Images Zenobia has been portrayed over the centuries

In the years 250 – 260 A.D., Palmyra was ruled by King Odenathus. Zenobia was his beautiful and dark-skinned second wife, from a high-rank Palmyrean Aramaean family. Under the reign of Odenathus Palmyra was still under Roman rule. While Queen Zenobia insistently asked her husband to fight against the Romans and gain independence for Palmyra, he preferred to rule under their protection. Odenathus was killed in 268 A.D. in the city of Homs, situated 160 kilometres north of Damascus. When he died, his son was still very young and Zenobia became the queen of Palmyra.