“Umwamikazi wo mu Butayu bwa Siriya Wari Ufite Imisatsi Yirabura”

YARI umuyumbu, afite amenyo yera nk’amasaro, n’amaso ye yirabura kandi abengerana. Yari yarize cyane azi n’indimi nyinshi. Bavuga ko uwo mwamikazi wari umurwanyi, yari umunyabwenge cyane kurusha Cléopâtre, wenda akaba yaranganyaga na we uburanga. Kubera ko yagize ubutwari bwo guhangana n’ubutegetsi bw’igihangange bw’isi bwari buriho mu gihe cye, yagize uruhare mu isohozwa ry’ubuhanuzi bwerekeranye n’ibintu by’uruhererekane bivugwa mu Byanditswe. Nyuma y’igihe kirekire apfuye, abanditsi baramushimagije, abahanga mu gushushanya bamushushanya afite uburanga cyane kuruta uko yari ameze. Umusizi umwe wo mu kinyejana cya 19, yagaragaje ko uwo mugore yari “umwamikazi wo mu butayu bwa Siriya wari ufite imisatsi yirabura.” Uwo mugore wasingizwaga cyane, yari Zénobie​—umwamikazi w’umujyi wo muri Siriya witwaga Palmyre.

Ni gute Zénobie yaje kuba umuntu ukomeye? Ni iyihe mimerere ya gipolitiki yatumye agera ku butegetsi? Twavuga iki ku bihereranye n’imico ye? Kandi se, ni uruhe ruhare uwo mwamikazi yagize mu isohozwa ry’ubuhanuzi? Mbere na mbere, reka dusuzume ukuntu akarere ibyo bintu byabereyemo kari gateye.

Umujyi Wari ku Nkengero z’Ubutayu

Umujyi wa Palmyre Zénobie yari atuyemo, wari nko mu birometero 210 mu burasirazuba bw’amajyaruguru y’i Damasiko, ku nkengero zo mu majyaruguru z’Ubutayu bwa Siriya, aho imisozi yitwa Anti-Liban imanuka ikagera mu kibaya. Uwo mujyi w’agashanga ko mu butayu, wari mu cya kabiri hagati y’Inyanja ya Méditerranée mu burengerazuba n’Uruzi Ufurate mu burasirazuba. Umwami Salomo ashobora kuba yari azi ko witwaga Tadumori, ahantu hari hafite uruhare rw’ingenzi mu gutuma ubwami bwe busagamba, bitewe n’impamvu ebyiri: hari ibirindiro by’ingabo zari zishinzwe kurinda umupaka wo mu majyaruguru, kandi hakaba hari ihuriro ry’ingenzi hagati y’indi mijyi yanyurwagamo n’abagenzi bacaga mu butayu. Ku bw’ibyo rero, Salomo ‘yubatse i Tadumori mu butayu.’​—2 Ngoma 8:4.

Nta cyo amateka avuga ku byerekeye Tadumori, mu myaka igihumbi yakurikiyeho nyuma y’ubutegetsi bw’Umwami Salomo. Niba uwo mujyi ari wo wari Palmyre koko, waba waratangiye gukomera mu mwaka wa 64 M.I.C., nyuma y’aho Siriya ibereye intara yo hanze yari ihagarariye imirimo y’Ubwami bw’Abaroma. Mu gitabo cye cyitwa Palmyra and Its Empire​—Zénobie’s Revolt Against Rome, Richard Stoneman yagize ati “Palmyre yari ifitiye Roma akamaro mu mpande ebyiri, ni ukuvuga mu bihereranye n’ubukungu no mu rwego rwa gisirikare.” Kubera ko uwo mujyi wari ugizwe n’ibiti by’imikindo wari ku muhanda munini wanyuzwagamo ibicuruzwa, ukaba warahuzaga Roma na Mezopotamiya hamwe n’u Burasirazuba, wacagamo ibicuruzwa byaturukaga mu bihugu byitwaga ko bigize isi ya kera​—ibyo bikaba byari ibirungo byaturukaga mu Buhindi bw’i Burasirazuba, amahariri yaturukaga mu Bushinwa, n’ibindi bicuruzwa byaturukaga mu Buperesi, muri Mezopotamiya y’Amajyepfo no mu bihugu bya Méditerranée. Roma yabeshwagaho no gutumiza ibyo bicuruzwa.

