Historical Figures Codexery

Zenobia

Third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire who challenged Rome and became a symbol of Syrian patriotism.

Zenobia was the queen of Palmyra, a small principality at the border between the Roman empire and the Parthian kingdom.[1] She ruled over most of the Roman East by 272 CE.[1] In the Palmyrene alphabet, her native name was written "Btzby", which is an Aramaic compound meaning "daughter of Zabbai".[2]

Quick Facts

Reign
272 AD
Regent
Vaballathus

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Zenobia became the second wife of Odaenathus, the ras of Palmyra, when she was about fourteen years old around 255.[3] After Odaenathus and his eldest son were assassinated in 267, Zenobia succeeded him as regent for her young son Vaballathus.[1][4] She conquered Egypt in 269 CE, then moved into Asia Minor, conquering Syria-Palaestina and Syria.[1] Zenobia's general Septimius Zabdas sacked Bosra, the capital of Arabia Petraea, in the spring of 270.[5]

Zenobia assumed the title Augusta in 272, and bestowed the title of Augustus on her son Vaballathus.[1] She minted coins depicting the supreme Roman goddess Juno Regina to present herself as a Roman ruler.[1] Emperor Aurelian moved against Zenobia in 272 CE, capturing her and exiling her to Rome.[1] During the 271 invasion of Asia Minor, the Palmyrene forces under Zabdas annexed Galatia and, as Zosimus recorded, advanced as far as Ancyra.[6]

The consensus among most ancient historians and modern scholars is that Zenobia was paraded in Aurelian's triumph of 274.[7]

What the cited sources add

The antoninianus minted at Emesa in 272 CE shows Zenobia's head on the obverse and Juno Regina on the reverse.[1] The inscription "S ZENOBIA AUG" on that coin asserts her claim to the Roman imperial throne as Septimia Zenobia Augusta.[1] The iconography of Juno as queen of the gods mirrors Zenobia's position as de facto ruler of the Roman Empire.[1] To secure the allegiance of Roman commanders, Zenobia had herself portrayed in the same manner as the empresses Julia Domna, Julia Mamaea, and Julia Soaemias.[1]

References

  1. Rocca, "Antoninianus depicting the head of Zenobia and Juno Regina (272 CE)", Judaism and Rome, 2019-06-29. facts only, no text reused. judaism-and-rome.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Zenobia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Sartre 2005, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9y7nTpFcN3AC&pg=PA551 551]; Edwell 2007, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DQgmOZlsEWcC&pg=PA230 230]; Stoneman 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=8kLFfE1qPhIC&pg=PA2 2]; Stark 1971, p. 80; Weldon 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=5fPHAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA106 106]; Teixidor 2005, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=oZcr7SzzVYYC&pg=PA201 20 en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Zenobia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stoneman 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=8kLFfE1qPhIC&pg=PA2 2]; Stoneman 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=8kLFfE1qPhIC&pg=PA2 2]; Stoneman 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=8kLFfE1qPhIC&pg=PA2 2]; Ball 2016, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=hblTDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA121 121]; Dodgeon Lieu 2002, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=3gGKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA73 73]; Stoneman 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=8kLFfE1qPhIC&pg=PA2 2]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [http en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Zenobia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Edwell 2007, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DQgmOZlsEWcC&pg=PA230 230]; Ando 2012, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=2fTcCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA209 209]; Butcher 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=YJPn3-rRjC0C&pg=PA58 58]; Dignas Winter 2007, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=MG2hqcRDvJgC&pg=PA159 159]; Butcher 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=YJPn3-rRjC0C&pg=PA58 58]; Goldsworthy 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=muVoB0O_XXMC&pg=PT61 61]; Dignas Winter 2007, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=MG2hqcRDvJgC en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Zenobia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Watson 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kJ2JAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Watson 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kJ2JAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]; Watson 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kJ2JAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Dodgeon Lieu 2002, p. [https://books.go en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Zenobia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Watson 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kJ2JAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Watson 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kJ2JAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfi en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Zenobia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Watson 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kJ2JAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 3], [https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 173]; Southern 2008, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id= en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Zenobia (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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