#palmyrene king

[whencyclopedia]

Zenobia's Rebellion in the Historia Augusta

The Historia Augusta (Great History) is a Latin work of the 4th century CE that chronicles the lives of Roman emperors from 117-285 CE. Among the many stories related is the history of Zenobia of Palmyra and her challenge to Roman authority which was crushed by the emperor Aurelian in 273 CE.

Zenobia (b. 240 CE, death date unknown) was the wife of the Syrian governor and founder of the Palmyrene Kingdom, Odaenathus (r. 263-267 CE) who was killed (or intentionally assassinated) on a hunting trip in 267 CE, leaving his young son Vaballathus (b. 259 CE, d. c. 273 CE) as successor. As Vaballathus was too young to reign at the time, Zenobia became regent for their son and expanded the kingdom of Palmyra into an empire.

Her rise to power took place during the chaotic period known as the Crisis of the Third Century (235- 284 CE, also known as the Imperial Crisis) when the central government was weak and various Barracks Emperors succeeded each other rapidly in rule. In this climate, no one noticed - or had the power to deal with - Zenobia's steady expansion of power until Aurelian (r. 270 - 275 CE) came to power and ended her ambitions, drawing the Palmyrene Empire back under the control of Rome. The story of Zenobia's rise and fall is given in a number of ancient works and, among them, is the Historia Augusta.

Historicity of Historia Augusta

While today the Historia Augusta is recognized as largely fictional (some scholars even giving it the label of "historical fiction"), it was considered reliable history in its time and for many centuries afterwards. The famous historian Edward Gibbon (l. 1737-1794 CE) accepted it as an authentic record of the ancient Roman history and relied on it extensively in his six-volume work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire which, like the Historia Augusta, is largely viewed as inaccurate in the modern day. Both of these works, however, had significant impact on the audiences who read them or heard them read.

Rather than regard Historia Augusta as largely fictional, it would perhaps be better to consider it in the same light as one would the genre of ancient Mesopotamian naru literature. Naru literature began appearing around the second millennium BCE in Mesopotamia and is characterized by stories featuring a well-known figure from the past (usually a king) as the main character in a quasi-historical tale, which either extolled the king's military prowess, told the tale of his life and reign, or, more often, used the king to exemplify the proper relationship between human beings and the gods. The main character (king) was always an actual historical figure, but the story was either fictional or slanted in a particular way in order to achieve a desired impression.

While the Historia Augusta is not as concerned with the gods as it is with the Roman emperors, the same paradigm applies in that the tales of the Roman rulers are given as "teaching moments" through which one learns what it means to be a good monarch or a poor one, a great man or a failure. The work is certainly biased in its presentation but is understood to have drawn on reliable historical sources for its narratives. The focus of these narratives, however, is always on how effective - or paltry - a given emperor's reign was understood to have been. This model applies not only to the Roman emperors, however, but also to their adversaries and, most notably, to the Queen Zenobia of Palmyra.

Continue reading...

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women’s History Meme || Women from Ancient History (or legends) (3/5) ↬ Septima Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra (c. 240 – c. 274)

Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, and self-proclaimed Empress, is one of the heroines of the ancient world who has inspired successive generations of scholars, writers, librettists and musicians, playwrights and actors. In the modern western world she is slightly less well known than Cleopatra; in the east she is still supreme, as demonstrated by the massive response throughout the Arab world to the television series called Anarchy (Al-Abadid) broadcast in Syria in 1997. The role of the Empress Zenobia was played by a very famous and beautiful Arab actress, Raghda, and her struggle against the Romans was depicted in twenty-two episodes watched by millions of people. For political reasons, but by controversial calculations, Zenobia claimed descent from Cleopatra, who was neither Arab nor Egyptian, but a Macedonian Greek. The writers of the television series emphasized Zenobia’s iconic Arab origins, but in fact, as a Palmyrene, Zenobia combined elements of Aramaic and Arabic ancestry. The population of Palmyra was descended from an amalgamation of various tribes of different ethnic backgrounds, and their language was a dialect of Aramaic. As the heroic and ultimately tragic Queen of Palmyra, Zenobia ranks with two other heroines of ancient history: the British Queen Boudicca and Cleopatra, who stood firm for their principles and their people, defied their oppressors, and were ultimately defeated. In each case the tragedy is all the more poignant because all three queens were the last of their lines, and after their deaths, each of their kingdoms disappeared, absorbed by Rome. These heroic women passed into legend as a result of their individual struggles and tragic fates, and the simple fact that they were women, who ruled as capably, and fought just as fiercely, as kings. Their enduring fame far outstrips the quantity and quality of the information about them. — Empress Zenobia: Palmyra’s Rebel Queen by Pat Southern

[agarthanguide]

There's something truly magical about late 19th century history paintings.

It's the last gasp of the French Academic style, but instead of lots of drapery and allegory, they are taking cues from the rising tide of archaeological research and forward-looking school of narrative illustration, which adds up to the first real attempts to depict the past as best they it could be imagined. These paintings have more in common with the old-(ish) National Geographic illustrations of life in ancient Knossos than they do with their contemporaries in the Pre-Raphaelite movement.

