Queen, Warrior, Captain

The story of Artemisia, formidable queen of the Greek city-state of Halicarnassus, that counters longstanding misconceptions about women’s roles in antiquity

Herodotus’s listeners never doubted that Artemisia I of Caria had commanded a fleet in the naval Battle of Salamis. After all, she was the queen of the Greek city-state of Halicarnassus and a military ally of Persia, despite her Greek origins. But for later historians, Artemisia’s exploits are almost inconceivable: How could the citizens of Halicarnassus have accepted a woman ruler and naval commander?

Violaine Sebillotte Cuchet examines the unique story of Artemisia to reveal how the residents of Greek city-states viewed women in power, how power relations defined social relations, and how notions of masculinity, femininity, and otherness were construed. The life of Artemisia, long considered an exceptional case, sheds light on aspects of other women’s lives in Greek antiquity and counters the stereotypes developed over the centuries.