From the time of _Adrian_ to that of _Aurelian_, for about an hundred and forty Years, this City continued to flourish and encrease in Wealth and Power, to that degree, that when the Emperor _Valerian_ was taken Prisoner by _Sapores_ King of _Persia_, _Odænathus_ one of the Lords of this Town (which Name occurs in several of these Inscriptions) was able (whilst _Gallienus_ neglected his Duty both to his Father and Country) to bring a powerful Army into the Field, and to recover _Mesopotamia_ from the _Persians_, and to penetrate as far as their Capital City _Ctesiphon_. Thereby rendring so considerable Service to the _Roman_ State, that _Gallienus_ thought himself obliged to give him a share in the Empire: Of which Action, _Trebellius Pollio_ (in the Life of _Gallienus_) has these Words, _Laudatur ejus (Gallieni) optimum factum, qui, Odenatum participato Imperio Augustum vocavit, ejusque monetam, qua Persas captos traheret, cudi jussit: quod & Senatus & Urbs & omnis ætas gratanter accepit_. The same in many Places speaks of this _Odænathus_ with great Respect; and mentioning his Death, he says, _Iratum fuisse Deum Reip. credo, qui interfecto Valeriano noluit Odenatum reservare_. But by a strange reverse of Fortune, this Honour and Respect to _Odænathus_ occasioned the sudden Ruin and Subversion of the City. For he and his Son _Herodes_ being murder'd by _Mæonius_ their Kinsman, and dying with the Title of _Augustus_, his Wife _Zenobia_, in Right of her Son _Waballathus_ then a Minor, pretended to take upon her the Government of the East, and did administer it to admiration: And when soon after _Gallienus_ was murder'd by his Soldiers, she grasped the Government of _Egypt_, and held it during the short Reign of the Emperor _Claudius Gothicus_. But _Aurelian_ coming to the Imperial Dignity, would not suffer the Title of _Augustus_ in this Family, tho' he was contented that they should hold under him as _Vice Cæsaris_; as plainly appears by the Latin Coins of _Aurelian_ on the one side, and _Waballathus_ (which Name is often found in these Inscriptions) on the other, with these Letters V. C. R. IM. OR., which _P. Harduin_ has most judiciously interpreted _Vice Cæsaris Rector Imperii Orientis_, but without the Title of _Cæsar_ or _Augustus_, and with a Laurel instead of a Diadem. But both _Waballathus_ and _Zenobia_ are stiled ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΙ in the _Greek_ Coins, made, 'tis probable, within their own Jurisdiction. Two of the _Latin_ I have seen, and they are as described, excepting the Points.