Mu rwego rwa gisirikare, intara ya Siriya yari akarere kagabanyaga ibihugu bibiri by’ibihangange byari bishyamiranye, ari byo Roma n’u Buperesi. Uruzi Ufurate rwatandukanyaga Roma n’abo bahanaga imbibi mu burasirazuba, mu myaka 250 ya mbere mu Gihe Cyacu. Palmyre yari iteganye n’ubutayu, mu burengerazuba bw’umujyi wa Dura-Europos uri kuri Ufurate. Kubera ko abami b’abami b’Abaroma, urugero nka Hadrien na Valérien, bari bamaze kumenya ko umujyi wa Palmyre wari ufite umwanya w’ingenzi, barawusuye. Hadrien yagize icyo yongera ku myubakire y’amazu yari ahebuje kandi atanga impano zitubutse. Valérien yagororeye umuntu w’igikomerezwa w’i Palmyre witwaga Odenath​—uwo akaba yari umugabo wa Zénobie​—amugira umutware uhagarariye Roma mu mwaka wa 258 I.C., kubera ko yari yaratsinze mu ntambara yarwanye n’u Buperesi maze akagura imipaka y’aho Ubwami bw’Abaroma bwagarukiraga, ayigeza muri Mezopotamiya. Zénobie yagize uruhare rukomeye mu gutuma umugabo we agera ku butegetsi. Umuhanga mu by’amateka witwaga Edward Gibbon yanditse agira ati “gutsinda kwa Odenathus ahanini yagukesheje amakenga hamwe n’ubutwari bitagereranywa byagaragajwe n’umugore we [Zénobie].”

Hagati aho, Umwami Sapor w’u Buperesi yiyemeje guhangana n’ubutegetsi bw’Abaroma, kugira ngo akwirakwize ubutware bwe mu ntara zose zahoze zitegekwa n’u Buperesi. Yerekeje mu burengerazuba afite umutwe w’ingabo ukomeye, yigarurira imijyi yari ishinzwemo ibirindiro by’ingabo z’Abaroma, ari yo Nisibis na Carrhae (ni ukuvuga Harani), maze atangira kuyogoza amajyaruguru ya Siriya na Kilikiya. Umwami w’Abami Valérien ubwe yiyiziye kuyobora ingabo ze kugira ngo zirwanye abari babateye, ariko aza gutsindwa kandi afatwa mpiri n’Abaperesi.

Odenath yabonye ko byari bikwiriye ko yoherereza umwami w’u Buperesi impano z’igiciro cyinshi hamwe n’ubutumwa bw’amahoro. Umwami Sapor yategetse abigiranye ubwirasi ko izo mpano zijugunywa muri Ufurate, kandi asaba ko bamushyikiriza Odenath ngo aze amwikubite imbere yemere kuba ingaruzwamuheto. Mu kwitabira ibyo, abaturage b’i Palmyre bakoranyije ingabo zari zigizwe n’abantu bo mu butayu bahora bimuka hamwe n’abasigaye bo mu ngabo z’Abaroma, maze batangira kubuza amahwemo Abaperesi bari barimo basubirayo. Ingabo za Sapor zari zashegeshwe n’intambara zikoreye n’iminyago​—ntizashoboye kwirwanaho mu gitero cya simusiga zagabweho n’abo barwanyi bo mu butayu​—maze zihatirwa guhunga.

Gallien, umuhungu wa Valérien akaba n’umusimbura we, amaze kumenya ko yatsinze Sapor, yahaye Odenath izina ry’icyubahiro rya corrector totius Orientis (ni ukuvuga umutware w’u Burasirazuba bwose). Hashize igihe runaka, Odenath ubwe yaje kwiyita “umwami w’abami.”

