Empress Zenobia Palmyra's rebel queen

"During the third century, the Roman Empire was being dismembered from east and west. The provincial capital Palmyria in what is now Syria, anchored the eastern border and oversaw crucial trade. When the emperor was captured, the governor took over the province, and when he was killed, his wife took over. That was Zenobia, who ruled and even expanded what is now called the Palmyrene Empire. In this latest book, she examines the life and career of the heroine of the ancient world, whose fame is eclipsed by that of Cleopatra in the West, but not in the East. Annotation ♭2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)."
"The ancient sources for the life and times of Zenobia are sparse. The surviving literary works that do exist are biased towards the Roman point of view, as are the sources for two other famous women who challenged Rome, Cleopatra and Boudica. Zenobia was acknowledged in her lifetime as beautiful and clever, gathering writers and poets, artists and philosophers around her at the Palmyrene court. It was said that Zenobia claimed descent from Cleopatra, which cannot be true but is indicative of how she saw herself and how she intended to be seen by others at home and abroad. This lively narrative."@en