zenobia, officially as regent for her son Vaballathus, who inherited the throne in 267 at age ten.
Why was Aurelian assassinated?
Early in 275, while marching to open a campaign against Persia, Aurelian was murdered by a group of officers who had allegedly been misled by his secretary into believing themselves marked for execution.
Is Historia Augusta trustworthy?
From the sixth century to the end of the 19th century, historians had recognized that the Historia Augusta was a flawed and not a particularly reliable source, and since the 20th century modern scholars have tended to treat it with extreme caution.
Where is the ancient city of Palmyra?
Syrian desertAn oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world.
Was Zenobia a warrior?
In its short bios of imperial usurpers, it states that Zenobia took part in her husband's campaigns against the Persians and often marched with her troops. It never specifies that she fought in battles. But popular culture has made Zenobia into a warrior queen anyway.
Why was Aurelian assassinated?
Early in 275, while marching to open a campaign against Persia, Aurelian was murdered by a group of officers who had allegedly been misled by his secretary into believing themselves marked for execution.
Who was Conan's queen?
ZenobiaThough Conan's queen, Zenobia, and his close counselors distrust the dwarf, the king heeds him.
Which city was the capital of Queen Zenobia's breakaway empire?
Named after its capital city, Palmyra, it encompassed the Roman provinces of Syria Palaestina, Arabia Petraea, and Egypt, as well as large parts of Asia Minor. The Palmyrene Empire was ruled by Queen Zenobia, officially as regent for her son Vaballathus, who inherited the throne in 267 at age ten.
When did Zenobia become Queen?
The first inscription mentioning Zenobia as queen is dated two or three years after Odaenathus' death, so exactly when Zenobia assumed the title "queen of Palmyra" is uncertain. However, she was probably designated as queen when her husband became king.
What was the role of Zenobia in the world?
Zenobia was a cultured monarch and fostered an intellectual environment in her court , which was open to scholars and philosophers. She was tolerant toward her subjects and protected religious minorities. The queen maintained a stable administration which governed a multicultural multiethnic empire. Zenobia died after 274, and many tales have been recorded about her fate. Her rise and fall have inspired historians, artists and novelists, and she is a patriotic symbol in Syria.
Why did Zenobia claim the imperial title?
The assumption of imperial titles by Zenobia signaled a usurpation: independence from, and open rebellion against, Aurelian. The timeline of events and why Zenobia declared herself empress is vague. In the second half of 271, Aurelian marched to the East, but was delayed by the Goths in the Balkans; this may have alarmed the queen, driving her to claim the imperial title. Zenobia also probably understood the inevitability of open conflict with Aurelian, and decided that feigning subordination would be useless; her assumption of the imperial title was used to rally soldiers to her cause. Aurelian's campaign seems to have been the main reason for the Palmyrene imperial declaration and the removal of his portrait from its coins.
Why did Zenobia have less effort in the war against Syria?
Syrian subjugation required less effort because Zenobia had substantial support there, particularly in Antioch, Syria's traditional capital. The invasion of Arabia coincided with the cessation of coin production in Claudius' name by the Antiochean mint, indicating that Zenobia had begun tightening her grip on Syria.
What is the meaning of Zenobia?
She bore the gentilicium (surname) Septimia, and her native Palmyrene name was Bat-Zabbai (written "Btzby" in the Palmyrene alphabet, an Aramaic name meaning "daughter of Zabbai"). In Greek —Palmyra's diplomatic and second language, used in many Palmyrene inscriptions—she used the name Zenobia ("one whose life derives from Zeus "). The philologist Wilhelm Dittenberger believed that the name Bat Zabbai underwent a detortum (twist), resulting in the name Zenobia. In Palmyra, names such as Zabeida, Zabdila, Zabbai or Zabda were often transformed into "Zenobios" (masculine) and "Zenobia" (feminine) when written in Greek. The historian Victor Duruy believed that the queen used the Greek name as a translation of her native name in deference to her Greek subjects. The ninth-century historian al-Tabari, in his highly fictionalized account, wrote that the queen's name was Na'ila al-Zabba'. Manichaean sources called her "Tadi".
Why did Zenobia invade Egypt?
The invasion of Egypt is sometimes explained by Zenobia's desire to secure an alternative trade route to the Euphrates, which was cut because of the war with Persia. This theory ignores the fact that the Euphrates route was only partially disrupted, and overlooks Zenobia's ambition. The date of the campaign is uncertain; Zosimus placed it after the Battle of Naissus and before Claudius' death, which sets it in the summer of 270. Watson, emphasizing the works of Zonaras and Syncellus and dismissing Zosimus' account, places the invasion in October 270 (after Claudius' death). According to Watson, the occupation of Egypt was an opportunistic move by Zenobia (who was encouraged by the news of Claudius' death in August). The appearance of the Palmyrenes on Egypt's eastern frontier would have contributed to unrest in the province, whose society was fractured; Zenobia had supporters and opponents among local Egyptians.
What was the name of the Roman empress that ruled Egypt?
