Isn’t it incredible how mainstream media mavens and off-the-cuff pundits alike can agree on a word or phrase to sum up their utter disengagement from and ignorance of what’s going on away from our shores? I mean, has cell phone service failed in Washington and New York today?
Women have historically been involved in these, though often their roles have been downplayed or sidelined. While men have traditionally been the primary actors in many conflicts, women have played significant roles as combatants, peacekeepers, medics, and organizers. Sometimes, they are even the driving forces behind peace movements, as seen in Liberia with Leymah Gbowee’s efforts to end the civil war.
As for conflicts directly between women, there have been instances where women-led factions or movements have come into conflict with each other, often over political or ideological differences. But more frequently, women find themselves fighting on opposite sides of broader wars driven by national, ethnic, or religious lines, rather than direct personal or gender-based animosity.
One of my big concerns in the ME, is that if a cease fire is brokered between Israel and Hamas/Gaza and now Lebanon/Hisbollah, and Yemen/Houthis, women will of course be better off than living in a war zone, but not better off than they were before and it was not good.
Hoomans cast their lot on different versions of the same thing, patriarchism. Should come as no surprise that's not how the natural world rolls, au contraire.
Bibi is elated that he killed the terrorist leader. However, he wants to continue his incursion into Arab country. There is no need for the Zionists to continue the slaughter. Biden has called for a ceasefire, but Bibi will not stop. The US needs to stop sending munitions to the Zionists. They are a rich country with a very powerful military. We need to stop feeding the baby. I am not anti-Jewish, but I am against the Zionist policies that call for ethnic cleansing, continued apartheid, and the intentional killing of innocent civilians [women and children].
I am Jewish and I agree with some of what you say. Bibi, like Trump is running away from going to prison so what does he do? He’s hunting the Hamas leader down and killing Lebanese people in the interim. Funny that they found the leader of Hezbollah who was hiding underground but they can’t locate THE HOSTAGES!!!
I just don't know how the Israeli people put up with Netan-yahoo. Their government acts as though they have unlimited soldiers, when in fact most of them are reservists constantly on active duty. It is a country that has A POPULATION LESS THAN ILLINOIS, for christ's sake!
How those reservists cope is beyond understanding. Their careers and businesses must be tanking. They want to invade and occupy Lebanon and destroy Hamas, while fighting in Gaza, controlling the West Bank Palestinians, bombing Yemen, and managing to protect its own citizens. If the people of Illinois were asked by Illinois Gov. Pritzker to do all these things he'd be locked in some Springfield basement.
Ah, Lucian, you turn on the flashlight of your intelligence and shine it into the kitchen of the Eye 95 Opinionatorium and Dive Bar, and there are the media cockroaches, scurrying around as always in pundit-monium. One of the things about "wider war" that makes it so valuable is its alliterative beauty as it rolls off the tongues of TV/video blatherers, and how it sounds in the skulls of those who put pixels on their screens. Looking for just the right phrase to characterize what will happen in the "wider war," I got one of the last remaining copies on a shelf of my nearby Chiches R Us, although Temu says it can deliver for free, before October 6th, 10,000 fortune cookies imprinted with the same message, "Only time will tell."
I agree with your interpretation. Were I a young, or even a middle-aged woman I might be quaking in my boots, but for some years now I've felt as though I'm playing with house money ... so I am more curious than frightened.
I have seen repeated references to over 800 US military bases around the world (TomDispatch reports among others). I have also been snorting at headlines and analyses from WAPO and The Guardian from writers talking about how the helpless USA has sadly lost all influence over Netanyahu and Israel. Which is complete blind B.S. The US could influence everything going on in the Middle East by declaring an arms cutoff to Israel today. That might just possibly bring Bibi to the bargaining table in good faith (but I doubt it; the "good faith" part). But it would help stop the aggressive wars Israel is pursuing free of any hindrance from its erstwhile ally, financier, arms provider deluxe, and Big Brother, Uncle Sam. When does this stop? When the Israeli right wing government has killed thousands more civilians and pushed all the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank? Is this the result we want to see?
We are hatching another generation of hatred toward Israel and us by our enabling Netanyahu's long-sought wars against all his perceived enemies. Does anyone recall how Al-Qaeda formed as a result of one-sided American involvement in Near Eastern conflicts?
