historic girls-第2章

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far　eastern　province　on　the　Persian　frontier。



〃But　why　should　the　coming　of　the　Roman　so　trouble　you；　my

Odhainat？〃　she　asked。　〃We　are　neither　Jew　nor　Christian　that　we

should　fear　his　wrath；　but　free　Palmyreans　who　bend　the　knee

neither　to　Roman　nor　Persian　masters。〃



〃Who　WILL　bend　the　knee　no　longer；　be　it　never　so　little；　my

cousin；〃　exclaimed　the　lad　hotly；　〃as　this　very　day　would　have

shown　had　not　this　crafty　Rufinusmay　great　Solomon's　genii　dash

him　in　the　sea！come　with　his　cohort　to　mar　our　measures！　Yet

seewho　cometh　now？〃　he　cried；　and　at　once　the　attention　of　the

young　people　was　turned　in　the　opposite　direction　as　they　saw；

streaming　out　of　the　great　fortress…like　court…yard　of　the　Temple

of　the　Sun；　another　hurrying　throng。



Then　young　Odhainat　gave　a　cry　of　joy。



〃See；　Bath　Zabbai；　they　come；　they　come〃！　he　cried。　〃It　is　my

father；　Odhainat　the　esarkos；＇1＇　with　all　the　leaders　and　all　the

bowmen　and　spearmen　of　our　fahdh　armed　and　in　readiness。　This　day

will　we　fling　off　the　Roman　yoke　and　become　the　true　and

unconquered　lords　of　Palmyra。　And　I；　too；　Must　join　them；〃　he

added。



＇1＇　The　〃head　man；〃　or　chief　of　the　〃fahdh；〃　or　family。





But　the　young　girl　detained　him。　〃Wait；　cousin；〃　she　said；　〃watch

and　wait。　Our　fahdh　will　scarce　attempt　so　brave　a　deed　to…day；

with　these　new　Roman　soldiers　in　our　gates。　That　were　scarcely

wise。



But　the　boy　broke　out　again。　〃So；　they　have　seen　each　other；〃　he

said；　〃both　sides　are　pressing　on！〃



〃True；　and　they　will　meet　under　this　very　portico；〃　said　Bath

Zabbai；　and　moved　both　by　interest　and　desire　this　dark…eyed

Syrian　girl；　to　whom　fear　was　never　known；　standing　by　her

cousin's　side；　looked　down　upon　the　tossing　sea　of　spears　and

lances　and　glittering　shields　and　helmets　that　swayed　and　surged

in　the　street　below。



〃So；　Odaenathus！〃　said　Rufinus；　the　tribune；　reining　in　his　horse

and　speaking　in　harsh　and　commanding　tones；　〃what　meaneth　this

array　of　armed　followers？〃



〃Are　the　movements　of　Septimus　Odaenathus；　the　head…man；　of　such

importance　to　the　noble　tribune　that　he　must　needs　question　a

free　merchant　of　Palmyra　as　to　the　number　and　manner　of　his

servants？〃　asked　Odaemathus　haughtily。



〃Dog　of　a　Palmyrean；　slave　of　a　camel…driver；〃　said　the　Roman

angrily；　〃trifle　not　with　me。　Were　you　ten　times　the　free

merchant　you　claim；　you　should　not　thus　reply。　Free；　forsooth！

None　are　free　but　Romans。〃



〃Have　a　care；　O　Rufinus；〃　said　the　Palmyrean　boldly；　〃choose

wiser　words　if　you　would　have　peaceful　ways。　Palmyra　brooks　no

such　slander　of　her　foremost　men。〃



〃And　Rome　brooks　no　such　men　as　you；　traitor；〃　said　Rufinus。　〃Ay；

traitor；　I　say；〃　he　repeated；　as　Odaenathus　started　at　the　word。

〃Think　not　to　hide　your　plots　to　overthrow　the　Roman　power　in

your　city　and　hand　the　rule　to　the　base　Sapor　of　Persia。　Every

thing　is　known　to　our　great　father　the　Emperor；　and　thus　doth　he

reckon　with　traitors。　Macrinus；　strike！〃　and　at　his　word　the

short　Gallic　sword　in　the　ready　hand　of　the　big　German

foot…soldier　went　straight　to　its　mark　and　Odaenathus；　the

〃head…man〃　of　Palmyra；　lay　dead　in　the　Street　of　the　Thousand

Columns。



So　sudden　and　so　unexpected　was　the　blow　that　the　Palmyreans

stood　as　if　stunned；　unable　to　comprehend　what　had　happened。　But

the　Roman　was　swift　to　act。



〃Sound；　trumpets！　Down；　pikes！〃　he　cried；　and　as　the　trumpet　peal

rose　loud　and　clear；　fresh　legionaries　came　hurrying　through　the

Damascus　arch；　and　the　pilum＇1＇　and　spatha　of　Rome　bore　back　the

shields　and　lances　of　Palmyra。



＇1＇　The　pilum　was　the　Roman　pike；　and　the　spatha　the　short

single…edged　Roman　sword。





But；　before　the　lowered　pikes　could　fully　disperse　the　crowd；　the

throng　parted　and　through　the　swaying　mob　there　burst　a　lithe　and

flying　figurea　brown…skinned　maid　of　twelve　with　streaming

hair；　loose　robe；　and　angry；　flashing　eyes。　Right　under　the