Zénobie Aharanira Gushyiraho Ubwami

Mu mwaka wa 267 I.C., mu gihe ubutegetsi bwa Odenath bwari bumaze guhama, we hamwe n’umuhungu we w’imfura baje kwicwa, bivuganywe n’umwishywa we, wakekwagaho kuba yarihoreraga. Zénobie yafashe umwanya w’umugabo we, kubera ko umuhungu we yari akiri muto cyane. Kubera ko yari umugore wari ufite uburanga, wahataniraga kugira umwanya ukomeye, wari ushoboye kuba umutegetsi, wari umenyereye gutabarana n’umugabo we wapfuye, kandi akaba yari azi indimi nyinshi, yashoboye kwihesha icyubahiro imbere y’abaturage be kandi atuma bamushyigikira​—icyo kikaba cyari ikintu gikomeye mu bantu bitwaga Bédouin (soma Bedwe). Zénobie yakundaga kwiga, maze yiyegereza abanyabwenge. Umwe mu bajyanama be yitwaga Cassius Longinus, umuhanga mu bya filozofiya akaba yari n’intyoza​—wavuzweho kuba yari “ububiko buzima bw’ibitabo n’inzu igenda ihunikwamo ubwenge.” Umwanditsi witwaga Stoneman yagize ati “mu myaka itanu yakurikiyeho nyuma y’urupfu rwa Odenathus . . . Zénobie yari yaramaze kwinjira mu bwenge bw’abantu be, bazi ko ari we mwamikazi w’u Burasirazuba.”

Ku ruhande rumwe, Zénobie yategekaga akarere k’u Buperesi, ubwo we n’umugabo we bari barazahaje, no ku rundi ruhande hakaba hari Roma yari igeze aharindimuka. Ku bihereranye n’imimerere yarangaga Ubwami bw’Abaroma muri icyo gihe, umuhanga mu by’amateka witwa J. M. Roberts yagize ati “ikinyejana cya gatatu cyari . . . igihe giteye ubwoba cyane kuri Roma, ku mipaka yayo y’i burasirazuba kimwe n’iy’i burengerazuba, mu gihe i Roma ubwaho hari haratangiye ibintu bishya byo gusubiranamo kw’abaturage no kurwanira ubutegetsi. Hategetse abami makumyabiri na babiri (hatabariwemo abiyitaga bo).” Ku rundi ruhande, umwamikazi wa Siriya yari yarigize umutware utavuguruzwa washinze imizi mu karere ke. Stoneman yagize ati “kuba yari afite ijambo mu bwami bubiri [ubw’u Buperesi n’ubw’i Roma] byashoboraga gutuma agambirira gushyiraho ubwa gatatu bwari kuzategeka ubwo bwombi.”

Mu mwaka wa 269 I.C. ni bwo Zénobie yabonye umwanya wo kwagura ubutegetsi bwe bw’agahebuzo, igihe mu Misiri hagaragaraga umuntu wihandagazaga avuga ko arwanya ubutegetsi bw’Abaroma. Ingabo za Zénobie zahise zinyarukira mu Misiri zitsembaho icyo cyigomeke, maze zigarurira icyo gihugu. Yatangaje ubwe ko ari we mwamikazi wa Misiri, maze acurisha igiceri cyanditsweho izina rye. Ubwo noneho, ubwami bwe bwaheraga ku ruzi rwa Nili bukagera ku ruzi rwa Ufurate. Muri icyo gihe cy’imibereho ye, ni bwo yabaye “umwami w’ikusi” wavuzwe mu buhanuzi bwa Bibiliya bwo muri Daniyeli, kubera ko muri icyo gihe ubwami bwe bwategekaga mu karere ko mu majyepfo y’igihugu Daniyeli yavukiyemo (Daniyeli 11:25, 26). Nanone, yanesheje ibihugu byinshi byo muri Aziya Ntoya.

Zénobie yakomeje umurwa mukuru we, ari wo Palmyre kandi awugira mwiza, ku buryo wageze ku rwego rw’imijyi y’Abaroma yarushagaho kuba minini. Ugereranyije, wari utuwe n’abaturage basaga 150.000. Uwo mujyi wari ugizwe n’amazu meza ya leta, insengero, ubusitani, inkingi n’inyubako z’urwibutso, bikikijwe n’inkuta zavugwagaho kuba zari zifite umuzenguruko ureshya n’ibirometero 21. Hariho inkingi zari zitondekanyije ku mirongo yakurikizwaga mu myubakire y’Abagiriki ba kera, zireshya na metero 15​—izigera ku 1.500 muri zo zikaba zari zikikije umuhanda munini. Uwo mujyi wari wuzuyemo ibishushanyo n’amashusho magufi y’abantu b’ibirangirire bahabwaga icyubahiro, n’ay’abakungu b’abagiraneza. Mu mwaka wa 271 I.C., Zénobie yashinze amashusho abiri, iye ubwe hamwe n’iy’umugabo we wapfuye. Ku nkengero z’ubutayu, Palmyre yarabagiranaga nk’ikirezi.