Yes, because only the USA has agency in the world. Bad things happen, and it's always the fault of the USA for having failed to prevent it.
We could, of course, blame those who initiate war for the resulting death and destruction, but that would require taking sides. Sooooo much easier to stand back, safe in our suburbs, and condemn the barbarians fighting for some trivial thing.
And what is the benefit of these wars? We know war is big business. Men are getting rich making weapons. And rich again rebuilding. Lots of big egos getting stoked blowing up cities and humans. What is the toll on wildlife? I think humans are really at an adolescent stage. When will men grow up and stop the destruction?
Are you in the Bay Area? I heard Verizon wasn't working. Or maybe that was nationwide? Not owning a cell phone, I tend not to listen to closely to those stories.
A propos of nothing and because I can't help myself: "excuuuuuuse me!" was coined by Steve Martin, first heard on his 1977 comedy album "Let's Get Small" and has been part of his act ever since. Martin, who was never an SNL cast member (but a frequent host) did use the phrase on SNL several times, the first on April 22, 1978. There you go.
A good title for a book on this subject would be The Savage Soul. It seems wars have always existed and looks like they always will. If women ruled the world I think it would be a different story. There again there have also been women warriors since ancient times: Here are 10 of history’s fiercest female warriors who not only had to face their enemies, but also the strict gender roles of their day. (from,https://www.historyhit.com/ )
Maybe try google Ten most warrior women in history'. First three here 10 Great Warrior Women of the Ancient World
Tristan Hughes
14 Sep 2021
@ancientstristan
FacebookTwitter
0 seconds of 6 secondsVolume 0%
This ad will end in 6
Throughout history, most cultures have considered warfare to be the domain of men. It is only quite recently that female soldiers have participated in modern combat on a large scale.
The exception is the Soviet Union, which included female battalions and pilots during the First World War and saw hundreds of thousands of women soldiers fight in World War Two.
In the major ancient civilisations, the lives of women were generally restricted to more traditional roles. Yet there were some who broke with tradition, both at home and on the battlefield.
Here are 10 of history’s fiercest female warriors who not only had to face their enemies, but also the strict gender roles of their day.
1. Fu Hao (d. c. 1200 BC)
Lady Fu Hao was one of the 60 wives of Emperor Wu Ding of ancient China’s Shang Dynasty. She broke with tradition by serving as both a high priestess and military general. According to inscriptions on oracle bones from the time, Fu Hao led many military campaigns, commanded 13,000 soldiers and was considered the most powerful military leaders of her time.
The many weapons found in her tomb support Fu Hao’s status as a great female warrior. She also controlled her own fiefdom on the outskirts of her husband’s empire. Her tomb was unearthed in 1976 and can be visited by the public.
2. Tomyris (fl. 530 BC)
Tomyris was the Queen of the Massaegetae, a confederation of nomadic tribes that lived east of the Caspian Sea. She ruled during the 6th century BC and is most famous for the vengeful war she waged against the Persian king, Cyrus the Great.
‘Tomyris Plunges the Head of the Dead Cyrus Into a Vessel of Blood’ by Rubens
Image Credit: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Initially the war did not go well for Tomyris and the Massaegetae. Cyrus destroyed their army and Tomyris’ son, Spargapises, committed suicide out of shame.
The grief-stricken Tomyris raised another army and challenged Cyrus to battle a second time. Cyrus believed another victory was certain and accepted the challenge, but in the ensuing engagement Tomyris emerged victorious.
Cyrus himself fell in the melee. During his reign he had won many battles and defeated many of the most powerful men of his time, yet Tomyris proved a Queen too far.
Tomyris’ vengeance was not sated by Cyrus’ death. Following the battle, the Queen demanded her men find Cyrus’ body; when they located it, the 5th century BC historian Herodotus reveals Tomyris’ gruesome next move:
…she took a skin, and, filling it full of human blood, she dipped the head of Cyrus in the gore, saying, as she thus insulted the corpse, “I live and have conquered you in fight, and yet by you am I ruined, for you took my son with guile; but thus I make good my threat, and give you your fill of blood.”
Tomyris was not a queen to mess with.