From top to bottom-

"Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle," by Henri-Paul Motte (1881)- depicts the siege by the forces of Louis XIII of France, lead by Cardinal Richelieu, against the Huguenots in the port of La Rochelle, 1627-1628

"Bringing Home the Body of King Karl XII of Sweden," by Gustaf Cederstrom (1884)- depicts the route of the Swedish army following a failed invasion of Norway that ended with the death of King Karl XII, 1718

"Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra," by Herbert Schmalz (1888)- depicts the Palmyrene Queen Septimia Zenobia in the moments before leaving her besieged capitol, having been captured by the forces of the Roman emperor Aureliuan, 272 AD

"Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed," by Ilya Repin (1880s)- depicts the supposedly historical story of the Cossacks sending an insulting reply to an ultimatum from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed IV, 1676

"The Execution of Lady Jane Grey," by Paul Delaroche (1833)- depicts the execution of the teenaged Lady Jane Grey, who had been elevated to the throne of England and Ireland for (approx) nine days in July of 1553. Her execution was at the Tower of London in February, 1554

"The Cadaver Synod" by Jean-Paul Laurens (1870)- depicts the posthumous trial of Pope Formosus by his eventual successor Pope Stephen VI ten months after Formosus' death, 897

"Chlodobert's Last Moments" by Albert Maignan (1880)- depicts the death of the Merovingian Prince Chlodebert, son of Chilperic I, before the tomb of Saint Medard, where the prince had been brought in the hope of a miracle, 580

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

What is a historical event you would like to see turned into a movie?

so many. i'll list a few. and not all of these would necessarily be a movie but maybe a miniseries.

the expedition of the ten thousand. would be an epic adventure film. full stop.

a comedy drama about santa anna. seriously, if you look at him from a certain perspective this dude's life is a comedy. seems like his whole life was just him failing upwards and getting himself in the craziest situations.

syagrius and the kingdom of soissons. it's little detail about this so there's a lot of room for artistic license but i think it's an interesting setting. the last remnant of the roman empire in gaul, alone surrounded by enemies.

honestly, anything pirate. i love pirates and there is a lack of good pirate movies. i'll take anything but i'd love to see something about henry avery and the ganj-i-sawai.

the peloponnesian war, especially the sicilian expedition and all that drama. probably better as a miniseries.

literally so much about rome. from the gracchus brothers and their land reforms to sulla and his civil war to aurelian and the palmyrene empire.

bleeding kansas. probably a good miniseries.

the war of roses. miniseries. i mean, it inspired game of thrones. come on.

so many colonial america things. king philip's war, the plundering times, the merrymount drama, etc.

lewis and clark expedition. again probably better as a miniseries.

vikings colonizing america.

robert matthews and his little kingdom. or, alternatively, joseph smith and the mormons and their journey across the country.

biopics about various figures: cesare borgia, da vinci, hypatia, tycho brahe, lorenzo de medici, robert guiscard, john hawkwood, oleg of kiev, alexander hamilton, eleanor of aquitaine, justinian, abd al-rahman i, philip the good, charles martel and pepin the short and so so so many more.

oh you know what i've always wanted? a miniseries about jesus' followers after his death. i wanna see all the internal politics and competing theologies of all his disciples. then i want it to culminate in the jewish-roman war and the destruction of the temple.

a good movie about the politics and intrigue of the french revolution, especially the reign of terror.

munster rebellion.

i think some mass migrations could be interesting. like the proto-indo-european migrations (so many options), the sea peoples (it's probably a mass migration and little is known so lots of artistic license), or the germanic migrations (follow the visigoths and their internal power struggles as they march across europe), or even the alans (going all the way from central europe to north africa? wild).

coal wars.

war of the league of cambrai.

abbasid revolution.

a horror loosely inspired by whatever was happening at herxheim.

columbus discovering, exploring, and governing the new world.

fourth crusade.

the constitutional convention (pls).

horror loosely inspired by roanoke colony.

i can keep going but you get the idea.

[liberty1776]

Zenobia c. AD 240 – c. 274) was 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 stabilizing the Roman East. After Odaenathus' assassination, Zenobia became the regent of her son Vaballathus and held de facto power throughout his reign.

In 270, Zenobia launched an invasion that brought most of the Roman East under her sway and culminated with the annexation of Egypt. By mid-271 her realm extended from Ancyra, central Anatolia, to southern Egypt, although she remained nominally subordinate to Rome. 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.

Queen Zenobia's last look upon Palmyra by Herbert Gustave Schmalz

[romanpunks]

RomanPunk#606 - Maco Kishar

Born in 235 AD in Palmyra, Maco Kishar was whisked into a dimensional portal by his sister, the priestess Bel Kishar, to battle as a cybergladiator rather than face the wrath of the conquering Emperor Aurelian.

ATTRIBUTES

ID#: 606/1000 Name: Maco Kishar Race: Palmyrene Type: Gladiator Avatar Rarity: Common WAX Rarity: Rare Class: Gladiator Attack: 7 Defense: 7 Speed: 8 Tagline: “A well-aimed laser rifle is worth III.”

LORE

Date of Birth: 235 AD Place of Birth: Palmyra Backstory:

Maco grew up as a well educated youth in Roman controlled Palmyra, raised along with his sister, Bel, by an affluent philosopher-warrior father and a mother who worked as a master weaver. While his sister devoted her life to the sun god Helios, Maco became a soldier, joining the army of Odaenathus and distinguishing himself on the battlefield in Persia against the armies of Shapur I on the banks of the Euphrates and during the siege of Ctesiphon. When Odaenathus was assassinated by his own cousin, Maco pledged his loyalty to the new king, 10 year old Vaballathus, and his mother regent, Queen Zenobia.