However, in reaction to the campaign of the Roman emperor Aurelian in 272, Zenobia declared her son emperor and assumed the title of empress (declaring Palmyra's secession from Rome). The Romans were victorious after heavy fighting; the queen was besieged in her capital and captured by Aurelian, who exiled her to Rome, where she spent the remainder of her life.
What happened to Queen Zenobia?
Queen Zenobia attempted to flee towards Persia but was caught and brought back to Aurelian. There are several differing accounts of what happened following Zenobia’s capture. Wikimedia Commons Artwork depicting Zenobia in chains.
What Was Queen Zenobia Actually Like?
As you might imagine, historians of the time had quite a bit to say about this powerful female royal. According to the book The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD 226-363, a variety of sources recorded their thoughts on Zenobia:
What happened to Zenobia during her rule?
With the center of Rome crumbling, Zenobia turned her focus to expanding her ...
Why did Zenobia flee to Palmyra?
With no other place to seek refuge, Zenobia fled back to Palmyra to regroup and shore up its defenses in preparation for another attack.
Why did Aurelian retreat to Emesa?
Aurelian ’s military overpowered Zenobia’s forces and she retreated to the city of Emesa to regain supplies and manpower. There, the two armies clashed again, with Aurelian again emerging victorious.
What did Zenobia do in 269 A.D.?
In 269 A.D., she focused on strengthening her own military and concentrating her power in the East. In 270 A.D., she broke off friendly relations with Rome and began taking over their lands.
Where did Zenobia live?
But most reliable sources agree that she eventually married a wealthy Roman man and lived out the rest of her life in a comfortable villa by the Tiber River. However her final days may have played out, Zenobia is still remembered today as one of history’s most powerful queens.
What did Zenobia do to the people of Alexandria?
Zenobia sent a declaration to the citizens of Alexandria, calling it "my ancestral city," emphasizing her Egyptian heritage. After this success, Zenobia personally led her army as a "warrior queen.". She conquered more territory, including Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, creating an empire independent of Rome.
What happened to Zenobia and her son?
Zenobia and her son were sent to Rome as hostages. A revolt in Palmyra in 273 led to the sacking of the city by Rome. In 274, Aurelius paraded Zenobia in his triumph parade in Rome, passing out free bread as part of the celebration.
What did Zenobia do to the Romans?
Zenobia also cut off grain supplies to the empire, which caused a bread shortage in Rome.
What languages did Zenobia speak?
Zenobia's languages likely included Aramaic, Arabic, Greek, and Latin. Zenobia's mother may have been Egyptian; Zenobia was said to be familiar with ancient Egyptian language as well.
Why did Zenobia ride ahead of the army?
Zenobia accompanied her husband, riding ahead of the army, as he expanded Palmyra's territory, to help protect Rome's interests and to harry the Persians of the Sassanid empire.
What does Aurelius say about Zenobia?
A letter from Aurelius includes this reference to Zenobia: "Those who speak with contempt of the war I am waging against a woman, are ignorant both of the character and power of Zenobia. It is impossible to enumerate her warlike preparations of stones, of arrows, and of every species of missile weapons and military engines."
Where did Zenobia escape?
Zenobia and her son fled to Emesa, for a final fight. Zenobia retreated to Palmyra, and Aurelius took that city. Zenobia escaped on a camel, sought protection of the Persians, but was captured by Aurelius' forces at the Euphrates. Palmyrans who did not surrender to Aurelius were ordered executed.
What was the impact of Queen Zenobia's rise and fall?
Queen Zenobia of Palmyra (ca.240-274 AD) faced a power vacuum following the death of her husband and the disintegration of Roman power in the Near East.
Where did Zenobia rule?
Zenobia ruled this Palmyrene Empire primarily from the city of Antioch, where she styled herself as a Syrian monarch, a Hellenistic Queen, and a Roman Empress. Despite the multilingual, multiethnic, and multicultural nature of her empire, Zenobia was able to draw wide support.
Why were Zenobia and Vaballathus spared?
She and Vaballathus were spared as Aurelian wanted to display them during his triumph in Rome.
Why did Zenobia create the Palmyrene Empire?
To ensure stability in the region she created a Palmyrene empire that incorporated most of the Roman Near East from Anatolia to Egypt. Zenobia was a cultured monarch who encouraged intellectual movements at court and ruled here multilingual and multi-ethnic subjects with fairness and tolerance.
What is the meaning of Zenobia?
The name Zenobia translates from Greek as “one whose life derives from Greek.”. Her native Palmyrene name was Bat-Zabbai, or “daughter of Zabbai;” which may have been rendered as Zenobia in deference to her Greek-speaking subject. She also possessed a Roman gentilicium, or surname, which was Septimia.
What happened to Zenobia in 270 AD?
With the Romans distracted by further invasions in Europe, Zenobia, in 270 AD, moved to crush her rivals. Syria was easily subdued, along with northern Mesopotamia, and Judea. The Roman governor of Arabia confronted the Palmyrenes but was killed in battle.
What was Zenobia's program?
In Egypt, Zenobia embarked on a program of building and restoration. The Colossi of Memnon, which in earlier centuries were to “sing,” were silenced when she repaired their cracks. An adherent of the Semitic gods of Palmyra, Zenobia tolerated and accommodated a wide variety of religious minorities.