3. Artemisia I of Caria (fl. 480 BC)
The Ancient Greek Queen of Halicarnassus, Artemisia ruled during the late 5th century BC. She was an ally to the King of Persia, Xerxes I, and fought for him during the second Persian invasion of Greece, personally commanding 5 ships at the Battle of Salamis.
Herodotus writes that she was a decisive and intelligent, albeit ruthless strategist. According to Polyaenus, Xerxes praised Artemisia above all other officers in his fleet and rewarded her for her performance in battle.
Battle of Salamis. Artemisia appears highlighted center-left of the painting, above the victorious Greek fleet, below the throne of Xerxes, and shooting arrows at the Greeks
Image Credit: Wilhelm von Kaulbach, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Cynane (c. 358 – 323 BC)
Cynane was the daughter of King Philip II of Macedon and his first wife, the Illyrian Princess Audata. She was also the half-sister of Alexander the Great.
Audata raised Cynane in the Illyrian tradition, training her in the arts of war and turning her into an exceptional fighter – so much so that her skill on the battlefield became famed throughout the land.
Cynane accompanied the Macedonian army on campaign alongside Alexander the Great and according to the historian Polyaenus, she once slew an Illyrian queen and masterminded the slaughter of her army. Such was her military prowess.
Following Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BC, Cynane attempted an audacious power play. In the ensuing chaos, she championed her daughter, Adea, to marry Philip Arrhidaeus, Alexander’s simple-minded half-brother who the Macedonian generals had installed as a puppet king.
Yet Alexander’s former generals – and especially the new regent, Perdiccas – had no intention of accepting this, seeing Cynane as a threat to their own power. Undeterred, Cynane gathered a powerful army and marched into Asia to place her daughter on the throne by force.
As she and her army were marching through Asia towards Babylon, Cynane was confronted by another army commanded by Alcetas, the brother of Perdiccas and a former companion of Cynane.
However, desiring to keep his brother in power Alcetas slew Cynane when they met – a sad end to one of history’s most remarkable female warriors.
Although Cynane never reached Babylon, her power play proved successful. The Macedonian soldiers were angered at Alcetas’ killing of Cynane, especially as she was directly related to their beloved Alexander.
Thus they demanded Cynane’s wish be fulfilled. Perdiccas relented, Adea and Philip Arrhidaeus were married, and Adea adopted the title Queen Adea Eurydice.
Despite this impressive claim, many Greeks considered her home kingdom to be semi-barbarous – a realm tainted with vice because of its proximity to raiding Illyrians in the north. Thus the surviving texts often perceive her as a somewhat exotic character.
In 358 BC Olympias’ uncle, the Molossian King Arrybas, married Olympias to King Philip II of Macedonia to secure the strongest possible alliance. She gave birth to Alexander the Great two years later in 356 BC.
Further conflict was added to an already tempestuous relationship when Philip married again, this time a Macedonian noblewoman called Cleopatra Eurydice.
Olympias began to fear this new marriage might threaten the possibility of Alexander inheriting Philip’s throne. Her Molossian heritage was starting to make some Macedonian nobles question Alexander’s legitimacy.
Thus there is a strong possibility that Olympias was involved in the subsequent murders of Philip II, Cleopatra Eurydice and her infant children. She is often portrayed as a woman who stopped at nothing to ensure Alexander ascended the throne.
Following Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BC, she became a major player in the early Wars of the Successors in Macedonia. In 317 BC, she led an army into Macedonia and was confronted by an army led by another queen: none other than Cynane’s daughter, Adea Eurydice.
This clash was the first time in Greek history that two armies faced each other commanded by women. However, the battle ended before a sword blow was exchanged. As soon as they saw the mother of their beloved Alexander the Great facing them, Eurydice’s army deserted to Olympias.
Upon capturing Eurydice and Philip Arrhidaeus, Eurydice’s husband, Olympias had them imprisoned in squalid conditions. Soon after she had Philip stabbed to death while his wife watched on.
Why has history persistently ignored or failed to recognise the role of women? In this Spotlight interview with Dan Snow, Mary Beard explores the many ways throughout history that women have been put down or silenced.
WATCH NOW
On Christmas Day 317, Olympias sent Eurydice a sword, a noose, and some hemlock, and ordered her to choose which way she wanted to die. After cursing Olympias’ name that she might suffer a similarly sad end, Eurydice chose the noose.
