How wise she was in her advice, how courageous and persistent in her approach, how overbearing and serious towards the men of war, how generous when her affairs demanded it, and how strict and thorough when necessity compelled her. I can assert that it was thanks to her that Odaenathus overcome the Persians and pursued King Shapur to Ctesiphon. I can assure that this woman filled the East and Egypt with the terror of her weapons so much so that neither the Arabs, the Saracens nor the Armenians dared to move. Let those who do not know these things keep silent, for there is honour in having overcome this woman. What will they say about Gallienus, scorned by her, under whose reign she managed to maintain her empire by repelling him? What will they say about Claudius, a holy and revered prince, who, occupied by the wars of the Goths, allowed her to rule so that this queen, moreover bearing his arms, could more easily complete her other wars?" This, my daughters, is what my conqueror said about me, even though I followed his chariot. Have the same fairness and believe me, whoever lived this way does not need to take their own life to immortalize their name.

                                          Effect of This Speech
          This speech shows how a convincing orator easily persuades others. These princesses lived because their mother did not want to die, and the gardens given to them by Aurelian as a home, now called Tivoli, seemed more beautiful to them than the tomb. History shows that this queen was always highly esteemed by all the ladies of Rome, and her daughters married men from the most powerful families. It was little compared to their birth, but it was much considering their distress, as the Romans believed that Antony and Titus had married unworthily, even though they had married queens. This feeling was arrogant, but it was that of the masters of the world. To say this is to say everything.

                                                    Notes
          Zenobia is a queen-empress and rules over Egypt and Asia Minor. She is the wife of Odaenathus, king of Palmyra. After his assassination and that of their son Hairan in 267, Zenobia transferred her husband's titles to their son Wahballat, notably that of "king of kings".
          Odaenathus is the founding king of the Palmyrene Empire, which encompasses the Roman provinces of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and much of Asia Minor. He ruled this empire from Palmyra until his assassination in 267 in Emesa.
          Palmyra is an ancient city in Syria, located near an oasis in the Syrian desert, 210 km northeast of Damascus and whose ruins are adjacent to the modern city of Tadmor.

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