925 



ZENOBIA, SEPTIMIA. 



ZENOBIA, SEPTIMIA. 



insulted the Empress Ariadne, and escaped being put to death by 

 flying to Asia, where ho placed himself at the head of an army of 

 70,000 men. The patrician Leontius, who was sent by Zeno against 

 Illus, betrayed the emperor and joined the rebel. Longinus, the 

 brother of Zeno, took the field against both, but he was defeated, and 

 probably made prisoner, for soon afterwards he- was found in the 

 cunip of the rebels acting in concert with Illus and Leoutius. The 

 rebels thon laid siege to the castle of Papyrus, where tha Empreas- 

 dowager Verina was confined on account of her dangerous intrigues, 

 and the castle having been taken, Verina also joined the rebels, and as 

 they intended to put Leontius on the throne, she adorned him with 

 the diadem, and he was received as emperor at Antioch, in 484. Zeno 

 now despatched a fresh army against the rebels, which was com- 

 manded by John the Hunchback and John the Scythian, two generals 

 who have often bt en confounded, but who were two different persons. 

 They defeated the rebels in 488, who took refuge in the fortress of 

 Papyrus, which the imperial generals hastened to surround with a 

 superior force. At last the fortress capitulated ; Illus and Leontius 

 were made prisoners and put to death, and the empire was thus 

 delivered from the greatest enemies of public order. Zeno died in 

 the month of April 491, and his successor was an officer of the im- 

 perial palace guard (Silentiarii), Anastasius I., surnamed Sileutiarius, 

 who married Ariadne, the widow of Zeno. It is said that Zeno died 

 under strange circumstances, but the accounts of his death are very 

 contradictory. If we believe Zonaras and Cedrenus, Zeno was beheaded 

 in his bed while asleep; or lie died in consequence of a debauch; or 

 was buried alive while insensible in a fit of apoplexy; and Ariadne 

 was the author of his death. It happens however that some ecclesias- 

 tical writers, Theophanes, Evagrius, and Theodoras Lector, who make 

 the worst of Zeno whenever they find an opportunity, do not mention 

 a violent death, which, if true, would have served their purpose by 

 throwing disgrace upon the memory of the emperor. The truth seems 

 to bo that Zeno died of apoplexy. Zeno's character was somewhat 

 like that of his predecessor Leo I. Thrax, but he was his inferior in 

 every respect, in good as well as bad qualities : he was cruel, especially 

 ia the latter period of his reign, but less cruel than Leo ; he was often 

 overpowered by anger, but he never fell into such frightful fits of 

 passion as Leo ; he sometimes did honourable things for honour's sake, 

 but less frequently and with less dignity and generosity. In short he 

 was the shadow of Leo, without his energetic character, intelligence, 

 and knowledge. Zeno did not understand the art of government ; he 

 was as vain as a woman, and his constant endeavours to be admired 

 as something great made him ridiculous in the eyes of the witty 

 Greeks. 



(Agathias, iv. ; Evagrius, ii. 15, &c., iii. ; Cedrenus, p. 351, &c., ed. 

 Paris; Zonaras, vol. it., p. 51, &c. ed. Paris ; Caudidus, p. 18, ed. Paris; 

 Theophaues, p. 96, &c., ed. 1'aris; Procopius, Bell. Vandaf. i. 7; De 

 jEdif. Justiniani, iii. 1. ; JSell. Goth., i. 1, ii. 6 ; Jornaudes, Dz Rcgno- 

 rum Success., pp. 58-61; De Rebus Gotfiicis, pp. 139-141, ed. Lindt-n- 

 brog ; Suidas, sub voc. Z-fjvcav.) 



ZENO'BIA (Zevopla, on the coins Zijj'ofr'o), SEPTIMIA, was the 

 daughter of Amrou, an Arab chief, who possessed the southern part of 

 Mesopotamia. By her first husband Zenobia had a son named Atheuo- 

 dorus Waballath. Her second husband was Septimius Odenatlius. 