Olympias herself did not live long to cherish this victory. The following year Olympias’ control of Macedonia was overthrown by Cassander, another of the Successors. Upon capturing Olympias, Cassander sent two hundred soldiers to her house to slay her.
However, after being overawed by the sight of Alexander the Great’s mother, the hired killers did not go through with the task. Yet this only temporarily prolonged Olympias’ life as relatives of her past victims soon murdered her in revenge.
7. Queen Teuta (fl. 229 BC)
Teuta was the Queen of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria during the late third century BC. In 230 BC, she was acting as regent for her infant stepson when a Roman embassy arrived at her court to mediate concerns about Illyrian expansion along the Adriatic shoreline.
During the meeting however, one of the Roman delegates lost his temper and began to shout at the Illyrian queen. Outraged by the outburst, Teuta had the young diplomat murdered.
The incident marked the outbreak of the First Illyrian War between Rome and Teuta’s Illyria. By 228 BC, Rome had emerged victorious and Teuta was banished from her homeland.
8. Boudicca (d. 60/61 AD)
Queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe, Boudicca led an uprising against the forces of the Roman Empire in Britain after the Romans ignored her husband Prasutagus’ will, which left rule of his kingdom to both Rome and his daughters. Upon Prasutagus’ death, the Romans seized control, flogged Boudicca and Roman soldiers raped her daughters.
Boudica statue, Westminster
Image Credit: Paul Walter, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Boudicca led an army of Iceni and Trinovantes and waged a devastating campaign on Roman Britain. She destroyed three Roman towns, Camulodinum (Colchester), Verulamium (St. Albans) and Londinium (London), and also all-but annihilated one of the Roman legions in Britain: the famous Ninth Legion.
The Eagle of the Ninth: What Do We Know about Rome’s Lost Legion?
The question of what happened to the Ninth Legion is one of the great mysteries of history. Its sudden disappear...
In the end Boudicca and her army were defeated by the Romans somewhere along Watling Street and Boudicca committed suicide not long after.
9. Triệu Thị Trinh (ca. 222 – 248 AD)
Commonly referred to as Lady Triệu, this warrior of 3rd century Vietnam temporarily freed her homeland from Chinese rule.
That is according to traditional Vietnamese sources at least, which also state that she was 9 feet tall with 3-foot breasts that she tied behind her back during battle. She usually fought while riding an elephant.
Chinese historical sources make no mention of Triệu Thị Trinh, yet for the Vietnamese, Lady Triệu is the most important historical figure of her time.
10. Zenobia (240 – c. 275 AD)
The Queen of Syria’s Palmyrene Empire from 267 AD, Zenobia conquered Egypt from the Romans only 2 years into her reign.
Her empire only lasted a short while longer, however, as the Roman Emperor Aurelian defeated her in 271, taking her back to Rome where she — depending on which account you believe — either died shortly thereafter or married a Roman governor and lived out a life of luxury as a well-known philosopher, socialite and matron.
Dubbed the ‘Warrior Queen’, Zenobia was well educated and multi-lingual. She was known to behave ‘like a man’, riding, drinking and hunting with her officers.
And how much if any are these conflicts between women? Just asking ...
Women have historically been involved in these, though often their roles have been downplayed or sidelined. While men have traditionally been the primary actors in many conflicts, women have played significant roles as combatants, peacekeepers, medics, and organizers. Sometimes, they are even the driving forces behind peace movements, as seen in Liberia with Leymah Gbowee’s efforts to end the civil war.
As for conflicts directly between women, there have been instances where women-led factions or movements have come into conflict with each other, often over political or ideological differences. But more frequently, women find themselves fighting on opposite sides of broader wars driven by national, ethnic, or religious lines, rather than direct personal or gender-based animosity.
One of my big concerns in the ME, is that if a cease fire is brokered between Israel and Hamas/Gaza and now Lebanon/Hisbollah, and Yemen/Houthis, women will of course be better off than living in a war zone, but not better off than they were before and it was not good.
Ans: 0 [Prolly]
Hoomans cast their lot on different versions of the same thing, patriarchism. Should come as no surprise that's not how the natural world rolls, au contraire.
Exactly patriarchy!
