Of all of the people to cross paths (and swords) with the Romans during their thousand year empire, Zenobia of Palmyra in particular stands out.  She has long been overshadowed by the more famous women who took on Rome: Cleopatra and Boadicea.  However, as you’ll see, she was every inch the political genius and warrior queen that her predecessors were.  If Emperor Aurelian (who we covered last time) had been a weaker man, she may have even succeeded in her venture.

Background

Palmyra was a desert city along the all-important trade routes to the east that would become the Silk Road in later years.  As such, it could have protection monopolies and charge tolls on the incoming and outgoing merchants.  It was a wealthy city nominally conquered by Rome but really the Romans let them govern themselves quite readily—not that they had a choice as you’ll see in a moment.

Rome of the third century A. D. was not the powerful imperial Rome of its glory days.  Rather, the empire was in chaos due to a game of musical chairs with Emperors, economic chaos as inflation ran unchecked and barbarian hordes seemingly coming from every direction.  Did I mention there was also a plague going around killing everyone too?  It was a tough time to be a Roman and eventually because of it, the emperors ruling in Italy just could not handle things.  The empire split into three sections, essentially.  Odaenathus in the east, Postumus in Gaul and Britain and Gallienus in central Italy.  Due to the revolving door of emperors during the third century, this situation would not last long though. Continue reading →