ion against her in A.D. 272. When, however, in
this year, Aurelian marched to attack her with the full forces of the
empire, she recognized the necessity of calling to her aid other troops
besides her own. It was at this time that she made overtures to the
Persians, which were favorably received; and, in the year A.D. 273,
Persian troops are mentioned among those with whom Aurelian contended in
the vicinity of Palmyra. But the succors sent were inconsiderable, and
were easily overpowered by the arts or arms of the emperor. The young
king had not the courage to throw himself boldly into the war. He
allowed Zenobia to be defeated and reduced to extremities without making
anything like an earnest or determined effort to save her. He continued
her ally, indeed, to the end, and probably offered her an asylum at his
court, if she were compelled to quit her capital; but even this poor
boon he was prevented from conferring by the capture of the unfortunate
princess just as she reached the banks of the Euphrates.

In the aid which he lent Zenobia, Varahran, while he had done too little
to affect in any degree the issue of the struggle, had done quite enough
to provoke Rome and draw down upon him the vengeance of the Empire, It
seems that he quite realized the position in which circumstances had
placed him. Feeling that he had thrown out a challenge to Rome, and
yet shrinking from the impending conflict, he sent an embassy to the
conqueror, deprecating his anger and seeking to propitiate him by rare
and costly gifts. Among these were a purple robe from Cashmere, or some
other remote province of India, of so brilliant a hue that the ordinary
purple of the imperial robes could not compare with it, and a chariot
like to those in which the Persian monarch was himself wont to be
carried. Aurelian accepted these gifts; and it would seem to follow that
he condoned Varahran's conduct, and granted him terms of peace. Hence,
in the triumph which Aurelian celebrated at Rome in the year A.D. 274,
no Persian captives appeared in the procession, but Persian envoys
were exhibited instead, who bore with them the presents wherewith their
master had appeased the anger of the emperor.

A full year, however, had not elapsed from the time of the triumph when
the master of the Roman world thought fit to change his policy, and,
suddenly declaring war against the Persians, commenced his march
towards the East. We are not told that he discovered, or even