Odenathus was of Palmyra, a flourishing city included within the 

 limits of the Roman empire, and dignified with the title of Metropolis 

 Colonia. He was at the head of some tribes who belonged to that part 

 of the Syrian desert which surrounds Palmyra. His lloman name, 

 Septimius, indicates some connection with the empire, and it is inge- 

 niously conjectured by St. Martin that the origin of this connection 

 and of the adoption of the name Septimius by the family of Odenathus 

 must be traced to the time of the emperor Septimius Severns. The 

 name of the father of Odenathus was Septimius Airanes Waballath, 

 and Odenathus had by his first wife a son named Septimius Orodes, or 

 Herodes, as Trebellius Pollio calls him. Septimius Severua married 

 Julia Domna, a Syrian woman of Emesa, and this circumstance, com- 

 bined with his long residence in Syria, renders it probable that a con- 

 nection was formed between the emperor Severus and the family of 

 Odenathus, who, as usual in such cases, would adopt the name of then- 

 Roman patron. In A.D. 244, after the assassination of the younger 

 Gordiau, Philip, called the Arabian, was proclaimed emperor, and on 

 leaving Syria for Rome he entrusted the government of Syria to his 

 brother Priscus. The bad administration of Priscus caused a rebellion 

 in Syria, and Jotapianus, a descendant of the royal house which had 

 reigned at or possessed Emesa, was proclaimed emperor. Jotapianus 

 was defeated by the imperial troops and lost his life, but Philip was 

 assassinated before the news could reach him. Other usurpers arose 

 in Syria, but Palmyra preserved its independence. In the year 251 

 Septimius Airanes was prince of Palmyra, and his son Odenathus was 

 general. On the death of Airanes, Odenathus succeeded to the princi- 

 pality of Palmyra. The year of the death of Airanes is not certain, 

 but it waa before 256. In 256, Mariades, whom Trebellius Pollio calls 

 Cyriades, left Antioch with a large sum of money, and betook himseli 

 to Sapor, king of Persia. He persuaded Sapor and Odenathus to an 

 invasion of Syria, in which Antioch was taken. Miriades was pro 

 claimed Caesar. He enjoyed his dignity for about a year, having been 

 assassinated, according to Trebellius Pollio, while Valerian was on his 

 march to the Persian war. It was Sapor's design to anticipate Valerian 



invading Syria, but he was defeated near Emesa, and on his retreat 

 ho was annoyed and robbed by his old ally Odenathus. But after the 

 surrender of Valerian to Sapor, Odenathus sent costly presents to the 

 Persian king, in order to conciliate him : the presents were rejected 

 with contempt, and Odenathus was commanded to come in person. 

 The prince of Palmyra disregarded the command, and while the lloman 

 troops were retreating on all sides in the confusion which followed the 

 capture of Valerian, he alone opposed the progress of the Persian arms. 

 The Persians had entered both Syria and Cilicia, and Sapor was at 

 Antioch. Odenathus, at the head of the Arabs of the desert, and 

 some few Romans who had joined him, attempted to cut off the retreat 

 of Sapor, in which he was aided by Balista, the Roman general, who 

 made a diversion in Cilicia. His wife Zenobia also accompanied him 

 in this campaign. Sapor at last commenced his retreat ; but at the 

 passage of the Euphrates ho sustained a defeat and lost much of his 

 baggage. He was followed by Odenathus through Mesopotamia, again 

 defeated, and pursued to Ctesiphon on the Tigris, his capital. If Ode- 

 nathus besieged Ctesiphon, it appears that it was unsuccessfully. 



About this time Odenathus assumed the kingly title, and it is pro- 

 bable that he was considered emperor of the East. Gallicnus, the son 

 of Valerian, who became emperor upon his father's capture, in 200, 

 was too indolent to attempt to maintain his authority. The Roman 

 army in Syria and Egypt proclaimed Macrianus emperor, who asso- 

 ciated with himself in the empire his two sons, Quietus and Macrianu?. 

