historic girls- 第3部分

successful　hunter　her　cousin　the　exile。



〃Well　snared；　my　Odhainat；〃　she　said；　as；　the　first　exclamation

of　surprise　over；　she　stood　beside　the　brown…faced　and　sturdy

young　hunter。　〃The　Palmyrean　leopard　hath　bravely　trapped　both

the　Roman　eagle　and　the　Persian　lion。　See；　is　it　not　an　omen　from

the　gods？　Face　valor　with　valor　and　craft　with　craft；　O　Odhainat！

Have　you　forgotten　the　vow　in　your　father's　palace　full　three

years　ago？〃



Forgotten　it？　Not　he。　And　then　he　told　Bath　Zabbai　how　in　all　his

wanderings　he　had　kept　their　vow　in　mind；　and　with　that；　too；　her

other　words　of　counsel；　〃Watch　and　Wait。〃　He　told　her　that；　far

and　wide；　he　was　known　to　all　the　Arabs　of　the　desert　and　the

Armenians　of　the　hills；　and　how；　from　sheikh　to　camel…boy；　the

tribes　were　ready　to　join　with　Palmyra　against　both　Rome　and

Persia。



〃Your　time　will　indeed　come；　my　Odhainat；〃　said　the　fearless

girl；　with　proud　looks　and　ringing　voice。　〃See；　even　thus　our

omen　gives　the　proof；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　net；　beneath　whose

