Dux Femina Facti: Zenobia, the Warrior Queen, SHA Trig. Tyr. 30.1-3

Zenobia, Following in the Footsteps of Greatness

Name: Scriptores Historia Augusta Date:   Unknown Region:    Unknown Citation:     Life of The Thirty Tyrants 30.1-3

Often, authors will use depictions of other nations as a mirror for their own society. Here Zenobia’s exploits are used to criticize Gallienus’ masculinity and ability to rule effectively.  

All decency is gone, when the broken down state has come to such a new low that on good-for-nothing Gallienus’ watch that even women can rule well—even foreign ones! For Zenobia, a foreigner (about whom much ink has been spilled) who boasted that she was descended from Cleopatra and the Ptolemies of Egypt, took up rule after the death of her husband Odenathus. Wearing a military cloak on her shoulders, and dressed like Dido, she took up the crown in the name of her sons Herennianus and Timolaus, and ruled longer than a woman should. This woman ruled while Gallienus was in charge at Rome and while Claudius was distracted by his war with the Goths, and was just barely (but ultimately) defeated by Aurelian. Finally defeated by him, she was led in triumph at Rome and gave up her throne.

Zenobia, Following in the Footsteps of Greatness

Omnis iam consumptus est pudor, si quidem fatigata re publica eo usque perventum est, ut Gallieno nequissime agente optime etiam mulieres imperarent, et quidem peregrinae. Peregrina enim, nomine Zenobia, de qua multa iam dicta sunt, quae se de Cleopatrarum Ptolemaeorumque gente iactaret, post Odenatum maritum imperiali sagulo perfuso per umeros, habitu Didonis ornata, diademate etiam accepto, nomine filiorum Herenniani et Timolai diutius, quam femineus sexus patiebatur, imperavit. Si quidem Gallieno adhuc regente rem publicam regale mulier superba munus obtinuit et Claudio bellis Gothicis occupato vix denique ab Aureliano victa et triumphata concessit in iura Romana.

Scriptores Historiae Augustae Little is known about the author(s) of the Historia Augusta; even internal evidence within the text is either falsified, skewed or utterly fictitious. Although attributed to six different authors, the text was likely written by a single author living during the 4th century CE. It is a series of imperial biographies modeled after the works of Suetonius; these biographies cover the reigns of the emperors Hadrian through Carus.