Bibi is elated that he killed the terrorist leader. However, he wants to continue his incursion into Arab country. There is no need for the Zionists to continue the slaughter. Biden has called for a ceasefire, but Bibi will not stop. The US needs to stop sending munitions to the Zionists. They are a rich country with a very powerful military. We need to stop feeding the baby. I am not anti-Jewish, but I am against the Zionist policies that call for ethnic cleansing, continued apartheid, and the intentional killing of innocent civilians [women and children].
I am Jewish and I agree with some of what you say. Bibi, like Trump is running away from going to prison so what does he do? He’s hunting the Hamas leader down and killing Lebanese people in the interim. Funny that they found the leader of Hezbollah who was hiding underground but they can’t locate THE HOSTAGES!!!
I am continually angered and concerned at actions that do not seem to be directed towards getting the remaining hostages back alive.
I just don't know how the Israeli people put up with Netan-yahoo. Their government acts as though they have unlimited soldiers, when in fact most of them are reservists constantly on active duty. It is a country that has A POPULATION LESS THAN ILLINOIS, for christ's sake!
How those reservists cope is beyond understanding. Their careers and businesses must be tanking. They want to invade and occupy Lebanon and destroy Hamas, while fighting in Gaza, controlling the West Bank Palestinians, bombing Yemen, and managing to protect its own citizens. If the people of Illinois were asked by Illinois Gov. Pritzker to do all these things he'd be locked in some Springfield basement.
Yes stop sending money and weapons to Israel they are not victims anymore but creating victims all around them.
Sadly, there’s a helluva lot to be irritated about at the moment…
Ah, Lucian, you turn on the flashlight of your intelligence and shine it into the kitchen of the Eye 95 Opinionatorium and Dive Bar, and there are the media cockroaches, scurrying around as always in pundit-monium. One of the things about "wider war" that makes it so valuable is its alliterative beauty as it rolls off the tongues of TV/video blatherers, and how it sounds in the skulls of those who put pixels on their screens. Looking for just the right phrase to characterize what will happen in the "wider war," I got one of the last remaining copies on a shelf of my nearby Chiches R Us, although Temu says it can deliver for free, before October 6th, 10,000 fortune cookies imprinted with the same message, "Only time will tell."
I agree with your interpretation. Were I a young, or even a middle-aged woman I might be quaking in my boots, but for some years now I've felt as though I'm playing with house money ... so I am more curious than frightened.
I think our container — our planet — is trying to cut down on over population. Starvation. Disease. War. Three of the ways it goes about that …
I’m worried that there is NO solution to the fighting … Maybe the stress is getting to me….
Our planet? Get real. It’s our species.
I have seen repeated references to over 800 US military bases around the world (TomDispatch reports among others). I have also been snorting at headlines and analyses from WAPO and The Guardian from writers talking about how the helpless USA has sadly lost all influence over Netanyahu and Israel. Which is complete blind B.S. The US could influence everything going on in the Middle East by declaring an arms cutoff to Israel today. That might just possibly bring Bibi to the bargaining table in good faith (but I doubt it; the "good faith" part). But it would help stop the aggressive wars Israel is pursuing free of any hindrance from its erstwhile ally, financier, arms provider deluxe, and Big Brother, Uncle Sam. When does this stop? When the Israeli right wing government has killed thousands more civilians and pushed all the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank? Is this the result we want to see?
We are hatching another generation of hatred toward Israel and us by our enabling Netanyahu's long-sought wars against all his perceived enemies. Does anyone recall how Al-Qaeda formed as a result of one-sided American involvement in Near Eastern conflicts?
I read somewhere yesterday that 60 per cent of Hamas combatants are war orphans. Is that why the IDF kills children and mothers remorselessly?
If the US stopped shipping arms to yahoo I wouldn’t be surprised if he attacked us. That creature is a threat to the world.
Lotta money in war....for some, Lotta pain for others.
And of course, this is Biden's fault.😉
Yes, because only the USA has agency in the world. Bad things happen, and it's always the fault of the USA for having failed to prevent it.
We could, of course, blame those who initiate war for the resulting death and destruction, but that would require taking sides. Sooooo much easier to stand back, safe in our suburbs, and condemn the barbarians fighting for some trivial thing.
While sending nearly unlimited amounts of of weapon systems and ammunition to, often, both sides of "regional" conflicts.
