historic girls-第4章

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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　affairs　in　England。　I　doubt　if

many　of　my　girl　and　boy　readers；　no　matter　how；　well　they　may

stand　in　their　history　classes；　have　ever　thought　of　the　England

of　Hereward　and　Ivanhoe；　of　Paul　Dombey　and　Tom　Brown；　as　a　Roman

land。



And　yet　at　the　time　when　this　little　Flavia　Julia　Helena　was

sailing　down　the　river　Colne；　the　island　of　Britain；　in　its

southern　section　at　least；　was　almost　as　Roman　in　manner；　custom；

and　speech　as　was　Rome　itself。





For　nearly　five　hundred　years；　from　the　days　of　Caesar　the

conqueror；　to　those　of　Honorius　the　unfortunate；　was　England；　or

Britain　as　it　was　called；　a　Roman　province；　broken　only　in　its

allegiance　by　the　early　revolts　of　the　conquered　people　or　by　the

later　usurpations　of　ambitious　and　unpincipled　governors。



And；　at　the　date　of　our　story；　in　the　year　255　A。D。；　the

beautiful　island　had　so　far　grown　out　of　the　barbarisms　of

ancient　Britain　as　to　have　long　since　forgotten　the　gloomy　rites

and　open…air　altars　of　the　Druids；　and　all　the　half…savage

surroundings　of　those　stern　old　priests。



Everywhere　Roman　temples　testified　to　the　acceptance　by　the

people　of　the　gods　of　Rome；　and　little　Helena　herself　each

morning　hung　the　altar　of　the　emperor…god　Claudius　with　garlands

in　the　stately　temple　which　had　been　built　in　his　honor　in　her

father's　palace　town；　asked　the　protection　of　Cybele；　〃the

Heavenly　Virgin；〃　and　performed　the　rites　that　the　Empire

demanded　for　〃the　thousand　gods　of　Rome。〃



Throughout　the　land；　south　of　the　massive　wall　which　the　great

Emperor　Hadrian　had　stretched　across　the　island　from　the　mouth　of

the　Solway　to　the　mouth　of　the　Tyne；　the　people　themselves　who

had　gathered　into　or　about　the　thirty　growing　Roman　cities　which

the　conquerors　had　founded　and　beautified；　had　become　Roman　in

language；　religion；　dress；　and　ways；　while　the　educational

influences　of　Rome；　always　following　the　course　of　her　conquering

eagles；　had　planted　schools　and