Widow of Palmyra's ruler
Adainat, Zenobia, in A.D. 271, took advantage of
a Rome's temporary inattention to send her generals on
a campaign of conquest that for a time incorporated the whole of the Middle
East, from Egypt to Anatolia (Turkey) under her rule. She consciously
modeled herself on Cleopatra and claimed to be a descendant. Her rule,
though it ended in military defeat by Rome, was noted for tolerance and for
fostering a wide-ranging trade with Abyssinia, Arabia, and India. Zenobia
not only sent forth her generals, she often rode with them on camel or
horseback. When eventually cornered, she successfully talked her way out of
the situation and lived to become a celebrity in Rome.
Widow of Palmyra's ruler
Adainat, Zenobia, in A.D. 271, took advantage of
a Rome's temporary inattention to send her generals on
a campaign of conquest that for a time incorporated the whole of the Middle
East, from Egypt to Anatolia (Turkey) under her rule. She consciously
modeled herself on Cleopatra and claimed to be a descendant. Her rule,
though it ended in military defeat by Rome, was noted for tolerance and for
fostering a wide-ranging trade with Abyssinia, Arabia, and India. Zenobia
not only sent forth her generals, she often rode with them on camel or
horseback. When eventually cornered, she successfully talked her way out of
the situation and lived to become a celebrity in Rome.
click Sophia's torch