And what is the benefit of these wars? We know war is big business. Men are getting rich making weapons. And rich again rebuilding. Lots of big egos getting stoked blowing up cities and humans. What is the toll on wildlife? I think humans are really at an adolescent stage. When will men grow up and stop the destruction?
So many to choose from. How is it possible no U.S. entrepreneur has packaged combat zone tours?
Hmmm. Would have to pass out Kevlar and adult pull-ups (not in that order)
Right—merch. All manner of protective and contingency wear and combat gear—night-vision goggles, binocs, etc.
You got it. The tease would be the seemingly low price for the tour but required the kit would max out their AmEx Black cards.
Remember, we're just observers. You know who the grifters are.
Cell phone calling service was offline most of today. It was pandemonium.
It was probably Elon Musk screwing with the system.
I would not doubt that.
Are you in the Bay Area? I heard Verizon wasn't working. Or maybe that was nationwide? Not owning a cell phone, I tend not to listen to closely to those stories.
We live in Las Vegas. It was a taste of how we could be hobbled by bad actors or a treasonous government.
My husband’s a ham (amateur radio operator). He can talk to other hams around the world, no cell phone required.
Don’t think they won’t do it if it serves them…
I’m in southern France on holiday and couldn’t get my phone to work on cell though WiFi was working…
I heard.
A propos of nothing and because I can't help myself: "excuuuuuuse me!" was coined by Steve Martin, first heard on his 1977 comedy album "Let's Get Small" and has been part of his act ever since. Martin, who was never an SNL cast member (but a frequent host) did use the phrase on SNL several times, the first on April 22, 1978. There you go.
“Hey, I work for a living!”
I read his book, Born Standing Up. A good read.
the so-called “wider war” is already here, wouldn’t you think? Excuuuuuse me!
A good title for a book on this subject would be The Savage Soul. It seems wars have always existed and looks like they always will. If women ruled the world I think it would be a different story. There again there have also been women warriors since ancient times: Here are 10 of history’s fiercest female warriors who not only had to face their enemies, but also the strict gender roles of their day. (from,https://www.historyhit.com/ )
I couldn’t find it, this link goes to a contents page?
Maybe try google Ten most warrior women in history'. First three here 10 Great Warrior Women of the Ancient World
Tristan Hughes
14 Sep 2021
@ancientstristan
FacebookTwitter
0 seconds of 6 secondsVolume 0%
This ad will end in 6
Throughout history, most cultures have considered warfare to be the domain of men. It is only quite recently that female soldiers have participated in modern combat on a large scale.
The exception is the Soviet Union, which included female battalions and pilots during the First World War and saw hundreds of thousands of women soldiers fight in World War Two.
In the major ancient civilisations, the lives of women were generally restricted to more traditional roles. Yet there were some who broke with tradition, both at home and on the battlefield.
Here are 10 of history’s fiercest female warriors who not only had to face their enemies, but also the strict gender roles of their day.
1. Fu Hao (d. c. 1200 BC)
Lady Fu Hao was one of the 60 wives of Emperor Wu Ding of ancient China’s Shang Dynasty. She broke with tradition by serving as both a high priestess and military general. According to inscriptions on oracle bones from the time, Fu Hao led many military campaigns, commanded 13,000 soldiers and was considered the most powerful military leaders of her time.
The many weapons found in her tomb support Fu Hao’s status as a great female warrior. She also controlled her own fiefdom on the outskirts of her husband’s empire. Her tomb was unearthed in 1976 and can be visited by the public.
2. Tomyris (fl. 530 BC)
Tomyris was the Queen of the Massaegetae, a confederation of nomadic tribes that lived east of the Caspian Sea. She ruled during the 6th century BC and is most famous for the vengeful war she waged against the Persian king, Cyrus the Great.
‘Tomyris Plunges the Head of the Dead Cyrus Into a Vessel of Blood’ by Rubens
Image Credit: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Initially the war did not go well for Tomyris and the Massaegetae. Cyrus destroyed their army and Tomyris’ son, Spargapises, committed suicide out of shame.
The grief-stricken Tomyris raised another army and challenged Cyrus to battle a second time. Cyrus believed another victory was certain and accepted the challenge, but in the ensuing engagement Tomyris emerged victorious.
