Great Conquerors: Zenobia

Hello, Readers of Antiquity,

Bow before Your Highness!

This is something Queen Zenobia probably proclaimed considering her sheer audacity.

Zenobia was a woman of remarkable ambition and intelligence who defied the might of the Roman Empire itself.

Believed to be a descendant of Cleopatra, she was celebrated for her beauty, intellect, and unrelenting grit—a true icon of her time.

What she accomplished during her reign, before her legendary clash with the Roman Emperor Aurelian, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Let’s honour her legacy in this Edition of Great Conquerors.

After the death of her husband, Odenathus, in 267 AD, Zenobia assumed control of the Roman territory of Palmyra as regent for her young son, Vaballathus. She claimed all the titles, honours, and lands that had been granted to Odenathus by the Romans, firmly solidifying her authority.

But Zenobia was not content with merely maintaining her position. She expanded her influence across the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting Palmyra’s dominance during the Crisis of the Third Century—a turbulent period marked by internal strife and external threats that fractured the Roman Empire.

Visionary Leadership

Under Zenobia’s rule, Palmyra flourished, becoming a vital cultural and trade hub between the Roman East and the Persian West. Known for her appreciation of various cultures, she encouraged the blending of Roman, Greek, and local traditions, fostering a rich and diverse cultural environment in Palmyra. Also, Zenobia valued education and promoted learning and scholarship throughout her empire, attracting many intellectuals to her prosperous lands.

The Value

Visionary leadership stems from deep-seated passion. Passion is considered an extraordinary creative energy in many spiritual traditions. In the Vedas, one-pointed passion is called tapas (an unsurpassable creative force).

The Vedas assert that from the tapas of god, the cosmos was born.

In Sufism, the concept of Ishq (divine love) is seen as a powerful, passionate force that drives individuals to achieve enlightenment.

Many Native American spiritual traditions view passion as a sacred force that connects individuals to their purpose and the greater community.

To be more pragmatic, when we tap into our deepest passions, we can create the extraordinary, such as Zenobia’s prosperous Palmyra.

Passion allows us to enter a state of genius, where there is an equilibrium between our skills and desires.

This balance leads to breakthroughs of creative energy and the achievement of great feats. Through passion, you can create your own glorious Palmyra.

Strategic Flow

Queen Zenobia’s growing power coincided with increasing turmoil in Rome. Bit by bit, Zenobia asserted Palmyra’s independence and chipped away at other Roman territories in the East. She would slowly assert sovereignty over territories extending through Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. This was all carefully planned, as Zenobia timed her expansion with events in the Roman Empire. She used barbarian invasions, the death of emperors, and insurrections as opportunities to grow her dominion far from the reach of Roman authority.

The Value

In strategy, it is crucial to react to the flow of events, not just a single event. Zenobia did not declare independence abruptly; it was a gradual process in response to the unfolding situation in Rome.

A master strategist views an event as part of a larger sequence and responds within this context rather than in isolation.

Always consider the broader context in which events occur. Recognize that no event happens in isolation and that its impact is often interconnected with other occurrences. You must time your actions to coincide with opportunities presented by the flow of events.

The world is always in flux, and those who know how to embrace this flow are the ones who conquer.