But I believed there would be more glory in bearing them without shedding tears than in spilling<hr>
my blood in weakness or despair. Those who find their satisfaction in themselves leave the throne with less regret than others, for if they find nothing in their soul that pleases them, they are forced to seek their happiness in external things. You may ask me what remains for princesses who have lost their empire and freedom. And I will answer you wisely that since the gods wanted to give you a good reason to use your courage, you are obliged to make good use of it and show the whole world, through your patience and integrity, that you were worthy of the scepter that has been taken away from you and that the chains you have been put in are unworthy of you. Here, my daughters, is what remains for you to do. And if you are moved by my example and my reasons, you will find that life can still be sweet and glorious for you. At least you have the advantage that your current situation cannot get worse. So, if you can get used to it, nothing can disturb your peace. Remember that there are millions of men in the world and there are not a hundred who wear crowns. Do you believe, my daughters, that all these men are unhappy and that there is no happiness outside of the throne? If you do, you are filled with illusions. There is no condition in life that does not have its sorrows and pleasures, and true wisdom consists of making good use of whatever you can when fate puts you to the test. Those who kill themselves do not know that as long as one is alive, one is capable of achieving glory. There is no tyrant who can stop me from making my name immortal every day, provided he lets me live and I remain honorable. Even if I said nothing and endured constant pain, my silence would continue to express what I feel.<hr>
Therefore, let us live, my daughters, since we can, and we still have ways to show our greatness of soul. The scepter, throne, and empire we have lost were only given to us by fate, but constancy comes directly from the gods. From their hand I received it, and that is why you must have it. It is the true sign of heroes, while despair is characteristic of the weak or unaware. So don't worry about what posterity will say about me, and don't fear that the day of Aurelian's triumph will overshadow all my victories, for it is the most glorious day of my life. Moreover, I heard that Aurelian recounted our story to the Senate, which will make it known to our successors. Keep it, my daughters, so that when I am no longer here, the memory of what I was obliges you to always be what you must be. These are the words that Aurelian used in his speech: "I have been criticized for doing something unworthy of great courage in triumphing over Zenobia, but those who criticize me do not realize the praises to give me if they knew who this woman was.<hr>
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