\A^ i/ p/^Oc^^., J'-'(fJ LI B RAFIY OF THE UNIVLRSITY Of ILLl NOI5 80.3 Ok2z V. I QUEEN OF PALMYRA. VOLUME I. Digitized by tine Internet Archive in 2010 witii funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Ghampaign http://www.archive.org/details/zenobiaqueenofpa01okee : ZENOBIA, aUEEN OF PALMYRA FOUNDED ON HISTORY. IN TWO VOLUMES. BY THE AUTHOR OF PATRIARCHAL TIMES. VOL. I. LONDON Printed by J. Dennett, Leather Lane, Holbom; YARD. FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH 1S14. — ^Z3 CONTENTS. BOOK I. Page The reflections of Orodes, a Senator of Palmyra —The oracle of Balbec—Odenathus blessing the infant Zenobia^— Septimia's lamentations —The character of Elkanah, the Hebrew— The oracle of Apollo consulted—Youths as- semble in the house of Elkanah—Syrian tra- vellers —Septimia quits Palmyra, and arrives in Armenia • • • •_ BOOK II. Condition of the youths when grown to man- hood—Description of Zenobia —Elkanah ar- rives in Armenia—The tomb of Gordian /^ They leave Zaantha and travel southward ^ Nineveh —Babylon—The Arabs—They jour- ~5 ney through the desert—Zenobia's first sight ^ of Palmyra—They enter the city at night Meeting of the senate, priests, and vestals r""* —Zenobia acknowledged 49 ^, VOL. T. a VI CONTENTS. BOOK III. P3S' Beneficial effects of Zenobia's return to Palmyra —The arrival of Odenathus — Messengers sent to Sapor the Persian King, requesting his friendship and alliance—The remarks of Zenobia on Odenathus' pronouncing his de- ceased wife's funeral oration—Marcus Teren- tius, a soldier, condemned to death—Zenobia saves him—Longinus instructing Zenobia— They are joined by Odenathus and Antiochus —The latter repair to the Senate House—An insolent and hostile answer is received from Sapor—Odenathus and his armies sent against Persia 125 BOOK IV. Septimia, thinking herself neglected by her daughter, declines in health—Is happily un- deceived—New Zaantha—Odenathus returns triumphant from the Persian war—Marcus Terentius receives his civic crown—Odena- thus proclaimed Prince of Palmyra—Asks Zenobia in marriage—Is rejected—Elkanah exacts of Zenobia an oath never to abjure the Jewish faith—She is accidentally prevented taking it by the child Herodian—Odenathus CONTENTS. Vli Page renews his suit for Zenobia's hand — Is de- clared King of the East—And married to Zenobia • • ••• 157^ BOOK V. Reflections on the present state of Palmyra-— The return of Odenathus and Zenobia from Persia — Orosanga a Persian captive con- demned — Valerius dispossessed of his go- vernment of Arethusa, and Harmadrian ap- pointed in his stead—-The seditious artificer in brass spoken to by the King—The enmity of two merchants, named Artamon and Dio- nysius—The return of Cassimus, a wood- cutter, from the desert —The prison of Pal- myra—Herodian offers half his Persian spoils to Meonius —Victoria married to Herodian —The visit of Odenathus to the guard- house ••».. 22^ BOOK VI. Archery in the plains of Palmyra—Harmadrian, the new governor of Arethusa,^ arrives from thence—Meonius pardoned by his uncle— The chase of the elephant— The hall of audience—Odenathus and his son quit Pal- fin CONTENTS. VtlS*- myra, and go to Larissa—The desert—^The traveller—The death of Meonius—The mur- dered bodies of Odenathus and Herodian found in the woods—They are brought back to Palmyra—Zenobia's despair. 295 ' ZENOBIA5 QUEEN OF PALMYRA. BOOK I. ARGUMENT. The reflections of Orodes, a Senator of Palmyra-^ The oracle of BaVoec—Odenathiis blessing the infant Zenohia— Sepfimia's lamentations—The cha- racter of Elkanah, the Hebrew—The oracle of Apollo consulted— Youths assemble in the house of Elkanah—Syrian travellers — Septimia quits Palmyra, and arrives in Armenia. Man at his birth is feeble and defence- less —he daily hnproves in strength, in stature, in dignity, and in wisdom, until arrived at the excellency of each, he gra- dually decays, sinking into a state as weak as at the birth. Such was the remark of Orodes as -walking alone without the ramparts of Palmyra. Again he silently pemsed an VOL. I. B — S ZENOBIA, account lately received of the murder of the Emperor Gordian^ and again relapsed into profound meditation. It is thus with nations and empires ; they date their decline from the period at which they reach their utmost height. O Palmyra ! heloved spot that gave me hirth, say, at what point hast thou ar- rived ? Art thou now only in thine in- fancy, or is thy glorious manhood yet to come ? Is it thy fate to stand for ages proudly insular, or art thou destined to be the early prey of the Persian ravager, or of the Roman sword ? Palmyra, upon which my soul dotes more than son ever loved mother, for what art thou reserved? —No warrior I, or neither Roman or Persian should advance one hostile step against thee ; but though unable to de- fend thee, and unskilled in battle, the gods have blessed me with a heart burn- ing with zeal for thy welfare, and a head capable of commanding that heart to pursue the interests of my couutiy to the utmost. Q.UEEN OF PALMYRA. 