Urusengero rw’Izuba ni rumwe mu mazu meza kurusha ayandi yose yari i Palmyre, kandi nta gushidikanya ko urwo ari rwo rusengero rwari rufite abayoboke b’idini benshi muri uwo mujyi. Birashoboka ko Zénobie na we yasengaga imana yari izwiho kuba ari imana y’izuba. Ariko kandi, Siriya yo mu kinyejana cya gatatu yari igihugu cyarimo amadini menshi. Mu karere Zénobie yategekagamo, hari harimo abiyitaga Abakristo, Abayahudi, abaraguza inyenyeri n’abasengaga izuba n’ukwezi. Ni gute yabonaga ubwo buryo bunyuranye bwo gusenga bwari mu karere yategekagamo? Umwanditsi witwa Stoneman yagize ati “umutegetsi wese urangwa n’ubwenge ntazasuzugura imigenzo iyo ari yo yose isa n’aho ikwiriye ku bantu be . . . Biringiraga . . . ko imana zari zarishyize hamwe ziri ku ruhande rwa Palmyre.” Uko bigaragara, Zénobie yoroheraga amadini. Ariko se koko, imana “zari zarishyize hamwe ziri ku ruhande rwa Palmyre”? Ni iki cyari kuzagera kuri Palmyre n’ “umutegetsi [wayo] warangwaga n’ubwenge”?

Umwami ‘Yiyunguye Ubushizi bw’Amanga’ Atera Zénobie

Mu mwaka wa 270 I.C., Aurélien yabaye umwami w’i Roma. Ingabo ze zashoboye kwirukana no gucecekesha abantu bo mu majyaruguru bari bafite imico ya kinyamaswa. Mu mwaka wa 271 I.C.​—Aurélien​—icyo gihe wari “umwami w’amajyaruguru” (NW ) uvugwa mu buhanuzi bwa Daniyeli​—‘yiyunguye amaboko n’ubushizi bw’amanga, atera umwami w’ikusi [“w’amajyepfo,” NW ] ,’ icyo gihe wari Zénobie (Daniyeli 11:25a). Aurélien yahise yohereza zimwe mu ngabo ze mu Misiri, maze ingabo ze zikomeye aziyobora mu karere k’i burengerazuba, anyuze muri Aziya Ntoya.

Umwami w’amajyepfo​—ni ukuvuga igihugu cyategekwaga na Zénobie​—‘yarwanye intambara’ arwanya Aurélien “afite ingabo nyinshi zikomeye cyane” zari ziyobowe n’abagaba b’ingabo babiri, ari bo Zabdas na Zabbai (Daniyeli 11:25b). Ariko kandi, Aurélien yigaruriye Misiri, hanyuma aza kugaba igitero muri Aziya Ntoya no muri Siriya. Zénobie yatsindiwe ahitwa Emesa (ari yo Homs muri iki gihe), maze asubira i Palmyre.

Igihe Aurélien yagotaga Palmyre, Zénobie hamwe n’umuhungu we bahunze bagana mu Buperesi, aho biringiraga kubonera ubufasha, nyamara baje gufatwa mpiri n’Abaroma, ku Ruzi Ufurate. Abaturage b’i Palmyre batanze umujyi wabo mu mwaka wa 272 I.C. Aurélien yagaragarije abaturage baho ubugwaneza, akorakoranya iminyago myinshi, hakubiyemo n’igishushanyo yavanye mu Rusengero rw’Izuba, maze asubira i Roma. Umwami w’Abaroma ntiyagize icyo atwara Zénobie, ahubwo yaramujyanye ngo amugire igishungero, mu gihe cy’umutambagiro wakorewe i Roma mu mwaka wa 274 I.C., wagaragazaga ugutsinda. Yamaze igihe cyari gisigaye cy’imibereho ye ari umubyeyi w’inararibonye w’Umuroma.

