You know that I have confronted a military force as formidable as would have been necessary to<hr>
conquer the entire world. But I did not lose heart in the face of this. You know that I defended the<hr>
ramparts of Palmyra with as much valor as strategy, and that Aurelian himself was grievously<hr>
wounded by an arrow, perhaps shot from my hand. The gods know that I preserved my life to safeguard your liberty. Since my arrival in Rome, I've learned that the world knows I didn’t surrender the throne that was rightfully yours without a fight. Aurelian wrote in his own hand to Mucapor, his friend, that while it was true he was at war with a woman, this was a woman who had more archers at her disposal than if she were a man. A woman who showed prudence in the face of danger and who through her judgment had mustered such a great army in opposition to his conquests that it was impossible to imagine the prodigious number of arrows and stones at her disposal. Indeed, he found every fragment of the walls of Palmyra defended by multiple siege engines. His troops constantly hurled projectiles at ours. In reality, he claimed that as a woman, I was afraid of battle, yet he was fighting like one who was scared.<hr>
        This, my daughters, is what my enemy has said of me. Nevertheless, he was wrong to say I was afraid. When he sent me an offer of clemency and pardon, on the condition that I surrender Palmyra and entrust him with all my precious stones and treasures, I responded with such resoluteness that it offended him. I remember, among the other things I told him, I pointed out that nobody prior to him had ever demanded from me what he was asking because nobody had subjugated me. "Remember," I told him, "that honor must guide both affairs of war and those of peace. Moreover, I inform you that the aid of the Persians that we are expecting will not fail us. We have the Armenians and Saracens on our side. And if the bandits of Syria have defeated your armies, Aurelian, what will happen when we receive the forces we are expecting from all sides? Then, you will lose a portion of that excessive pride with which you order me to surrender as if you were fully victorious." You see, my daughters, while you were at the temples praying to the gods, I was doing everything I could to protect you and not tarnish my own glory. Afterwards, you know how Aurelian defeated the Persians who came to our aid. Seeing that the city could not be saved, I at least wanted to ensure my own safety. But fate, which had decreed my fall, ultimately made Aurelian my conqueror and me his captive. As soon as he saw me, he asked how I dared to attack the Roman emperors and challenge their forces. Aurelian said to me: "I acknowledge you as a legitimate emperor because you know how to win. I have never considered the likes of Gallienus to be so." So far, my daughters, you cannot accuse me of lacking courage. I wore a crown without arrogance, I had a firm enough hand to wield both a scepter and a sword. <hr>
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