ABSTRACT
In order to comprehend Aurelian’s strategy in the east, we must first consider the situation from an eastern perspective. The rise of the fabulously wealthy city of Palmyra, the extraordinary career of its ruler Odenathus, and the dynamic enterprise of his shrewd and beautiful queen Zenobia, are tales that lend themselves easily to legend. We must discern the historical facts that lie behind these tales, for they are integral to the story of Aurelian’s reign, just as his own career was to prove decisive in their conclusion.