Who was the FBC agent that was knocked unconscious?
Making her way into the room, she and Parker Luciani were knocked unconscious.
What happened to Morgan Lansdale?
The Queen Zenobia Incident brought down Morgan Lans dale and the FBC, and established the BSAA as a large-scale international force under UN jurisdiction.
What happened in 2005?
The Queen Zenobia Incident was a biological outbreak on board a set of cruise ships in 2005, which revealed a large-scale conspiracy over what happened in the Terragrigia Panic the previous year .
What was the goal of the Lansdale conspiracy?
The goal of the conspiracy was to engineer a perceived bioterrorist threat in order to generate universal fear, and ultimately increase the powers of the FBC (and therefore Lansdale, himself), while also enabling the creation of a vaccine to the t-Abyss virus.
Why was O'Brian angered by Lansdale's act?
O'Brian was angered by Lansdale's act; in doing so he destroyed potential evidence that could be used to prevent another such tragedy; in reality, Lansdale was removing evidence implicating himself in the outbreak. While many lives of the task force servicemen and women were saved, O'Brian warned Lansdale that groups like Veltro would return, and perhaps even multiply. The mission was otherwise a success: the city was sterilized and Veltro, themselves were wiped out.
Who were the two FBC agents that were involved in Veltro?
Meanwhile, instructions were sent to two FBC agents, Rachel and Raymond Vester, to prepare a trap on the Queen Zenobia.
Who took back Zenobia's empire?
The Romans didn’t like having territory taken away from them. The emperor Aurelian was a skilled military leader, and he immediately took back much of Zenobia’s empire, reconquering Egypt first.
When was Zenobia born?
It was the 3rd century of the Common Era . Zenobia, sometimes called Septimia or Bat-Zabbel, was born around 240 CE in the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. She married Odeanathius, ruler of the city of Palmyra (sometimes called Tadmose), and when he was assassinated, she became the regent for her young son Wahballat. Some said she had him killed, but it’s difficult to know.
Overview
Septimia Zenobia (Palmyrene: 𐡡𐡶𐡦𐡡𐡩 : BTZBY, vocalized as Bat-Zabbai; c. AD 240 – c. 274) was a third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. Many legends surround her ancestry; she was probably not a commoner and she married the ruler of the city, Odaenathus. Her husband became king in 260, elevating Palmyra to supreme power in the Near East by defeating the Sassanians and …
Name, appearance and sources
Zenobia was born c. 240–241, and bore the gentilicium (surname) Septimia. Her native Palmyrene name was Bat-Zabbai (written "Btzby" in the Palmyrene alphabet), an Aramaic name meaning "daughter of Zabbai". Such compound names for women were common in Palmyra, where the element "bt" means daughter, but the personal name that follows does not necessarily denotes the immediate father, rather referring to the ancestor of the family. In Greek—Palmyra's diplomatic and …
Origin, family and early life
Palmyrene society was an amalgam of Semitic tribes (mostly Aramean and Arab), and Zenobia cannot be identified with any one group; as a Palmyrene, she may have had both Aramean and Arab ancestry. Information about Zenobia's ancestry and immediate family connections is scarce and contradictory. Nothing is known about her mother, and her father's identity is debated. Manic…
Queen of Palmyra
During the early centuries AD, Palmyra was a city subordinate to Rome and part of the province of Syria Phoenice. In 260 the Roman emperor Valerian marched against the Sassanid Persian monarch Shapur I, who had invaded the empire's eastern regions; Valerian was defeated and captured near Edessa. Odaenathus, formally loyal to Rome and its emperor Gallienus (Valerian's son), was declared …
Captivity and fate
Aurelian, learning about Zenobia's departure, sent a contingent which captured the queen before she could cross the Euphrates to Persia; Palmyra capitulated soon after news of Zenobia's captivity reached the city in August 272. Aurelian sent the queen and her son to Emesa for trial, followed by most of Palmyra's court elite (including Longinus). According to the Augustan History and Zosim…
Titles
The queen owed her elevated position to her son's minority. To celebrate Herodianus' coronation, a statue was erected in Palmyra in 263. According to the inscription on the base of the statue, it was commissioned by Septimius Worod, then the duumviri (magistrate) of Palmyra, and Julius Aurelius, the Queen's procurator (treasurer). According to the historian David Potter, Zenobi…
Descendants
Aside from Vaballathus, it is unclear if Zenobia had other children, and their alleged identities are subject to scholarly disagreements. The image of a child named Hairan (II) appears on a seal impression with that of his brother Vaballathus; no name of a mother was engraved and the seal is undated. Odaenathus' son Herodianus is identified by Udo Hartmann with Hairan I, a so…
Evaluation and legacy
An evaluation of Zenobia is difficult; the queen was courageous when her husband's supremacy was threatened and by seizing the throne, she protected the region from a power vacuum after Odaenathus' death. According to Watson, she made what Odaenathus left her a "glittering show of strength". In the view of Watson, Zenobia should not be seen as a total powermonger, nor as a selfless hero fighting for a cause; according to the historian David Graf, "She took seriously the ti…