3 Orodes walked on in deep and solemn thought^ his steps at times hasty, at others slow and languid—the expression of his countenance and involuntary gestures be- speaking the agitation of his spirits ; but when, a few moments after, he sat down upon a bank, and with a reed traced un- meaning characters in the sand, at that instant the fate of Palmyra (though con- cealed from human foresight) was de- creed. Orodes wrote in sand, but the destinies of his country were engraved in adamant. Orodes with flushed cheek and beating heart, as he rose, pronounced, It shall be so—Fate echoed, It shall be so. What is tbe existence of a single per- son when compared with that of thou- sands ? Not a day passes but the republic is increased in population : —there are but few mansions in the city and province that cannot boast of an infant race, why then should thus suddenly all eyes, hopes, B 2 4 ZENOBIA^ and wislies rest upon one babe ? why, within these few days, is the palace of Antlochus crowded with eager curiosity and anxious enquiries? A birth transcend- ing human expectation could not create a more en^thusiastical sensation, and to heathen Pahnyra this birth is indeed por- tentous, for within these six days it was spoken by the oracle of Apollo in Balbec, ^ Look to Zenobia, the babe born of An- tiochus and Septimia, for her fate and that of Palmyra are one.' Months -glided away, and time only served to strengthen the idolatry of the Palmyrenians, so carefully was the infant watched, and so ardently attended. Doth it sleep ? enquired the father, entering, and gently he raised the trans- parent veil that fell from the shoulders of Septimia, forujing a soft and fragrant tent, under which reposed the fairest babe that the East had ever nourished. Turn- ing, he beckoned to a youth who stood at the threshold with Orodes, and desired hiin to advance with caution : he did ad- aUEEN or PALMYRA. 6 Vance with breathless caution^ and vvlien near, he stooped to gaze, and long had gazed in silent awe and rapture, had not Septimia drawn the veil, and snatclied the child from his sight. One more look, exclaimed he—bnt one.—Away to the chase of the lion, re- plied Septimia, smiling, nor add thyself to the number of the idle ones who latterly neglect all duty, pleasure, and employ- ment, under the shew of paying homage to my cherub.—O most cruel, to send me to certain death, returned the youth ; for with this image before my eyes, can I bf^. on my guard in my encounter of the lion? I am but now arrived from Antioch, sent by our general Balista to hail Palmyra's infant treasure, and here I solemnly pass my word never to rise, until I can tell him that I have held it in my arms. Comply, Septimia, said Antiochus, for the geillant Odenathus was never known to break his word to a female. The youth kneeling, received on his arms the sleeping babe from those of its mother, B 3 ; S ZEN0BIA5 and exclaimed, after a long and anxious look on its uncovered features, May the god of the sun, which hath said that the fate of our nation is entwined with thine, shed on both his purest rays ! his blessing be on both, that they may alike increase in beauty, power, and honour : —mayest thou, Zenobia, uever forsake his worship, or he deny thee his glorious and benign influence. — Behold that angelic smile passing over the rosy cheek, as if in gra- titude. Take her, take her, Septimia for should she wake and I meet her look, thou mightst bind me to the cradle, and the wild beasts of Parthia stalk into our streets. Antiochus listened to the noble youth with the gratified fondness of a father, and Orodes—what were the thoughts at this moment of the subtle, scheming Orodes ? Wild and extravagant would they have been deemed if they then had been uttered, yet futurity confirmed them. And did Septimia at heart rejoice ? was she flattered by this universal homage ?— tlUEEN OF PALMYRA. 7 Every mother envied Septimia, and Sep- timia every mother. Though a Hebrew by descent^ yet was she and her brother Elkanah born at Seleucia on the Tigris. Early in life she became the victim of avaricious parents, who, to secure an il- histiious and wealthy alliance, sacrificed her in marriage to paganism and Anti- ochus : a willing sacrifice, it is true, but not many months had passed ere she dis- covered that her husband, a strict fol- lower of every civil custom and relis^ious rite, would, on demand, have parted for ever with his wife, and given his chil- dren burnt sacrifices to Belus.