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).