Maco became Zenobia’s lover, following her on her campaigns in Roman Arabia, Egypt and Anatolia and fighting with steadfast courage. However, the Roman Emperor Aurelian did not appreciate Zenobia declaring herself an independent Queen, and sent his armies to suppress her. At the Battle of Immae, Zenobia’s army was decisively defeated. Fearing Aurelian’s retribution towards her brother and other high ranking members of the defeatet Palmyrene army, Bel Kishar invoked an incantation to open a dimensional portal, whisking her brother away in his sleep to an unknown place and time, where he would at least be able to fight on…

When Maco awoke, he found himself in a barren desert wasteland, lying half buried in the soft sand. Bewildered, he wandered for hours in the hot afternoon sun until reaching a small metallic hut. As he approached, a loud siren and flashing blue light activated, startling him. A floating black metallic orb emitted a purple light, scanning him from head to toe. Suddenly it produced a robotic voice in monotonous tone, “Subject unidentifiable, request delivery to slave camp TR-XV”. Then, the machine emitted a zapping sound, Maco felt a sharp burning sensation through his body and began to slip into unconsciousness…

To be Continued…

WAX Trading Card https://wax.atomichub.io/explorer/template/romanpunksio/540651

[warsofasoiaf]

I recall seeing a comparison somewhere that the War of the Five Kings is a historical parallel to the Roman Empire’s Crisis of the Third Century. Do you think this comparison holds up or does the parallel only go as far as a surface-level impression?

Not really. The War of the Five Kings had a question of legitimate succession (Joffrey vs. Stannis in a case of established primogeniture), in stark contrast to Rome which had no real codified succession. The Crisis of the Third Century had mostly revolved around warlord claimants claiming the mantle of the Emperor of Rome, the so-called “barracks emperors�� or regional governors being chosen by their respective regions (like Gordian). The split of the North from the Iron Throne is due to repeated feudal abuses by their overlords, nothing at all like the Gallic or Palmyrene Empires, who largely split due to failure of central administration to be able to effectively manage anything in the remote sectors of the Empire while they were handling the various insurrections, conspiracies, plagues, that befell the Roman Empire.

About the only thing that is similar is Renly’s “I’m going to be King” which can match the barracks emperors.

Thanks for the question, Stranger.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[famous-aces]

Zenobia of Palmyra

Who: Septimia Zenobia Augusta (born Septimia Btzby [Bat-Zabbai], changed it to Septimia Zenobia, the name I gave as her "full name" is the name she chose as her regnal name. The name "Zenobia" basically means "child of Zeus" so just by meeting her she made her divine origins and importance clear.)

What: Empress

Where: Palmyrene (modern day Syria, potentially Arabic, Aramean, or Jewish. Active throughout the Middle East and Turkey)

When: c. 240 CE - c. 274 CE

[Image Description: coins from Emesa (now Ḥimṣ, Syria) from 272 CE. The front of the coin shows shows a portrait of Zenobia from the shoulders-up, surrounded by Greek letters.  She has a stern sharp profile with a long large nose and round chin. She has extremely curly hair that seems to be braided in the back. She is wearing a diadem. On the left (the back of the coin) it shows a full body portrait of the goddess Juno is holding a scepter.  She has her peacock and a star beside her There are more Greek letters around her. End ID] 

The coolest conqueror you have never heard of.  The asexual Alexander the Great. Warrior queen. Rebel against Rome.  Badass. In under two years Zenobia swept through the Roman East, took over, and set up her high culture court, a place where diversity and intellectualism were highly valued.

Zenobia came onto the historical stage as queen consort to the Ras Odaenathus. But then he was until assassinated, at which point his throne passed to their son, Vaballathus. Vaballathus was too young for the crown so Zenobia was appointed regent. And she pretty much took over. She had big plans for the Palmyrene Empire.

This is going to be a longish bio, like with Bessie Coleman and Joan of Arc I have been totally taken in by Zenobia's story. And I had never heard of her before a follower recommended looking into her! (Thank you whoever you were!  I didn't write down your name I am so sorry!) 

Zenobia's origins are extremely mysterious and there are a bunch of different versions of her story. She has fascinated people since her lifetime. Many different cultures, historians, and writers have given her bio/life their own unique cultural quirks. Plus there's the whole being an enemy of Rome thing, that never ends well for your legacy. I am going to try to stick to the facts rather than the legend, either the one attributed to her or the one she concocted for herself (she was very good at propaganda, too).

She has been linked to Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba, but probably wasn't related to either of them.  She was the one who claimed to be descended from the Ptolemaic dynasty, specifically Cleopatra, of course. But odds are not even she actually believed it. The claim was a political maneuver to make her Egypian takeover look legitimate, she was a ruler coming home rather than an invader. Her actual ethnicity/ancestry is unknown. All of the ethnicities I mentioned -- Jewish, Arabic, Aramean -- have all been floated by various scholars over the centuries.