lowered　pikes　she　darted　and；　all　flushed　and　panting；　defiantly

faced　the　astonished　Rufinus。　Close　behind　her　came　an　equally

excited　lad　who；　when　he　saw　the　stricken　body　of　his　father　on

the　marble　street；　flung　himself　weeping　upon　it。　But　Bath

Zabbai's　eyes　flashed　still　more　angrily：



〃Assassin；　murderer！〃　she　cried；　〃you　have　slain　my　kinsman　and

Odhainat's　father。　How　dare　you；　how　dare　you！〃　she　repeated

vehemently；　and　then；　flushing　with　deeper　scorn；　she　added：

〃Roman；　I　hate　you！　Would　that　I　were　a　man。　Then　should　all

Palmyra　know　how〃



〃Scourge　these　children　home；〃　broke　in　the　stern　Rufinus；　〃or

fetch　them　by　the　ears　to　their　nurses　and　their　toys。　Let　the

boys　and　girls　of　Palmyra　beware　how　they　mingle　in　the　matters

of　their　elders；　or　in　the　plots　of　their　fathers。　Men　of

Palmyra；　you　who　to…day　have　dared　to　think　of　rebellion；　look　on

your　leader　here　and　know　how　Rome　deals　with　traitors。　But；

because　the　merchant　Odaenathus　bore　a　Roman　name；　and　was　of

Roman　rankho；　soldiers！　bear　him　to　his　house；　and　let　Palmyra

pay　such　honor　as　befits　his　name　and　station。〃



The　struggling　children　were　half　led；　half　carried　into　the

sculptured　atrium＇1＇　of　the　palace　of　Odaenathus　which；　embowered

in　palms　and　vines　and　wonderful　Eastern　plants；　stood　back　from

the　marble　colonnade　on　the　Street　of　the　Thousand　Columns。　And

when　in　that　same　atrium　the　body　of　the　dead　merchant　lay

embalmed　and　draped　for　its　〃long　home；〃＇2＇　there；　kneeling　by

the　stricken　form　of　the　murdered　father　and　kinsman；　and　with

uplifted　hand；　after　the　vindictive　manner　of　these　fierce　old

days　of　blood；　Odaemathus　and　Zenobia　swore　eternal　hatred　to

Rome。



＇1＇　The　large　central　〃living…room〃　of　a　Roman　palace。



＇2＇　The　Palmyreans　built　great　tower…tombs；　beautiful　in

architecture　and　adornment；　the　ruins　of　which　still　stand　on　the

hill　slopes　overlooking　the　old　city。　These　they　called　their

〃long　homes；〃　and　you　will　find　the　word　used　in　the　same　sense

in　Ecclesiastes　xii。；　5。





Hatred；　boys　and　girls；　is　a　very　ugly　as　it　is　a　very　headstrong

fault；　but　as　there　is　a　good　side　even　to　a　bad　habit；　so　there

is　a　hatred　which　may　rise　to　the　heighth　of　a　virtue。　Hatred　of

vice　IS　virtue；　hatred　of　tyranny　is　patriotism。　It　is　this　which

has　led　the　world　from　slavery　to　freedom；　from　ignorance　to

enlightenment；　and　inspired　the　words　that　have　found　immortality

alike　above　the　ashes　of　Bradshaw　the　regicide　and　of　Jefferson

the　American。　Rebellion　to　tyrants　is　obedience　to　God。



But　how　could　a　fatherless　boy　and　girl；　away　off　on　the　edge　of

an　Arabian　desert；　hope　to　resist　successfully　the　mighty　power

of　Imperial　Rome？　The　story　of　their　lives　will　tell。



If　there　are　some　people　who　are　patriots；　there　are　others　who

are　poltroons；　and　such　a　one　was　Hairan；　the　elder　brother　of

young　Odhainat；　when；　succeeding　to　his　dead　father's　wealth　and

power；　he　thought　less　of　Roman　tyranny　than　of　Roman　gold。



〃Revenge　ourselves　on　their　purses；　my　brother；　and　not　on　their

pikes；〃　he　said。　〃　'T　is　easier　and　more　profitable　to　sap　the

Roman's　gold　than　to　shed　the　Roman's　blood。〃



But　this　submission　to　Rome　only　angered　Odhainat；　and　to　such　a

conflict　of　opinion　did　it　lead　that　at　last　Hairan　drove　his

younger　brother　from　the　home　of　his　fathers；　and　the　lad；　〃an

Esau　among　the　Jacobs　of　Tadmor；〃　so　the　record　tells　us；　spent

his　youth　amid　the　roving　Bedaween　of　the　Arabian　deserts　and　the

mountaineers　of　the　Armenian　hills；　waiting　his　time。



But；　though　a　homeless　exile；　the　dark…eyed　Bath　Zabbai　did　not

forget　him。　In　the　palace　of　another　kinsman；　Septimus　Worod；　the

〃lord　of　the　markets；〃　she　gave　herself　up　to　careful　study；　and

hoped　for　the　day　of　Palmyra's　freedom。　As　rich　in　powers　of　mind

as　in　the　graces　of　form　and　face；　she　soon　became　a　wonderful

scholar　for　those　distant　daysmistress　of　four　languages：

Coptic；　Syriac；　Latin；　and　Greek；　while　the　fiery　tem