Cyrus himself fell in the melee. During his reign he had won many battles and defeated many of the most powerful men of his time, yet Tomyris proved a Queen too far.
Tomyris’ vengeance was not sated by Cyrus’ death. Following the battle, the Queen demanded her men find Cyrus’ body; when they located it, the 5th century BC historian Herodotus reveals Tomyris’ gruesome next move:
…she took a skin, and, filling it full of human blood, she dipped the head of Cyrus in the gore, saying, as she thus insulted the corpse, “I live and have conquered you in fight, and yet by you am I ruined, for you took my son with guile; but thus I make good my threat, and give you your fill of blood.”
Tomyris was not a queen to mess with.
3. Artemisia I of Caria (fl. 480 BC)
The Ancient Greek Queen of Halicarnassus, Artemisia ruled during the late 5th century BC. She was an ally to the King of Persia, Xerxes I, and fought for him during the second Persian invasion of Greece, personally commanding 5 ships at the Battle of Salamis.
Herodotus writes that she was a decisive and intelligent, albeit ruthless strategist. According to Polyaenus, Xerxes praised Artemisia above all other officers in his fleet and rewarded her for her performance in battle.
Battle of Salamis. Artemisia appears highlighted center-left of the painting, above the victorious Greek fleet, below the throne of Xerxes, and shooting arrows at the Greeks
Image Credit: Wilhelm von Kaulbach, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Cynane (c. 358 – 323 BC)
Cynane was the daughter of King Philip II of Macedon and his first wife, the Illyrian Princess Audata. She was also the half-sister of Alexander the Great.
Audata raised Cynane in the Illyrian tradition, training her in the arts of war and turning her into an exceptional fighter – so much so that her skill on the battlefield became famed throughout the land.
Cynane accompanied the Macedonian army on campaign alongside Alexander the Great and according to the historian Polyaenus, she once slew an Illyrian queen and masterminded the slaughter of her army. Such was her military prowess.
Following Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BC, Cynane attempted an audacious power play. In the ensuing chaos, she championed her daughter, Adea, to marry Philip Arrhidaeus, Alexander’s simple-minded half-brother who the Macedonian generals had installed as a puppet king.
Yet Alexander’s former generals – and especially the new regent, Perdiccas – had no intention of accepting this, seeing Cynane as a threat to their own power. Undeterred, Cynane gathered a powerful army and marched into Asia to place her daughter on the throne by force.
As she and her army were marching through Asia towards Babylon, Cynane was confronted by another army commanded by Alcetas, the brother of Perdiccas and a former companion of Cynane.
However, desiring to keep his brother in power Alcetas slew Cynane when they met – a sad end to one of history’s most remarkable female warriors.
Although Cynane never reached Babylon, her power play proved successful. The Macedonian soldiers were angered at Alcetas’ killing of Cynane, especially as she was directly related to their beloved Alexander.
Thus they demanded Cynane’s wish be fulfilled. Perdiccas relented, Adea and Philip Arrhidaeus were married, and Adea adopted the title Queen Adea Eurydice.
Despite this impressive claim, many Greeks considered her home kingdom to be semi-barbarous – a realm tainted with vice because of its proximity to raiding Illyrians in the north. Thus the surviving texts often perceive her as a somewhat exotic character.
In 358 BC Olympias’ uncle, the Molossian King Arrybas, married Olympias to King Philip II of Macedonia to secure the strongest possible alliance. She gave birth to Alexander the Great two years later in 356 BC.
Further conflict was added to an already tempestuous relationship when Philip married again, this time a Macedonian noblewoman called Cleopatra Eurydice.
Olympias began to fear this new marriage might threaten the possibility of Alexander inheriting Philip’s throne. Her Molossian heritage was starting to make some Macedonian nobles question Alexander’s legitimacy.
Thus there is a strong possibility that Olympias was involved in the subsequent murders of Philip II, Cleopatra Eurydice and her infant children. She is often portrayed as a woman who stopped at nothing to ensure Alexander ascended the throne.
Following Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BC, she became a major player in the early Wars of the Successors in Macedonia. In 317 BC, she led an army into Macedonia and was confronted by an army led by another queen: none other than Cynane’s daughter, Adea Eurydice.
