more glory in wearing them without shedding tears than in shedding my blood from weakness or despair.<hr> 
Those who find their satisfaction within themselves leave the throne with less<hr>
regret than others, because if they find nothing in their soul that satisfies them, they are<hr>
forced to seek their happiness in external things. You may ask me what remains for princesses who have lost both empire and liberty. And I will answer you with<hr>
discernment that since the gods have seen fit to give you good reason to exercise your<hr>
courage, you are obligated to put it to good use and to show the whole world, through your<hr>
patience and integrity, that you were worthy of the scepter that was taken from you and that the<hr>
chains you've been forced into are beneath you. This, my daughters, is what remains for you to do.<hr>
And if you are affected by my example and my reasons, you will find that life can still be<hr>
sweet and glorious for you. You at least have the advantage that your current situation<hr>
cannot become worse. So, if you can become accustomed to it, nothing will be able to disturb your<hr>
rest. Remember that there are millions of men in the world and there are not one hundred<hr>
who wear crowns. Do you believe, my daughters, that all these men are unhappy and<hr>
there is no happiness beyond the throne? If that were the case, you are very much deluded.<hr>
There is no condition in life that does not have its pains and pleasures, and real wisdom<hr>
consists in making good use of whatever the fate tests you with. Those who<hr>
take their lives do not know that as long as one is alive, they are in a position to achieve glory.<hr>
There is no tyrant that can prevent me from making my name immortal every day, providing<hr>
an honorable life is left to me. Even if I was to say nothing and endure constant pain, my silence would continue to express what I feel.<hr>
        So let us live, my daughters, as we are still able to, and there are still means for us to<hr>
show our grandeur of soul. The scepter, the throne, and the empire we lost were<hr>
only given to us by fate, but constancy comes directly from the gods. I have received it directly from their<hr>
hands, and this is why you must have it. This is the true mark of heroes,<hr>
while despair is characteristic of the weak or unconscious. So do not worry about what posterity will say about me, and do not 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<hr>
narrated our story to the Senate, which will make it known to our successors. Preserve it, my<hr>
daughters, so that when I am no longer here, the memory of what I have been obliges you to always be<hr>
what you should be. Here are the words that Aurelian used in his speech: "I learned
that I am being blamed for doing something not very worthy of a great courage by triumphing over Zenobia, but those who criticize me are unaware of the praise to give me<hr>
if they knew who this woman was. How wise she was in her counsels, how she showed courage and persistence in her stance, how imperious and serious she was towards the men of war, how generous she was when her affairs required it, and how strict and rigorous she was when necessity forced her to. I can affirm that<hr>
<hr>
<hr>
                                                       47<hr>