 Quietus was left ia Syria. The new emperor marched through Asia, 

 and advanced as far as Illyricum, where he was opposed by Aureolus, 

 who had also risen against Gallienus, and totally defeated. Upon this 

 Aureolus was received by Gallienus into partnership in the empire, 

 and he forthwith marched to the East to crush the partisans of Macri- 

 anus. Odenathus, seeing what turn things had taken, entered Syria, 

 upon which Balista, who had quarrelled with Quietus, murdered him 

 and delivered up to Odenathus the town of Etnesa, in which Quietus 

 and Balista were then besieged. Soon afterwards Balista proclaimed 

 himself emperor, but he was defeated by Odenathus and lost his life. 

 About this time probably (A.D. 263) Odenathus was associated by 

 Gallienus in the empire, and received the title of Augustus. A coin 

 also was struck in his honour, on which were represented the Persians 

 taken captive. Odenathus now undertook a second war against the 

 Persians, to avenge the cause of Valerian : he made many prisoners, 

 whom he sent to Gallienus, and the slothful emperor enjoyed a triumph 

 which was earned by the bravery of another. Odenathus again besieged 

 Ctesiphon, but without any result. On reaching Ctesiphon he marched 

 into Cappadocia to oppose the Scythians, who were ravaging that part 

 of Asia Minor. Odenathus was assassinated at Emesa in Syria with 

 his son Orodes, by a relation named Mseonius, in 267, but the conspira- 

 tors were put to death by the soldiers of Odenathus, and his wife 

 Zenobia succeeded to his power. 



The events of the life of Odenathus are confusedly told, yet the main 

 facts may probably be received as true. He was a brave and active 

 soldier, and if he had lived longer he might perhaps have seated him- 

 self on the throne of the Roman Caesars. There are no medals of 

 Odenathus. He left by Zeuobia two sons, Herennius and Timolau?. 



Zenobia, after the death of her husband, governed Palmyra till sho 

 was taken prison by Aurelian. It is said that she invested with the 

 purple her son Waballath, or Athenodorus Waballath, and to him are 

 attributed certain extant medals which bear the Greek legend of 

 Athenodorus. The power of Zenobia extended from the Euphrates 

 to the Mediterranean and the borders of Egypt. According to Zosi- 

 rnus, an army of Palmyrenes and Syrians under Zabdas, a general of 

 Zenobia, invaded Egypt in the reign of Claudius, and got possession 

 of the country. (Compare 'Claudius,' by Trebellius Pollio, c. 11.) 

 Palmyra, in the Syrian desert, was htr residence, a city then the 

 centre of a great commerce, and which was adorned with magnificent 

 buildings, the remains of which are still more striking from their con- 

 trast with the desolation around them. Zenobia maintained herself 

 against Gallienus, and also during the reign of his successor Claudius, 

 who was occupied with his Gothic wars ; but the accession of Aure- 

 lian (A.D. 270) once more placed a soldier at the head of the empire. 

 Zeuobia was defeated by Aurelian, Palmyra was taken, and the Syrian 

 queen appeared in chains in the triumph of the emperor, as an 

 Egyptian queen, Arsiuoe, once before had appeared in the triumphal 

 procession of the dictator Caesar. [AURELIAN.] Zosimus indeed says 

 that she died on her way to Rome ; but the narrative of Trebellius 

 Pollio appears too particular to be false. He says that after the 

 triumph Aurelian gave her a residence at Tibur, which went by the 

 name of Zenobia at the time when Pollio wrote. 



The habits and person of this warrior queen are described by 

 Trebellius Pollio. She lived in great state, like the kings of Persia. 

 When she harangued her soldiers she wore a helmet : her dress had 

 a purple border with jewels hanging from the fringe ; her vest was 

 fastened round the waist with a clasp, and her arms were sometimes 

 bare. Her complexion was rather dark, her eyes black and piercing ; 

 her teeth were as white ac pearls, and her voice clear and like a man's. 

 She knew when to be liberal, though her general character was frugal. 

 She rarely rode in a chariot, but often on horseback. Sometimes she 

 would march several miles on foot with her soldiers. Her habits were 

 sober, but she would sometimes drnk with her generals. Besides her 

 native tongue, Syriac, she was well acquainted with Greek, and spoke 



