298 
PALMYRA. 
nic war. After the defeat at Emefa, Zenobia found it 
impoflible to co!le< 5 t a third army. As far as the frontier 
of Egypt, the nations fubjefl to her empire had joined the 
ftandard of the conqueror. Palmyra was the laft refource 
of the widow of Odenatus. She retired within the walls 
of her capital; made every preparation for a vigorous re- 
fiftance ; and declared, with the intrepidity of a heroine, 
that the laft moment of her reign and of her life fliould be 
the fame. 
In his march over the Tandy defert, bstween Emefa and 
Palmyra, the emperor Aurelian was perpetually harafl'ed 
by the Arabs; nor could he always defend his army, and 
efpecially his baggage, from thole flying troops of active 
and daring robbers, who watched the moment of furprife, 
and derided the flow purfuit of the legions. The fiege of 
Palmyra was an object far more difficult and important ; 
and the emperor, who with inceflant vigour prefled the 
attacks in perfon, was himfelf wounded with a dart. “The 
Roman people (fays Aurelian in an original letter) fpeak 
with contempt of the war which I am waging againft a 
woman. They are ignorant both of the character and of 
the power of Zenobia. It is impoflible to enumerate her 
warlike preparations, of ftones,of arrows, and of every fpe- 
cies of miflile weapons. Every part of the walls is provided 
with two or three baliftae, and artificial fires are thrown 
from her military engines. The fear of punifhment has 
armed her with a defperate courage. Yet I truft ftill in 
the protecting deities of Rome, who have hitherto been fa¬ 
vourable to all my undertakings.” Doubtful, however, of 
the protection of the gods, and of the event of the fiegg, 
Aurelian judged it more prudent to offer terms of an ad¬ 
vantageous capitulation : to the queen, afplendid retreat; 
to the citizens, their ancient privileges. His propofals 
were obftinately rejeCted, and the refufal was accompanied 
with infult. 
The firmnefs of Zenobia was fupported by the hope, 
that in a very fhort time famine would compel the Roman 
army to repafs the defert; and, by the reafonable expecta¬ 
tion that the kings of theeaft, and particularly the Perfian 
monarch, would arm in the defence of their molt natural ally. 
But fortune, and the perfeverance of Aurelian, overcame 
every obftacie. The death of Sapor, which happened about 
this time, diftraCted the councils of Perfia ; and the incon- 
liderable fuccours that attempted to relieve Palmyra, were 
eafily intercepted either by the arms or the liberality of the 
emperor. It was then that Zenobia refolved to fly. She 
mounted the fleeteft of her dromedaries ; and had already 
reached the banks of the Euphrates, about fixty miles from 
Palmyra, when (lie W'as overtaken by the purfuit of Aure- 
lian’s light-horle, feized, and brought back a captive to 
.the feet of the emperor. Her capital foon after lurrendered, 
’and was treated with unexpected lenity. The arms, horfes, 
and camels, with an immenfe treafure of gold, iilver, filk, 
and precious ftones, were all delivered to the conqueror; 
who, leaving only a garrifon of 6co archers, returned to 
Emefa, and employed fome time in the diftribution of re¬ 
wards and punifiiments at the end of To memorable a war, 
which reftored to the obedience of Rome thofe provinces 
that had renounced their allegiance fince the captivity of 
Valerian. 
When the Syrian queen was brought into the prefence 
of Aurelian, he fternly alked her, How fhe had prefumed 
to rile in arms againft the emperors of Rome ? The an- 
fwer of Zenobia was a prudent mixture of refpeCt and 
firmnefs : “ Becaufe I dildained to confideras Roman em¬ 
perors a Gallienus, and othprs like him. You alone I ac¬ 
knowledge as my conqueror and my fovereign.” But, as 
female fortitude is commonly artificial, fo it is feldom 
fteady or confirtent. The courage of Zenobia deferted her 
in the hour of trial; fhe trembled at the angry clamours of 
the loldiers, who called aloud for her immediate execution; 
forgot the generous defpair of Cleopatra, which fhe had 
propofed as her model ; and ignominio'ufly purchafed life 
by the facrifice of her fame and her friends. It was to their 
councils, which governed the weaknefs of her fe#, that fhe 
imputed the guilt of her obftinate refiftance; it was on thesr 
heads that fhe direffed the vengeance of the cruel Aure¬ 
lian. The fame of Longinus, who was included among 
the numerous, and perhaps innocent, vidtims of her fear, 
will furvive that of the queen who betrayed, orthetyrant 
who condemned, him. See Longinus, vol. xiii. p. 623. 