meshes　both　eagle　and　lion；　fluttering　and　panting；　lay　wearied

with　their　struggles；　while　the　cheetah　kept　watch　above　them。

〃Now　make　your　peace　with　Hairan；　your　brother；　return　to　Palmyra

once　again；　and　still　let　us　watch　and　wait。〃



Three　more　years　passed。　Valerian；　Emperor　of　Rome；　leading　his

legions　to　war　with　Sapor；　whom　men　called　the　〃Great　King；〃　had

fallen　a　victim　to　the　treachery　and　traps　of　the　Persian

monarch；　and　was　held　a　miserable　prisoner　in　the　Persian

capital；　where；　richly　robed　in　the　purple　of　the　Roman　emperors

and　loaded　with　chains；　he　was　used　by　the　savage　Persian　tyrant

as　a　living　horse…block　for　the　sport　of　an　equally　savage　court。

In　Palmyra；　Hairan　was　dead；　and　young　Odhainat；　his　brother；　was

now　Septimus　Odaenathus〃headman〃　of　the　city　and　to　all

appearances　the　firm　friend　of　Rome。



There　were　great　rejoicings　in　Palmyra　when　the　wise

Zenobiastill　scarce　more　than　a　girland　the　fearless　young

〃head…man〃　of　the　desert　republic　were　married　in　the　marble　city

of　the　palm…trees；　and　her　shrewd　counsels　brought　still　greater

triumphs　to　Odaenathus　and　to　Palmyra；



In　the　great　market…place　or　forum；　Odaenathus　and　Zenobia

awaited　the　return　of　their　messengers　to　Sapor。　For　the　〃Great

King；〃　having　killed　and　stuffed　the　captive　Roman　Emperor；　now

turned　his　arms　against　the　Roman　power　in　the　east　and；

destroying　both　Antioch　and　Emesa；　looked　with　an　evil　eye　toward

Palmyra。　Zenobia；　remembering　the　omen　of　the　eagle　and　the　lion；

repeated　her　counsel　of　facing　craft　with　craft；　and　letters　and

gifts　had　been　sent　to　Sapor；　asking　for　peace　and　friendship。

There　is　a　hurried　entrance　through　the　eastern　gate　of　the　city；

and　the　messengers　from　the　Palmyrean　senate　rush　into　the

Market…place。



〃Your　presents　to　the　Great　King　have　been　thrown　into　the　river；

O　Odaenathus；〃　they　reported；　〃and　thus　sayeth　Sapor　of　Persia：

'Who　is　this　Odaenathus；　that　he　should　thus　presume　to　write　to

his　lord？　If　he　would　obtain　mitigation　of　the　punishment　that

awaits　him；　let　him　fall　prostrate　before　the　foot　of　our　throne；

with　his　hands　bound　behind　his　back。　Unless　he　doeth　this；　he；

his　family；　and　his　country　shall　surely　perish！'　〃



Swift　to　wrath　and　swifter　still　to　act；　Zenobia　sprang　to　her

feet。　〃Face　force　with　force；　Odaenathus。　Be　strong　and　sure；　and

Palmyra　shall　yet　humble　the　Persian。〃



Her　advice　was　taken。　Quickly　collecting　the　troops　of　Palmyra

and　the　Arabs　and　Armenian　who　were　his　allies；　the　fearless

〃head…man〃　fell　upon　the　army　of　the　haughty　Persian　king；

defeated　and　despoiled　it；　and　drove　it　back　to　Persia。　As

Gibbon；　the　historian　says：　〃The　majesty　of　Rome；　oppressed　by　a

Persian；　was　protected　by　an　Arab　of　Palmyra。〃



For　this　he　was　covered　with　favors　by　Rome；　made　supreme

commander　in　the　East；　and；　with　Zenobia　as　his　adviser　and

helper；　each　year　made　Palmyra　stronger　and　more　powerful。



Here；　rightly；　the　story　of　the　girl　Zenobia　ends。　A　woman　now；

her　life　fills　one　of　the　most　brilliant　pages　of　history。　While

her　husband　conquered　for　Rome　in　the　north；　she；　in　his　absence；

governed　so　wisely　in　the　south　as　to　insure　the　praise　of　all。

And　when　the　time　was　ripe；　and　Rome；　ruled　by　weak　emperors　and

harassed　by　wild　barbarians；　was　in　dire　stress；　the　childish　vow

of　the　boy　and　girl　made　years　before　found　fulfilment。　Palmyra

was　suddenly　declared　free　from　the　dominion　of　Rome；　and

Odaenathus　was　acknowledged　by　senate　and　people　as　〃Emperor　and

King　of　kings。〃



But　the　hand　of　an　assassin　struck　down　the　son　as　it　had

stricken　the　father。　Zenobia；　ascending　the　throne　of　Palmyra；

declared　herself　〃Zenobia　Augusta；　the　Empress　of　the　East；〃　and；

after　the　manner　of　her　time；　extended　her　empire　in　every

direction　until；　as　the　record　says：　〃A　small　territory　in　the

desert；　under　the　government　of　a　woman；　extended　its　conquests

over　many　rich　countries　and　several　states。　Zenobia；　lately

confined　to　the　barren　plains　about　Palmyra；　now　held　sway　from

Egypt　in　the　south；　to　the　Bosphorus　and　the　Black　Sea　in　the

north。〃



But　a　new　emperor　ruled　in　Rome：　Aurelian；　soldier　and　statesman。

〃Rome；〃　he　said；　〃shall　never　lose　a　province。〃　And　then　the

struggle　for　dominion　in　the　East　began。　The　strength　and　power

of　Rome；　directed　by　the　Emperor　himself；　at　last　triumphed。

Palmyra　fell；　and　Zenobia；　after　a　most　heroic　defence　of　her

kingdom；　was　led　a　prisoner　to　Rome。　Clad　in　magnificent　robes；

loaded　with　jewels　and　with　heavy　chains　of　gold；　she　walked；

regal　and　undaunted　still；　in　the　great　triumphal　procession　of

her　conqueror；　and；　disdaining　to　kill　herself　as　did　Cleopatra

and　Dido；　she　gave　herself　up　to　the　nobler　work　of　the　education

and　culture　of　her　children；　and　led　for　many　years；　in　her　villa

at　Tibur；　the　life　of　a　noble　Roman　matron。



Such；　in　brief；　is　the　story　of　Zenobia。　You　must　read　for

yourselves　the　record　of　her　later　years；　as　it　stands　in

history；　if　you　would　know　more　of　her　grandeur　in　her　days　of

power；　and　her　moral　grandeur　in　her　days　of　defeat。



And　with　Zenobia　fell　Palmyra。　Centuries　of　ruin　and　neglect　have

passed　over　the　once　fairy…like　city　of　the　Syrian　oasis。　Her

temples　and　colonnades；　her　monuments　and　archways　and　wonderful

buildings　are　prostrate　and　decayed；　and　the　site　even　of　the

glorious　city　has　been　known　to　the　modern　world　only　within　the

last　century。　But　while　time　lasts　and　the　record　of　heroic　deeds

survives；　neither　fallen　column　nor　ruined　arch　nor　all　the

destruction　and　neglect　of　modern　barbarism　can　blot　out　the

story　of　the　life　and　worth　of　Bath　Zabbai；　the　brave　girl　of　the

Syrian　desert；　whom　all　the　world　honors　as　the　noblest　woman　of

antiquityZenobia　of　Palmyra；　the　dauntless　〃Queen　of　the　East。〃







HELENA　OF　BRITAIN：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　ESSEX　FELLS。



