Zenobia encouraged the state's commerce, learning, and science, and summoned to her court the famous philosopher Cassius Longinus, Homs-born, who became her teacher and counselor, remained at her side, and served her faithfully until he was killed in defense of his lady's throne, when the conflict broke out between her and the Romans, and when the Romans grew afraid for their power, lest it pass away.

For the root of the conflict lay between the Romans and the Persians. The Romans had prevailed in the days of their emperor Valerian; but Shapur the Persian could not subdue the principality of Palmyra, and ended routed before the battalions of Odenathus and Zenobia. His womenfolk were taken captive and sent to Rome, and the Romans exulted at the victory of their ally Odenathus. Their senate raised him to the highest station when it granted him the title of Augustus and reckoned him partner with Gallienus, son of Valerian, in the Roman Empire. So Odenathus grew mighty and founded a new kingdom for himself, and conquered Asia Minor. Zenobia wished to add a new conquest to her husband's conquests, so she invaded Egypt and conquered it, appointing her son Wahballat king over it. The Romans then feared the loss of their empire, and their armies made for the East to subdue the Persians; whereupon Zenobia aided the Persians, defeated the Romans and drove them back, and remained mistress of the East.

Afterward there arose in Rome a strong emperor, Aurelian, who made firm the foundations of his realm in Europe and then came down to the East to subdue Zenobia. She swiftly set out to meet him and marched to Antioch. Some historians say she could have crushed Aurelian had she confronted him in the mountain defiles of the north; but pride forbade her, and she would fight him nowhere but in the plain. Victory was her ally throughout the day of the battle; but at evening the battalions of Roman infantry fell upon her cavalry and routed them utterly, and Zenobia withdrew to Homs, where she set about gathering the remnants of her army, to avenge herself and to wipe from her army the disgrace of its first defeat.

There she is, leading the army in person — her helmet on, armored, mounted on the back of her steed — and the battle is fierce, its fire blazing. Her horsemen showed such might and courage as paralyzed the movement of Aurelian's army; the Romans fell back before her, and Zenobia ventured after them with her horsemen, never doubting that the great victory lay within two bows' length of her, or nearer — as though in that hour she dreamed of the throne of Rome, and of being mistress of East and West.

Ah, those dreams — how sweet they are, how delicious, and how easily pictured! Behold Aurelian's battalions and his advancing horsemen falling back before the queen of the East and her gallant cavalry. Behold an hour of time in which the destiny of an entire people is decided — and how often do we see such an hour in history!

Zenobia stretched out her hand to pluck the flower of victory, and the sun of that day was sinking toward dusk — when Roman battalions of infantry came up to the rescue of Aurelian's horsemen, and Zenobia fell into the Romans' snare.

Swiftly her beautiful dreams melted away, and the dreams of her philosopher-counselor with them; her horsemen were encircled, and the historians say that her escape from the ring drawn about her was well-nigh a miracle. In that battle Zenobia lost the flower of her cavalry and much of her wealth and her jewels.

She returned to Palmyra to make her last defense. Then came the siege, and a mighty horror. There is a wall at Palmyra whose base can still be seen today, bearing witness to the terror of that siege; it would speak, if it knew speech, of Zenobia's valor and vigor as she made her rounds among the men posted upon the wall, spurring on their zeal and kindling the fire of their resolve.

The siege dragged on and lasted for months, and the senate at Rome grew impatient at their emperor's delayed return. They wrote him a letter containing something of rebuke and reproach for his tardiness in vanquishing Zenobia and taking her city; and in Aurelian's reply to them is testimony to this queen's might and steadfastness.

He said: "The Romans allege that I am merely fighting a woman... But who will convey to you a description of the engines of war she commands? The wall is all one impregnable fortress, defended by huge boulders, cutting blades, and sharp spears — fire is hurled upon us from every quarter! And what more? Do you suppose she is afraid? She fights as though she feared nothing but retribution! Yet I trust that the gods who have been with us will protect the state of Rome!"

Aurelian sent to Zenobia demanding her surrender, and she sent back to him, saying: "I have fought you until now with none but hired Roman soldiers, and my own troops are still at my disposal, to vanquish you and to harry you on your retreat." Aurelian was near despair-ing over the length of the siege and the hardship of pro-visioning his troops, so he sent her the following letter:

"From Aurelian, emperor of the Roman world, to Zenobia and her allies. You ought to have surrendered of your own accord, without my writing to you about it! I offer you safety if you surrender, and I undertake that the senate shall appoint you a place in which to dwell. As for your jewels, your ornaments, your gold, your horses and your camels, they shall be sent to the Roman treasury. Your customs and your laws shall remain regarded and respected."

And in Zenobia's answer to him is that which points to her steadfastness, her pride, and her strength of character, though she had grasped how strait her position was:

"From Zenobia, queen of the East, to Aurelian Augustus. I have seen none but you dare to demand of me what you demand. Let him who takes the road of war arm himself with valor and daring! You ask me to surrender, as though you did not know that Cleopatra preferred to die rather than live in abasement! The allies — Arabs, Persians, and Armenians — are near! And the Syrian bands are ravaging your army. What will become of you if they all come to my aid? You will then abandon what you now demand — you who play the victor everywhere."

The sun of the next day rose upon a tightened siege, and Zenobia