Most of us have not heard of one of the bravest and most important women in history. Her name was Queen Tomyris of the Massagetea. She stood in the way of the conquests of Cyrus the Great. She lost her son to Cyrus in the war. Despite that, she challenged him to another fight to keep her kingdom free. She got vengeance for her son and protected Greece from capture by Cyrus. In doing this she shaped the known world.
Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire who lived around 350 BC. He was an amazing conqueror who was never satisfied with his conquests. He led a group of war-like people, the Persians, from their home in what is now Iran (Jackson, 395). In Daniel Cchapter 5 it was a Persian army that conquered the mighty kingdom of Babylon, as predicted by the handwriting on the wall (Book of Daniel, “The Holy Bible” and Steele). Even Alexander the Great admired Cyrus as a general equal to himself (“Cyrus the Great,” Wikipedia). Cyrus conquered many lands including Aryavarta, Media, Anshan, Babylon, Akhad, and Sumer, and he was the backbone of most Persian achievements, (Cyrus the Great, Wikipedia). Even though he had taken over so many lands, he wasn’t happy, yet he still wanted more. He was eyeing the land of Massagetea (Herodotus, I.205)
The ruler of the Massagetea was Queen Tomyris, who got the throne after her husband, the king, died. Her tribe was made up of pastoral nomadic Iranian people. Her culture made weapons out of mostly brass and never silver, they ate no grain but mostly meat, and when someone got too old they offered them up as a sacrifice to their gods, cooked their flesh, and ate it (Herodotus, I.215 and I.216). There is little known about Queen Tomyris other than her short interaction with Cyru...
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...ve into Cyrus’ demand to take over her kingdom of Massagetea. She opposed Cyrus and slaughtered him. Her strength of will in standing up to Cyrus may have saved the West from being just another part of the Persian Empire.
Bibliography
Abbott, Jacob. Makers of History, Cyrus the Great. New York: Harper &Brothers, 1904. Ebook.
“Book of Daniel”. New King James Version of the Holy Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nashville. 1982.
Herodotus, The History, George Rawlinson, trans., (New York: Dutton & Co., 1862). Ebook.
Jackson,Guida. Women Rulers throughout the Ages. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. 1999. Ebook.
Steele, Andrew. “Personal Interview”. St. Louis, Missouri. 23rd November, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the _Great. Electronic. Date accessed 24th November, 2013.
Xenophon. Cyropaedia. Trans. Henry Dakyns. Project Gutenberg. 2011. Ebook
Penelope, the wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus, not only exemplified the key heroic trait of strength, but did so in a new and unique way. Though there is no indication of her possessing momentous physical vigor, she used mental tenacity to remain poised as the leader of Ithaca for a long period of time without guidance or consolation from her spouse. Furthermore, she stood steadfast in her fidelity for her husband despite the overwhelming number of suitors trying to court her. The intense courage that Penelope had should immediately put her in the same realm as heroes like Odysseus and Perseus; however, due to the unfortunate
... attacked by many, for her scandalous and influential relationship with Pericles, her charm and sexual appeal, and her engagement in public and political events. However, no one can deny the fact that given the position women normally played in her time, Aspasia's position in society was astonishing.
During that whole time men were only written about riding and taming these creatures, not women. Ancient Greece was a civilization where men did all the rough tasks while women stayed home caring for kids and cleaning. In a world characterized by male dominance, one woman stood out. Kyniska of Sparta was the most important visionary for women’s’ rights because of her understanding of class structure through participating in the Olympic Games. She became the first woman ever to win the four-horse chariot race with her own bred and tamed horses.
Greek women, as depicted as in their history and literature, endure many hardships and struggle to establish a meaningful status in their society. In the Odyssey, Penelope’s only role in the epic is to support Odysseus and remain loyal to him. She is at home and struggles to keep her family intact while Odysseus is away trying to return to his native land. The cultural role of women is depicted as being supportive of man and nothing more. Yet what women in ancient Greece did long ago was by far more impressive than what men did.
Hartman, Louis F. & DI Lella, Alexander A. The Anchor Bible, The Book Of Daniel. New Haven
Aphrodite was the goddess of love in Greece. She was also said to have been the most beautiful of all the Goddesses and to have been born from sea foam. Although she was beautiful, some saw her as treacherous and malicious. She was known to have a bewitching power over men that more times than not brought about their own destruction. Aphrodite also involved herself on several occasions with the affairs of the Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus, as well as the Greek mortals. Aphrodite was legendary for her beauty, but she was also very vain. It was her vanity that started the Trojan War. (aphrodite, 2015)
The most significant fact on women of ancient Greece, primarily fourth century B.C. and earlier, is that there aren 't many facts at all. There is a limited amount of information known, and women were rarely written about or spoken of. For example, in Carl J. Richard’s “Greeks & Romans Bearing Gifts”, very little is written
All in all Cleopatra was a powerful queen who left a meaningful impact on society.
Farris, Dale. "Shutt, Timothy B.: A History of Ancient Sparta." Library Journal 15 May 2009: 45.
Ancient times are known for having ruling emperors and barbaric men. There are millions of stories and books about the conquerers and the soldiers who fought bravely in their successes. But, what about women in ancient times? Did they sit around and take care of children while they waited for their men to return home? There is one women in the ancient world who captivated the men of her time and is still admired today for her beauty. In The Search For Cleopatra, Michael Foss tells the story of Cleopatra VII. He tells us about her remarkable legacy from hundreds of years before she was born all the way to her death, as well as, the historical circumstances surrounding her life.
Athena was the Greek Goddess of many ideas, but she was famous mostly for her superior wisdom, her cunning skills in times of war, and her implausible talent for household tasks, such as weaving and pottery. She was celebrated more than any other God in ancient mythology, was the supposed inventor of countless innovations, and her figure gave reason for Greek woman to gain rights long before others of their time. The goddess of war, the guardian of Athens, and the defender of Heroes; Athena’s impact on the lives of Ancient Greeks is outstanding.
Holy Bible: the New King James Version, Containing the Old and New Testaments.Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Bibles, 1982. Print.
Carson, D, & Moo, D. (2005) An introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
She gained power because she had been prepared all her life to be a successful ruler by being very educated in studies, languages, charm, and even in relationships. She studied natural sciences and mathematics all her life. She was even taught from her servants how to be charming. In fact, they say her beauty was not all that striking but it was actually her charm and character that made others admire her. She learned how to speak several languages and was described to be so thoroughly fluent that she did not any need the help from an interpreter. She could easily speak to anyone, from the Ethiopians, Troglodytes, Hebrews, Arabians, Syrians, Medes, or even the Parthians. Despite her Macedonian descent, she was also able to g...
The Persian Empire spanned from Egypt in the west to Turkey in the north, and through Mesopotamia to the Indus River in the east. It was a series of imperial dynasties centered in Persia. It was established by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC, with the Persian conquest of Media, Lydia and Babylonia. The Persian history was interrupted by the Islamic conquest and later by the Mongol invasion. The main religion of ancient Persia was Zoroastrianism, but after the 7th century this was replaced by Islam. In the modern era, a series of Islamic dynasties ruled Persia independently of the universal caliphate. Since 1979 Persia has been an Islamic republic. In 552 BCE Cyrus led his armies against the Medes and captured Ecbatana in 549 BCE, effectively conquering the Median Empire