＇Afterward　known　as　〃St。　Helena；〃　the　mother　of　Constantine。＇

A。D。　255。



Ever　since　that　far…off　day　in　the　infancy　of　the　world；　when

lands　began　to　form　and　rivers　to　flow　seaward；　the　little　river

Colne　has　wound　its　crooked　way　through　the　fertile　fields　of

Essex　eastward　to　the　broad　North　Sea。



Through　hill…land　and　through　moor…land；　past　Moyns　and　Great

Yeldham；　past　Halstead　and　Chappel　and　the　walls　of　Colchester；

turning　now　this　way　and　now　that　until　it　comes　to　Mersea　Island

and　the　sea；　the　little　river　flows　to…day　even　as　it　sped　along

one　pleasant　summer　morning　sixteen　hundred　and　forty　years　ago；

when　a　little　British　princess；　only　fairly　in　her　teens；

reclined　in　comfortable　contentment　in　her　gilded　barge　and

floated　down　the　river　from　her　father's　palace　at　Colchester　to

the　strand　at　Wivanloe。



For　this　little　girl　of　fourteen；　Helena；　the　princess；　was　a

king's　daughter；　and；　according　to　all　accounts；　a　very　bright

and　charming　girl　besideswhich　all　princesses　have　not　been。

Her　father　was　Coel；　second　prince　of　Britain　and　king　of　that

part　of　ancient　England；　which　includes　the　present　shires　of

Essex　and　of　Suffolk；　about　the　river　Colne。



Not　a　very　large　kingdom　this；　but　even　as　small　as　it　was；　King

Coel　did　not　hold　it　in　undisputed　sway。　For　he　was　one　of　the

tributary　princes　of　Britain；　in　the　days　when　Roman　arms；　and

Roman　law；　and　Roman　dress；　and　Roman　manners；　had　place　and

power　throughout　England；　from　the　Isle　of　Wight；　to　the　Northern

highlands；　behind　whose　forest…crowned　hills　those　savage　natives

known　as　the　Picts〃the　tattooed　folk〃held　possession　of

ancient　Scotland；　and　defied　the　eagles　of　Rome。



The　monotonous　song　of　the　rowers；　keeping　time　with　each　dip　of

the　broad…bladed　oars；　rose　and　fell　in　answer　to　the　beats　of

the　master's　silver　baton；　and　Helena　too　followed　the　measure

with　the　tap；　tap；　of　her　sandaled　foot。



Suddenly　there　shot　out　around　one　of　the　frequent　turns　in　the

river；　the　gleam　of　other　oars；　the　high　prow　of　a　larger　galley；

and　across　the　water　came　the　oar…song　of　a　larger　company　of

rowers。　Helena　started　to　her　feet。



〃Look；　Cleon；〃　she　cried；　pointing；　eagerly　towards　the

approaching　boat；　〃　't　is　my　father's　own　trireme。　Why　this　haste

to　return；　think'st　thou？〃



〃I　cannot　tell；　little　mistress；〃　replied　the　freedman　Cleon；　her

galley…master；　〃the　king　thy　father　must　have　urgent　tidings；　to

make　him　return　thus　quickly　to　Camalodunum。〃



Both　the　girl　and　the　galley…master　spoke　in　Latin；　for　the

language　of　the　Empire　was　the　language　of　those　in　authority　or

in　official　life　even　in　its　remotest　provinces；　and　the

galley…master　did　but　use　the　name　which　the　Roman　lords　of

Britain　had　given　to　the　prosperous　city　on　the　Colne；　in　which

the　native　Prince；　King　Coel；　had　his　courtthe　city　which

to…day　is　known　under　its　later　Saxon　name　of　Colchester。



It　was；　indeed；　a　curious　state　of