This clash was the first time in Greek history that two armies faced each other commanded by women. However, the battle ended before a sword blow was exchanged. As soon as they saw the mother of their beloved Alexander the Great facing them, Eurydice’s army deserted to Olympias.
Upon capturing Eurydice and Philip Arrhidaeus, Eurydice’s husband, Olympias had them imprisoned in squalid conditions. Soon after she had Philip stabbed to death while his wife watched on.
Why has history persistently ignored or failed to recognise the role of women? In this Spotlight interview with Dan Snow, Mary Beard explores the many ways throughout history that women have been put down or silenced.
WATCH NOW
On Christmas Day 317, Olympias sent Eurydice a sword, a noose, and some hemlock, and ordered her to choose which way she wanted to die. After cursing Olympias’ name that she might suffer a similarly sad end, Eurydice chose the noose.
Olympias herself did not live long to cherish this victory. The following year Olympias’ control of Macedonia was overthrown by Cassander, another of the Successors. Upon capturing Olympias, Cassander sent two hundred soldiers to her house to slay her.
However, after being overawed by the sight of Alexander the Great’s mother, the hired killers did not go through with the task. Yet this only temporarily prolonged Olympias’ life as relatives of her past victims soon murdered her in revenge.
7. Queen Teuta (fl. 229 BC)
Teuta was the Queen of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria during the late third century BC. In 230 BC, she was acting as regent for her infant stepson when a Roman embassy arrived at her court to mediate concerns about Illyrian expansion along the Adriatic shoreline.
During the meeting however, one of the Roman delegates lost his temper and began to shout at the Illyrian queen. Outraged by the outburst, Teuta had the young diplomat murdered.
The incident marked the outbreak of the First Illyrian War between Rome and Teuta’s Illyria. By 228 BC, Rome had emerged victorious and Teuta was banished from her homeland.
8. Boudicca (d. 60/61 AD)
Queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe, Boudicca led an uprising against the forces of the Roman Empire in Britain after the Romans ignored her husband Prasutagus’ will, which left rule of his kingdom to both Rome and his daughters. Upon Prasutagus’ death, the Romans seized control, flogged Boudicca and Roman soldiers raped her daughters.
Boudica statue, Westminster
Image Credit: Paul Walter, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Boudicca led an army of Iceni and Trinovantes and waged a devastating campaign on Roman Britain. She destroyed three Roman towns, Camulodinum (Colchester), Verulamium (St. Albans) and Londinium (London), and also all-but annihilated one of the Roman legions in Britain: the famous Ninth Legion.
The Eagle of the Ninth: What Do We Know about Rome’s Lost Legion?
The question of what happened to the Ninth Legion is one of the great mysteries of history. Its sudden disappear...
In the end Boudicca and her army were defeated by the Romans somewhere along Watling Street and Boudicca committed suicide not long after.
9. Triệu Thị Trinh (ca. 222 – 248 AD)
Commonly referred to as Lady Triệu, this warrior of 3rd century Vietnam temporarily freed her homeland from Chinese rule.
That is according to traditional Vietnamese sources at least, which also state that she was 9 feet tall with 3-foot breasts that she tied behind her back during battle. She usually fought while riding an elephant.
Chinese historical sources make no mention of Triệu Thị Trinh, yet for the Vietnamese, Lady Triệu is the most important historical figure of her time.
10. Zenobia (240 – c. 275 AD)
The Queen of Syria’s Palmyrene Empire from 267 AD, Zenobia conquered Egypt from the Romans only 2 years into her reign.
Her empire only lasted a short while longer, however, as the Roman Emperor Aurelian defeated her in 271, taking her back to Rome where she — depending on which account you believe — either died shortly thereafter or married a Roman governor and lived out a life of luxury as a well-known philosopher, socialite and matron.
Dubbed the ‘Warrior Queen’, Zenobia was well educated and multi-lingual. She was known to behave ‘like a man’, riding, drinking and hunting with her officers.
A fascinating book about women warriors, though not rulers, is https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/amazons-of-black-sparta/
Also: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180826-the-legend-of-benins-fearless-female-warriors
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahomey (now within the Republic of Benin)
Thank you so much! Fascinating.
Hi Gail, it certainly is, I had no idea of this part of history. Talk about strong women :)
Big business with infinite resupply