Wonder Woman of the Week: Queen Zenobia
- Dec 17, 2014
- 2 min read
This week’s Wonder Woman is more Hippolyta than Diana. Queen Zenobia birth year is unknown, but her life is well recorded. Zenobia was born to the throne of the Palmyran kingdom in present-day Syria. Some time in the 3rd Century AD, Zena warrior princess’s husband and son were assassinated. Anyone who knows anything about Warrior queens should know not to pull crap like this. Zenobia declared herself Queen and went on a vengeance-seeking rampage that would make “the Bride” from Kill Bill seem like a hung-over soccer mom. Zenobia invaded Egypt and Anatolia (Turkey), then declared independence from the Roman Empire. During the same time, Rome was ruled by one of the most sensible Roman Emperors- Aurelius- and any sensible emperor would know not to let this kind of thing slide.
The Roman legions besieged her treasure hall from which Zenobia and her last child barely escaped. After wondering the countryside for a few days, the two were captured by the Romans and placed in chains. Zenobia’s son died on the forced march and Zenobia was paraded through Rome in chains. After the parade, two stories emerge. The first is that the queen was publically executed- which admittedly is a badass way to go out. The other is that Zenobia so charmed the Roman Emperor that Aurelius granted her freedom, Zenibia married a Roman aristocrat, and lived happily ever after. Zenobia was not just a great queen to her people. During the revolt, Zenobia marched on foot beside her soldiers, fought in battle with them, and constantly worked to maintain their trust and loyalty. She was an accomplished rider of horses and is rumored to have become a philosopher after her “parade” through Rome. That level of charm and grace takes some major Amazonian integrity.
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