This event is dated in 273. 
The perfon of Zenobia was referved to decorate the tri¬ 
umph of Aurelian, a fpedfacle of peculiar fplendour. The 
unfeeling pride of the Romans had eftablifhed the cuftom 
of exhibiting to the eyes of the public the royal captives 
made by the triumphant general who had concluded a 
fuccefsful war; and no delicacy of fentiment was likely to 
induce a fierce imperial foldier to forego luch an indul¬ 
gence of infolent oftentation. On the appointed day the 
pompons proceffion moved to the capitol, a principal figure 
in Which w'as Zenobia following, on foot, a magnificent 
chariot, which, in her profperity,fhe had defigned fora far 
different entry into Rome. She was encircled with chains 
of gold borne up by Haves, and almoft funk under the 
load of jewels with which fhe was adorned. No particulars 
are related of her behaviour in a fcene which Cleopatra 
died to avoid ; but hiftory informs us, that the vidlor af¬ 
terwards treated her with humanity, afligning her an 
agreeable refidence at Tibur, where fhe pafled the remain¬ 
der of her days as a Roman matron. Some writers aflert 
that fhe entered into a fecond marriage with a fenator of 
Rome, and that from this union fprung a Roman progeny 
of Zenobia, which was fubfifting to the fifth century; but 
others fuppofe that thefe might be defcendants of her 
daughters, whom Aurelian married into families of clif- 
tindlion. Her furviving fon, Vhabtfllat, withdrew into 
Armenia, where the emperor bellowed on him a fmall 
principality. 
Returning from the conqueft of the eaft, Aurelian had 
already crofted the ftraits which divide Europe from Afia,. 
when lie was provoked by the intelligence that the Palmy- 
renians had maflacred the governor and garrifon which he 
had left among them, and again eredled the ftandard of 
revolt. Without a moment’s deliberation, he once more 
turned his face towards Syria. Antioch was alarmed by 
his rapid approach, and the helplefs city of Palmyra felt 
the irrefiftibie weight of his refentment. We have a letter 
of Aurelian himfelf, in which lie acknowledges, that old 
men, women, children, and peafants, had been involved in 
that dreadful execution which fhould have been confined 
to armed rebellion : and, although his principal concern 
feems directed to the re-eftablifhment of a Temple of the 
Sun, he difcovers fome pity for the remnant of the Palmy- 
renians, to whom he grants the per million of rebuilding 
and inhabiting their city. But it is eafier to dellroy than to 
reftore : the feat of commerce, of arts, and of Zenobia,, 
gradually funk into an obfcure town, a trifling fortrefs, 
and at length a miferable village. 
The deltrudlion of Palmyra was, as we have obferved, 
not immediate, but gradual, becaufe we find it mentioned 
in hiftory as a very conliderable place after this period, 
though not the feat of government, as in times pail, when 
there were no lefs than iixteen cities under its jurildidliotu 
The ruins of Palmyra itfelf are allowed by all who have 
vifited them, to be equal, if not fuperior, to any thing of 
the fame kind yet fubfifting in the world, and confe- 
quently ftill remain a proof of the wealth and magnificence 
of its ancient mailers. 
With refpedl to thefe ruins, they appear to be of two 
different and diftindl periods ; the oldeft are fo far de¬ 
cayed as not to admit of menfuration, and feem to have 
been reduced to that ftate by the hand of time; the others 
appear to have been broken into fragments by violence. 
Of the infcriptions, none are earlier than the birth of 
Chrift, and none are later than the deftrudtion of the city 
by Aurelian, except one, which mentions Dioclefian. 
It is fcarc,ely lefs difficult to account for the fituation 
of this city than for its magnificence. Themoft probable 
conjedlure is, that, as foon as the fprings of Palmyra were 
difcovered 
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