EXCELLENT BLOG AWARD

Tucked in between the life stories of two Scandalous Women -- Elizabeth Bentley (Soviet spymaster) and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (no introduction needed) -- was the announcement that the titillating Scandalous Women had received an Excellent Blog Award.

And had duly passed the prize on to other centres of bloggy excellence,* among which Zenobia, Empress of the East. I love the idea of Scandalous Women -- where murderesses rub shoulders, so to speak, with les grandes horizontales -- giving an award to Zenobia, whose own impropriety still resonates:

boasting herself to be of the family of the Cleopatras and the Ptolemies, [she] proceeded upon the death of her husband Odenathus to cast about her shoulders the imperial mantle; and arrayed in the robes of Dido and even assuming the diadem, she held the imperial power ... ruling longer than could be endured from one of the female sex.

I thank SW on behalf of Zenobia, and all our uppity readers.

* A condition of the award is to pass it on, but I just tagged six unprotesting blogs a week or so ago and shouldn't make a habit of it. So I'll hold this power in reserve. And, if anyone reproaches me, let those whom nothing pleases keep the venom of their own tongues to themselves. (Aurelian, Hist. Aug. TT XXX ; a little after the quote above)