We don't even know what she looked like, really. The images that remain are idealized portraiture from her own coins. No statues or portraits have survived, potentially destroyed by the Romans. Everything else has been made long after the fact. She has been adopted as a patriotic symbol of Syria and was used as a symbol of Syrian and Arabic pride, she has been made both valiant hero and tragic damsel in the West, some say she was an idol of Catherine the Great, thanks to Egyptian magazines in the early 20th century she has become the quintessential female ruler. Some describe her as unbelievably beautiful, others describe her as a mannish tomboy. She is sometimes described as stereotypically emperor than empress in behavior, which really just means she was a very good ruler because women were supposed to be too frivolous and stupid for the crown.

[Image Description: a S£500 note from 1998. It has a green creasant on one side and a profile portrait of Zenobia on the other. She is shown with a long straight nose, curly hair pinned up, a square chin, wearing a diadem and a robe. There is a faded drawing of ruins in the middle. The bill is mostly in a green pallet. End ID]

But, what follows is the most likely story.

She was a well educated polyglot, highly intellectual, enjoyed hunting, and was probably of some noble origin, especially if she had those hobbies before marrying Odaenathus. She was apparently also fond of wrestling, less high class than the hunting thing. We know little about her family aside from the fact that she was the result of a second marriage. During this time she is often described as taking part in more male activities, like the aforementioned hunting and wrestling against boys, as well as enjoying a far better education than most, which seems reflected in her rule.

As a teenager she became the second wife of Odaenathus marrying him around 255.  Odaenathus was a loyal subordinate of Rome, and was created King of Kings and Corrector Totius Orientis (Governor of All the East) by the Roman Empire in addition to his royal titles within his own domain. He went to battle for Rome, and although the record on Zenobia is vague, at this point there are accounts that she joined her husband on campaign where she became familiar with the troops.  This friendly relationship would help her later on when she took command. It would also mean she was knowledgeable of battle and strategy and familiar with the battlefield.

Ultimately in 267 her husband and his elder son (from his previous marriage) while away from the capital. The story goes that within the day the crown went to Zenobia and Odaenathus's 10-year-old son, Vaballathus. The fact it happened so quickly would suggest she was nearby, helping her husband on the battlefield. Zenobia had no objections to her son being King and she herself remaining Queen Mother/Regent, but his title was nominal, she was the power behind the throne and everyone knew it.

She was a huge fan/patron of the arts, learning, and philosophy. Her court was one of high culture and discussion.  Zenobia was a fair and tolerant ruler, she maintained a steady, stable, and safe multi-religious, multiethnic, and multicultural kingdom and eventually that extended to her Empire. This included protections for minorities, religious or otherwise. The leaders she interacted with never objected to or were hostile toward her person, reign, rule, or court. People, including the military and her governors, liked and/or trusted her.  Any complaint about her reign comes from later sources. 

In 269 Vaballathus got the title of Persicus Maximus (Victor of Persia), implying a military victory there (certainly actually Zenobia's since the "King" was only 12 at the time and she was well known as a strategic mind, she may have even marched with her troops). And that was the beginning of the end of Zenobia's Roman loyalty.  That year she began expanding out of Vaballathus's allotted lands and into Roman territory. She wouldn't formally secede for quite some time, but she started attacking the Hell out of the fringes of the Roman Empire and Zenbodia had made it increasingly clear to her Roman connections in the East they would need to pick a side (ahem, hers) even before her campaign began.

Rome was, at the time, stretched thin and weakening.  The Emperor was fighting off Germanic threats in Italy and the Balkans, closer to the Roman center. Her reasons for ultimately just going for it in 269 are not really recorded. Or a lot of them have been put forward. It may have been she wanted more direct control over the lands she had been promised. It may have been that she felt encroached upon and undermined by Rome. It may have been concern for her country's trade routes as Rome made diplomacy sticky.  It may have been that she saw the Pax Romana weakening as the centralized Roman authority did. In the absence of direct Roman leadership she wanted to keep the region stable and prosperous. 

In the spring of 270 she marched into Provincia Arabia (Rome's Arabic Province). Between 270 and 272 she took over much of the Roman East with domains extending from Palmyra up to Antioch (Ankara, Turkey), over to Dura-Europos (Salhiyé, Syria), down to Mada'in Salih (Al-`Ula, Saudi Arabia), over to Centralish Egypt, down to the Red Sea. This encompassed important historical cities such as Aleppo, Tyre, Tripoli, Jerusalem, Petra, Memphis, Alexandria, and Baranis.  Really, conquest was a matter of months. A little over a year after she entered the Provincia Arabia, in August 271, the year was counted as "Vaballathus V" all the way in Alexandria, Egypt. In a year she had taken over most of the Roman East through brilliant military strategy, loyal followers, and a well implemented propaganda campaign.

[Image Description: the Palmyrene Empire at its height. End ID]

It was also in August of 271 that she started printing coins with her face on them throughout her Empire and she began using the title of Empresses, including adding on some Roman titles she hadn't been given. This was very open rebellion and Rome wouldn't ignore her anymore. The fairly newly crowned Emperor Aurelian had settled things enough in the West that he could afford to turn his full attention to the Empress in the East. Now, fresh from military victories of his own, Autelian marched the full might of Rome Eastward.

Faced with one of the largest and best trained armies in the ancient world, plus Rome's many loyal subordinates, it is unsurprising her Empire fell as quickly as it rose.  

In May 272 she was defeated at Emesa. She had been on that battlefield leading her troops, away from the capital, but managed to escape to it. This was the beginning of the end, however, the Romans marched on Palmyra, but Zenobia had prepared for the siege. After negotiations broke down she and Vaballathus snuck out of the city and attempted to escape to Persia to try to assemble some kind of alliance. She didn't get that far. A year after she declared herself Empress, August 272, she was in Roman captivity.

Her fate is told a few different ways from there.  She may have killed herself enroute to Rome so her captors would not be able to do what Romans always did, publicly display and humiliate her.  She may have been taken to Rome, displayed as a traitor, marched through the streets, and humiliated. From there she was either executed by the Romans or married a Roman nobleman, retiring to a villa with an as of that point unrecorded daughter. 

Her most likely end is probably the most tragic one: humiliated in Rome and then executed. It is unlikely Emperor Aurelian would have allowed her to live seeing as she committed treason, unlikely she would have married one of her captors, unlikely she had this random daughter only mentioned in this epilogue. Also damning, she doesn't turn up in the record again. Her son, Vaballathus, the only one of her children we know existed, also disappears from the record in 274, which doesn't look good for either of them. Although Aurelian occasionally went easy on his opponents, allowing them to survive in defeat and humiliation, considering that he completely obliterated Palmyra -- razing the holy sites, smashing government buildings, burning it to the ground, and literally massacring civilians -- odds are he was similarly unkind to its leaders. So, while her fate is unknown, my bet is that Zenobia and Vaballathus were executed or at least imprisoned. 

[Image Description: Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra by Harriet Hosmer (you may remember her as one of the artists Edomonia Lewis hung out with), carved after 1859. It is a marble bust showing a woman with a stern expression, maybe a little judging. She wears a crown and her hair is mostly pulled back except for two strands hanging down her shoulders. She wears a robe. Her features are definitely too Caucasian given her actual ancestry but this is unfortunately largely the case. Any ancient images of her besides her coins were destroyed. End ID.] 

Probable Orientation: Asexual (unknown romantic orientation) 

Zenobia's story has been told over and over and over again through the centuries from many different perspectives, many of them telling us as much about the historian's society as it does about Zenobia. There is one thing that remains consistent however, Zenobia didn't have much sex. Likewise Zenobia was a propagandist. She crafted her image. She could be anything, but that one detail stood out enough that everyone takes note of it.

We don't know her ancestry. We do know she avoided sex whenever possible.

She did get married, this is obviously true, but she was a noble. As I expounded upon with Elizabeth I nobility has obligations and this stretches back to the establishment of an aristocracy. If your continued power relies on blood relationships, making a baby is vital. Even if she wasn't a noble before marriage she was wanted by a monarch, that is not something anyone could turn down. If she wanted more power or authority marrying a king is a great way to do it and that means babies. 

But it was said at the time and onward that she had no interest in sex. She kept her room separate from his. After marrying she said she would only sleep with her husband for procreation, some say that she only had as much sex as she did children, which may be as few as once.

There are some who say she had other kids, but we only know one of them for sure, Vaballathus. Some other kids have been attributed to her because they have no recorded mother others, like that daughter who supposedly integrated into Rome, exist in only one account and may have been fabricated. There are modern historians who argue that her chastity is just sexism, robbing powerful women of sexuality. I would argue that is just aphobia. An allosexual woman is not more powerful than an ace one and the historical record is consistent on her disdain for sex. Some say this may have been for propaganda's sake, but I don't see any evidence of that. It seems she really just didn't want to have sex. Many male historians have turned it into a focal point. People refuse to just allow her to be ace, there must be some reason, some point to it.

Once she took over she ruled alone. It doesn't seem she was looking for anyone to rule with her nor did she have anyone on the side. No Antony to her Cleopatra.

"She would not even know her own husband, except for the purpose of conception. For when she had lain with him, she would refrain until the time of the month to see if she was pregnant; if not she would again grant an opportunity of begetting children."

-Trebellius Pollio

[image description: Queen Zenobia Addressing Her Soldiers by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo c.1725. A bright painting showing (again a very white) Zenobia on the battlefield and in armor directing her troops who listen intently. End ID]

[romegreeceart]

Vaballathus (259-c. 274) , son of Zenobia and nominal ruler of Palmyrene empire. His reign enden in 272 CE when Aurelian conquered Palmyra. Vaballathus’ and his mother’s fate is unknown. Zosimus writes that the former king died while on way to Rome but there are other sources that claim that Aurelian pardoned Zenobia and her son.

[qqueenofhades]

50 Awesome Women To Know: Part 2

Part One is here!

Mary Somerville (1780-1872): Scottish, scientist, astronomer, and mathematician, tutor of Ada Lovelace, namesake of Somerville College, Oxford.

Matilda de Braose (1155-1210): French/Welsh, medieval warrior woman and noted opponent of King John, who famously had her starved to death, so outraging everyone that there’s a clause about it in Magna Carta.

Melba Roy Mouton (1929-1990): American, Assistant Chief of Research Programs at NASA’s Trajectory and Geodynamics Division; head of the African-American group of “computers” in which Katherine Johnson and others worked.

Melisende of Jerusalem (1105-1161): French-Armenian, queen of Jerusalem in the mid-12th century and a formidable political operator, part of a legacy of several medieval Queens of Jerusalem.

Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631): Indian, beloved and influential empress consort of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal to honor her at her death.

Murasaki Shikibu (c.973-c.1030): Japanese, lady-in-waiting to the Empress Shoshi, author of what is considered the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji.

Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014): South African, novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, longtime anti-apartheid and HIV/AIDS activist.

Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (c.1583-1663): Angolan, African queen and highly successful resister of Portuguese colonialism. Brilliant diplomat, military tactician, and ruler.

Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) (1861-1913): Mohawk-English actress, performer, and poet, considered one of the early formative influences on Canadian literature.

Rukhmabai (1864-1955): Indian, physician, feminist, and social reformer, one of the first female doctors in colonial India, got the Age of Consent act passed after fighting her legal case as a child bride; lived until age 91.

Ruth Ellis (1899-2000): American, African-American LGBT activist, known as one of the oldest surviving lesbians, came out in 1915 (!).

Sara of Würtzburg et al (11th-15th centuries), German, French, Italian, Spanish, etc., the many medieval Jewish female doctors in Europe.

Sarah Biffen (1784-1850): English, Victorian artist born with no arms or legs, who could paint with her mouth and whose work was highly sought after.

Shirin Ebadi (1947 -- ): Iranian, lawyer, human rights activist, first Iranian and Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Soraya Tarzi (1899-1968): Afghani, the influential queen of the socially liberal kingdom of Afghanistan in the 1920s and responsible for many of its reforms, encouraging women’s rights and other efforts at modernization.

Stormé DeLarverie (1920-2014): American, mixed-race lesbian and drag performer whose arrest in 1969 started the Stonewall Riots. Known as the “Rosa Parks of the gay community.”

Sylvia Rivera (1951-2002): Latina American, another Stonewall personality, transgender and gay rights activist, sex worker and drag queen.

Tamar of Georgia (1160-1213): Georgian, known as “King Tamar”  and “Tamar the Great” and the figurehead of the Georgian Golden Age. Known for her political and military success and her cultural sponsorship.

The Mirabal Sisters (d. 1960): Cuban, Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Dedé, who opposed the dictator Rafael Trujillo and worked as spies and saboteurs against him. Three were executed in 1960; the last died in 2014.

Theodora of Byzantium (c. 500-548): Greek, Byzantine empress, former sex worker, one of the most influential Eastern Roman empresses and a formidable political operator alongside her husband, Justinian.

Tomyris (c. 530 BC): Central Asian, a sort of Iranian-Scythian Boudicea who led her army against Cyrus the Great (and defeated him) in 530 BC, earning her the respect (and fear) of many classical writers.

Trota of Salerno (12th century): Italian, a renowned doctor and physician at the medical school of Salerno in Italy, lent her name to the Trotula, one of the most famous medieval medical handbooks for women.

Wu Zetian (624-705): Chinese, the only empress regnant in China for more than two thousand years. Political, military, and artistic leader.

Yaa Asantewaa (1840-1921): Ghanaian, queen mother of the Ashanti Empire, and leader of (at age 60) the War of the Golden Stool against British colonialism.

Zenobia (c. 240-after 274): Syrian, queen of the Palmyrene Empire, invader (and conqueror) of a good chunk of the Roman Empire, sponsor of intellectual and cultural figures at her court, national Syrian heroine.

[historical-nonfiction]

The Mysterious Fate of A Queen And An Empress

Zenobia, the ancient queen who ruled the kingdom of Palmyra after her husband, Odenathus' death. She declared Palmyra no longer a client kingdom of Rome, but an independent state, with her son its king and her its regent. A weak short-lived emperor, Claudius Gothicus, recognized her sovereignty in 268. She quickly began taking land which had once been Roman, including the breadbasket Egypt and the wealthy city of Antioch. Palmyra became known as the Palmyrene Empire. But it was not to last.

A new and more able Roman emperor, Aurelian, consolidated his power then moved on the new Palmyrene Empire. Aurelian besieged Palmyra in 272. The empress tried to flee east, toward Persia, but was captured when she reached the Euphrates River. Empress Zenobia, and Palmyra, was defeated.

Then things get mysterious. No one knows what exactly happened to Queen Zenobia after 273. Some Arab sources claim she committed suicide to avoid capture. Roman sources say that Emperor Aurelian, not willing to execute a woman, brought Queen Zenobia to Rome as a captive, to be shown before Rome during his triumphal parade. Some sources say she was then decapitated. Others claim she married a Roman senator, and lived the rest of her life as a Roman matron. To this day no one knows which story is the truth.

[fatheroligos]

اين الصليب اليوم؟

اين الصليب اليوم؟

مكان خشبة الصليب الاصلية؟

سؤال لم يجيب عنه أحد⁩؟

🤔🤔🤔

Where is the cross today?

Where is the original cross?

A question that no one answered?

💢 The cross has two sticks and is a symbol of Christianity The most famous is the Feast of the Advent of the Cross, the Feast of the Glorious Cross, Prayers are held on the eve of the Feast of the Cross in the evening (Raising the incense on the eve of the Feast of the Cross) In early prayer he reads 12 Gospels It is said that the psalm is returned and the gospel of the Feast of the Cross is said. And a mass will be held in the Palmyrene melody There is no interrupted fasting on this day (10 Baramhat) The praise of the Feast of the Cross is said in the distribution And the Feast of the Cross is one of the most beautiful liturgies

For the beauty of the rite of the Feast of the Cross and the beauty of the melodies of the Feast of the Cross, Quarters of the bell for the Feast of the Cross, an anthology, the cycle of the Feast of the Cross, The melody of the Feast of the Cross, Fi Eitaf Einf, Etaf Ein Ni Askhai, Exaltation of the Feast of the Cross,... The most important lessons learned from the homily on the Feast of the Cross is to know the story of the glorious cross, the story of the discovery of the cross, He called it (the instruments of torture of Christ). The symbols and signs of the cross in the Old Testament, Justice and mercy at the cross, The necessity of making the sign of the cross constantly, The importance of knocking on the cross, and honoring the wood of the cross. Not the worship of the cross, knowing the way of the cross, The story of Queen Helena and Constantine Emperor Heraclius and Khosrau, King of Persia... As for Good Friday, it is necessary to refer to the Calvary Road, And the way of the Passion, the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb. The cross is our weapon and our hope. Hail to you, O cross, symbol of victory, symbol of Christianity

.. يتبع

.. To continue reading the article (✓): 👇👇👇

https://www.bibleube.com/2022/06/blog-post.html

[thelastromanemperor117]

Underrated Romans of History: Odenathus 220-267

Septimius Udhayna, Latinised as Odenathus, in the year 220AD in the city of Palmyra. Palmyra was one of the cities that made up the Syria Phoenice province of the Roman Empire. Odenathus was born shortly before the period known as the ‘Crisis of the Third Century‘. He was born to a noble family but not one of Royal blood as the City was ruled by a council and not a Royal family.

The rise of the aggressive Sassanid Empire and the fall of the Parthian Empire resulted in increased Persian raids. These raids would affect Palmyrene income as the cities primary source of income was through trade caravans. This as well as the weakening of the Roman Empire was, possibly, one of the main reasons behind the decision by the Palmyra Council to elect a Ras (Lord) to lead a strengthened army in the field.

The earliest known mention of Odenathus as Ras is in an inscription from 251AD. There is also mention of Odenathus as a Roman Senator, but when his ascension to the Senatorial Class happened is unknown. It is possible that this occurred after his appointment to the rank of Ras, but it is also possible that both events occurred at the same time. Odenathus didn’t waste any time and bolstered the Palmyrene army by recruiting Desert Nomads and increasing the number of armoured heavy cavalry in the Army.

The Sassanids would cross the Euphrates in 252AD under the leadership of King of Kings Shapur the First. The Persians widely raided Roman Lands and destroyed many Palmyrene trade colonies on the Euphrates. It is said that Odenathus attempted to negotiate with Shapur, but it is said that these attempts were rejected and gifts Odenathus had tried to give to the Persians were thrown in the river.

By 258AD, at the latest, Odenathus was appointed as Governor of Syria Phoenice; this would make him the highest authority in the province and the commander of all Roman forces in the province. Starting not long after his appointment as Governor, Odenathus would begin to strengthen his position and political standing. In 260AD by the time of the battle of Edessa, Odenathus held the power, rank and standing to pacify the chaos that would grip the Roman East.

The battle of Edessa would prove to be a disastrous for the Roman Empire as the Emperor Valerian and his entire army of between 60,000 and 70,000 men were defeated and Valerian was captured. This defeat would be catastrophic for the Empire.

Odenathus was declared King of Palmyra almost as soon as news reached the city. Odenathus would have been faced with a number of choices at this point; he could have chosen to declare Palmyrene independence and ruled as King, he could have sided with the Sassanids and he could have thrown his lot in with the Rebellion of Fulvius Macrianus and his sons. But instead Odenathus chose to remain loyal to Valerians son and successor Gallienus. When he declared his loyalty to the current Emperor is unknown, but it is widely believed to be after the defeat of Macrianus in the Balkans.

In the summer of 260AD, Odenathus marched North to attack the Sassanid invaders. He fell upon them just west of the Euphrates and defeated the Persian forces - expelling the King of Kings Shapur from Syria. After news of the defeat of Fulvius Macrianus reached Odenathus, the King marched on Emessa where the imperial pretenders two remaining sons were. The locals killed Quietus and Balista was captured and executed by Odenathus

The defeat of the usurpers left Odenathus as by far the most powerful man in the East and while he remained loyal to the Emperor, true power in the region belonged with Palmyra and Odenathus. There is a source which claims that Odenathus was proclaimed Augustus (co-emperor) following his defeat of the Persians, but this source is widely discredited.

In the spring of 262AD, Odenathus invaded Sassanid Lands and crossed the Euphrates. He marched south towards the Sassanid capital at Ctesiphon, he liberated the Roman province of Mesopotamia on his way and defeated many Persian Garrisons and by late 262AD, he had besieged the Sassanid Capital.

Though he would be unsuccessful in his siege (The logistics of fighting in enemy territory was too much to over come) and he would return to Roman Lands laded with the spoils of war (Gold and Prisoners). In 263AD he would send the prisoners to Rome and be awarded a triumph by the Emperor.

Also in 263AD after returning to Palmyra, Odenathus would declare himself King of Kings of the East and crown his son as Co-King. This declaration was a direct insult upon Shapur, but not to Gallienus. While Odenathus had taken this new title, he did not show any kind of disloyalty to the Emperor and submitted to the Emperors authority.

In 266AD, Odenathus would again invade Persia and reach the Sassanid Capital, but he would again be forced to abandon his siege and march north to deal with invaders striking at Anatolia (Modern Turkey). These raiders were most likely either Scythian or Gothic in origin, but by the time Odenathus arrived in Anatolia, they would have already left.

In 267AD possibly at the conclusion or at the tail end of the Anatolian campaign, Odenathus and his son Hairan would be assassinated. Who struck at the King and who planned the assassination is something lost to history, but there are many theories from Gallienus to Shapur being involved and to his Second Wife Zenobia being the one responsible, but it is likely we will never know the truth about the death of Odenathus.

Odenathus was succeeded as King of Kings of the East and King of Palmyra by his ten-year old son Vaballathus, though true power would lie with Queen Regent Zenobia. Zenobia would later proclaim Palmyra independent of Rome in one of the key moments of the Third Century Crisis.

Overall, Odenathus proved a loyal man to his Emperor against what was normality for powerful Roman Generals of the time and he wold successfully limit Sassanid Power in the East as well as reestablishing Roman control over the area. The rise in power of Palmyra and the eventual establishment of Zenobias’ Palmyrene Kingdom was only possible due to the hard work and skill of Odenathus.

[libidomechanica]

“the bowers”

Bitts of splendours, mirrhor, as  when he  was my death, or  wake an end! Deep as  they still— the bowers, 

from a natural  order,—were applause  foul demonstrance, Julia  closet-gods they behold talking  of war;—t will 

bear, my soul at once write, knowing  pomp, nor the  publick Good, by nation. And  taking like a  flail, great: the Prince: the 

Palmyrene that  were left but what he wondering  or vocal  air, and puzzled Natures; then  we meet in thee, and 

lie couched on till his  man quite terrible enough  they tell ye whats  hollow on the  shadowes han vs 

assayde, here  and whisperd Juan stands the  serpents to  the gentleman  to knows! 

Of a morning, mutually  return  see never Rebels, Kinsmen  to this  houses fit for 

Rebells he went unreward  his music rose, that  on than with  grace to love shame  hold you lived some hundred 

miles  broke of a  serious was  wed at made them back  to calld; the door 

this florid race who  nere cockd hate, well as thicket  into  simple grumbling, and  so wise, where none 

warm blood. He was high,  her breed their rough the  motions weight made the  nothing through these black  eunuch, having the latest 

sight; the greene,  as to save thee embrace  they glared as  friend remembrance, except to  gathering Pilot 

in love, that urns out  these, but ’“t is a  bubbles oer a wound  sow, till let me beside  you this? Their possessing, 

Baba  chose, who turn lived a lieutenant- Colonel Yesouskoi”  marchd the dreamers to  cease, and praising 

up the eternity  of  the whole fief, in  right is worth, what  were their hand for hymns 

of laws destroying  Nadab let Oblivion yield  that men like ugly  hill send a Call to  shake, or winnowd by 

mistaken break was  led from its own  leg between us,  over suddenly herald  Mercury more bright enough 

they would we meet  with blood, the  Race, but Cyril, “Madam,  he speak the brain we crossd  herself, who, in the 

next for a  quarter, into  his first  and over Violent,  save petrifaction, 

Avarice, Vengeance, and  Godlike Princess which opend  a solemn and  signing the least, she  inroules that the 

King David, undisturb  a State. And I  should loves, and shed a petted  peacock: but  her swept, the Remains 

unsoiled, unmixed  with no more, what?  In Exile  where are flesh and  here upon ‘em with 

buegle about her  spake the western  kingly Diadem he  best:’ kind Husbands in  the phrase is Shakspeare, 

the childrens cries,  their chastity in the  hope, I wish I neer  meals:” he four. Nor was  to sings grew as 

we fluttering but in  the hem of  her not, but red with  all she shoves back shuddering  made the morning 

said Juan, turning I  followed so it wrong, and  regular  moved with my right exclaims,  yet Dauntless still; had 

shone, and to come; that  drinks all the  realms for life               to  loue. For here, said  Juan,—swallowing eulogy 

much thing on thrice two,  or on her sublime;  meanwhile, ambiguous  metals most burst, slippers of  rest, since all wants 

to destructing laughs,— it is the  Jews. Reigning favourites  coming! And then if  I do, said Cyril said she 

may i touch on warlike  looks could fain imprison took  his break the  child of your Native showers  with a 

frown drew alone but when  our  Fury of the worst  was to  enlarge a flight!

[goodeggshen]

Wikipedia article of the day for April 20, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 20, 2021 is Portraits of Odaenathus. Portraits of Odaenathus, the king of Palmyra from 260 to 267 CE, include sculptures, seal impressions, and mosaic pieces. As a client king for Rome, Odaenathus came to dominate the Roman East after defeating Shapur I of Persia in 260 and assuming the title King of Kings. Several limestone head portraits from Palmyra were identified by twentieth-century scholars as depicting Odaenathus, based on criteria such as the size and the presence of a wreath, but more recent research indicates that these pieces were probably funerary objects depicting private citizens. Two marble heads, both reflecting a high level of individuality, depicting Eastern royal attributes such as the tiara and diadem, are more likely to be portraits of the king. Also, two Palmyrene tesserae (example pictured) bear a probable depiction of the king, bearded and wearing a diadem and an earring. In addition, Odaenathus is likely the subject of two mosaic panels glorifying his victories.