Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 1.djvu/389

OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 365 light horse, seized, and brought back a captive to the CHAP, feet of the emperor. Her capital soon afterwards sur- rendered, and was treated with unexpected lenity. The arms, horses, and camels, with an immense trea- sure of gold, silver, silk, and precious stones, were all delivered to the conqueror ; who leaving only a garrison of six hundred archers, returned to Emesa, and em- ployed some time in the distribution of rewards and punishments at the end of so memorable a war, which restored to the obedience of Rome those provinces that had renounced their allegiance since the captivity of Valerian. When the Syrian queen was brought into the pre- Behaviour sence of Aurelian, he sternly asked her, how she had °^ ^^°°^'^* presumed to rise in arms against the emperors of Rome. The answer of Zenobia was a prudent mix- ture of respect and firmness : " Because I disdained to consider as Roman emperors an Aureolus or a Gal- lienus. You alone I acknowledge as my conqueror and my sovereign*^." But as female fortitude is com- monly artificial, so it is seldom steady or consistent. The courage of Zenobia deserted her in the hour of trial ; she trembled at the angry clamours of the sol- diers, who called aloud for her immediate execution, forgot the generous despair of Cleopatra, which she had proposed as her model, and ignominiously pur- chased life by the sacrifice of her fame and her friends. It was to their counsels, which governed the weakness of her sex, that she imputed the guilt of her obstinate resistance ; it was on their heads that she directed the vengeance of the cruel Aurelian. The fame of Longi- nus, who was included among the numerous and per- haps innocent victims of her fear, will survive that of the queen who betrayed, or the tyrant who condemned him. Genius and learning were incapable of moving a fierce unlettered soldier; but they had served to ele- vate and harmonize the soul of Longinus. Without uttering a complaint, he calmly followed the execu- «» Pollio in Hist. August, p. 199.