Umujyi wo mu Butayu Urimburwa

Hashize amezi runaka Aurélien afashe Palmyre, abaturage baho batsembyeho ingabo z’Abaroma yari yarasize inyuma. Mu gihe Aurélien yari amaze kumenya inkuru z’iyo myivumbagatanyo, yahise ategeka abasirikare be gusubirayo, noneho bihorera mu buryo buteye ubwoba basuka ku baturage umujinya mwinshi. Abacitse ku icumu muri iryo tsembatsemba bajyanywe mu bucakara. Uwo mujyi uhebuje warasahuwe kandi uhindurwa umusaka ku buryo utari kongera gusanwa. Bityo, uwo murwa mukuru wahoze ufite ubuzima wasubiye mu mimerere wahozemo​—ni ukuvuga “Tadumori mu butayu.”

Mu gihe Zénobie yahanganaga na Roma abigiranye ubushizi bw’amanga, we hamwe n’Umwami w’Abami w’Abaroma witwaga Aurélien, bafashe umwanya w’ “umwami w’amajyepfo” n’ “umwami w’amajyaruguru” batabizi, bityo basohoza bumwe mu buhanuzi bwanditswe mu buryo burambuye n’umuhanuzi wa Yehova, imyaka igera kuri 800 mbere y’aho (Daniyeli, igice cya 11, NW). Zénobie yashimagizwaga n’abantu benshi, kubera ko yari afite kamere itangaje. Ariko kandi, umwanya yagize mu guhagararira igikorwa cya gipolitiki cyari cyarahanuwe mu buhanuzi bwa Daniyeli, ni byo byari iby’ingenzi kurusha ibindi byose. Ubutegetsi bwe bwamaze imyaka itarenze itanu. Palmyre, umurwa mukuru w’ubwami bwa Zénobie, ubu usigaye umeze nk’umudugudu. Ndetse n’Ubwami bw’Abaroma bwari ubutegetsi bw’igihangange, bwarazimangatanye maze busimburwa n’ubutegetsi buriho muri iki gihe. Ni gute bizagendekera ubwo butegetsi bw’ibihangange mu gihe kizaza? Uko bizabugendekera mu gihe kizaza, na byo bishingiye ku isohozwa nyakuri ry’ubuhanuzi bwa Bibiliya.​—Daniyeli 2:44.

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Umurage wa Zénobie

Igihe Umwami Aurélien yasubiraga i Roma amaze gutsinda Zénobie, umwamikazi w’i Palmyre, yubakiye imana y’izuba ingoro. Yayishyizemo amashusho y’iyo mana yari yaravanye mu murwa wa Zénobie. Ikinyamakuru cyitwa History Today cyavuze uko byaje kugenda kigira kiti “igikorwa gikomeye kurusha ibindi byose byakozwe na Aurélien, gishobora kuba ari ishyirwaho ry’umunsi mukuru wizihizwaga buri mwaka wibutsa ukugaragara kw’izuba, ku itariki ya 25 Ukuboza mu gihe cy’itumba, ukaba warashyizweho mu mwaka wa 274 I.C. Igihe ubwo bwami bwahindukiriraga Ubukristo, iyo tariki yahinduwemo itariki yo kuvuka kwa Kristo, kugira ngo iryo dini rishya rirusheho kwemerwa n’abahoze bizihiza uwo munsi mukuru. Biratangaje kuba mu buryo bw’ibanze Umwamikazi Zénobie ari we ugomba kuba waratumye . . . [abantu] bizihiza Noheli yacu.”

[Ikarita/​Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 28 n’iya 29]

(Niba ushaka kureba uko bimeze, reba mu Munara w’Umurinzi)

INYANJA YA MÉDITERRANÉE

SIRIYA

Antiyokiya

Emesa (Homs)

PALMYRE

Damasiko

MEZOPOTAMIYA

Ufurate

Carrhae (i Harani)

Nisibis

Dura-Europos

[Aho amafoto yavuye]

Ikarita: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

Inkingi: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 29]

Igiceri cy’Abaroma gishobora kuba kigaragaza Aurélien

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 30]

Urusengero rw’izuba rw’i Palmyre

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 31]

Umwamikazi Zénobie avugana n’abasirikare be

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Umwamikazi Zénobie Avugana n’Abasirikare Be, Samuel H. Kress Collection, Photograph © Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington

[Aho iyo yo ku ipaji ya 28 yavuye]

Detail of: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Umwamikazi Zénobie Avugana n’Abasirikare Be, Samuel H. Kress Collection, Photograph © Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington