Female Warriors, Vol. I (of 2)

on)-Camilla, Queen of the Volscians-Tomyris, Queen of the Massaget?-Telesilla the Poetess-The Two Artemis

idle tradition. The exact period at which she reigned has never been positively determined. The following dates, assigned to her reign by vari

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Syncellus,

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"can be given to the history of a person, the time of

Philistine goddess, and while yet a babe, was left to perish by her cruel mother in a wood near Ascalon, in Syria. But, as Romulus and Remus were suckled by a wolf, so doves came and fed the future queen. The birds were observed

ptivated by her surpassing beauty and charming conversation, Menon induced her to return with him to Nineveh, the capital. For some months she was kept a close prisoner in her husband's p

mpaign was at first an uninterrupted series of successes. One city fell after another before the Assyrian hosts. But the army was suddenly checked in its onward career of victory before the impregnable walls of Bactria. The city was

the foot of the citadel. Animating all by her courage, shaming cowards by the thought that a young and lovely woman was sharing, nay, braving, the same dangers as themselves, the intrepid heroine rushed up t

ed his own royal sister, Sosana, in exchange. But promises and threats were alike vain; and Ninus, in a fury, cast Men

d after their return to Nineveh,

erest. She then solicited the king, with great importunity, to place the supreme power in her hands for five days. Ninus at last yiel

ind to great enterprises. If she did not, as some suppose, found Babylon the Great, she adorn

power; and during her stay in this country she consulted the Oracle of Jupiter-Ammon as to how long she had to live. The answer was

three million foot, fifty thousand horse, and war-chariots in proportion; but this is, no doubt, a slight exaggeration. The chief strength of the Indians lay in th

his dominions. She returned a haughty answer; and, on reaching the Indus, she erected a bridge of boats and attempted to cross. The

hants could not long sustain the attack of the genuine animals, who, crushing every obstacle under foot, soon scattered the Assyrian army. Semiramis performed prodigies of bravery to rally her broken forces, and fought with as little regard for her own safety as though she had been the meanest soldier in the

the bridge, without the slightest regard for rank or discipline. Thousands were trampled under foot, crushed to death, or flung into the river. When Semiramis and all

the ancients, except Alexander the Great,

er-Ammon, and believing that her last days were approaching, Semiramis voluntarily abdicated the throne. Some chroniclers give a different versio

e reigned forty-two. It is said the Athenians af

mymn?ans, in Thrace, having lost her mother during infancy, was fed with the milk of cows and horses. Her father trained her in every manly and warlike exercise, riding, racing, hurling the dart, using the bow and arrow. By-and-by she became a mighty huntress; and soon the opportunity came for her to prove herself a brave

and was compelled to fly for safety to the isle of Naxos, where he went mad and committed suicide. Harpalyce turned brigand and haunted the forests of Thrace. She was so swift

e highest mountain in Peloponnesus. Close by was the cave of an old she-bear who had been robbed of her cubs. In place of devouring the babe, the savage brute adopted it, and brought up the girl as her own daughter. Orson-lik

r her return to Greece she assisted in the chase of the Calydonian boar, a savage brute of monster size who was ravaging ?tolia. She was the first to wound this beast; hence Meleager awarded her th

?nus, King of Scyrus, famous for her marvellous skill in running, and for

landed in Italy, a few years after the fall of Troy, he found, amongst the sovereigns confederated against him, Camilla, the Amazon queen of the Volscians, renowned for her high courage, her beauty, and her swif

l exercises. She grew so fond of the chase, that even after the death of her father, she preferred leading t

rmour. Followed by her retinue of warlike maidens, she bore a prominent part in a battle fought near the wa

death is one of the most bea

an unlucky moment, on the land of the Massaget?, a warlike people governed by Queen Tomyris, a widow, and a woman possessing both courage and energy. Her country extended beyond the broad stream of the Araxes, to the Caucasus. The Massaget? were a savage, hardy race, resembling the Scythians in their mo

the flavour of wine, he spread out a banquet, accompanied with flowing goblets of wine; and, leaving a few hundreds of his worst soldiers to guard the camp, retired to some distance. When the Massaget?, commanded by Spargap

rrow pass, attacked them with such fury that they were all slain, together with the king. Justin says "there was

able search. Tomyris ordered the head to be cut

ing over her dead foe, "which thou didst always th

artan king without loss of time invaded the Argeian territories, and routed the enemy in a sanguinary battle at Sepeia. Those Argives who escaped death on the battle-field took refuge in a grove sacred to Argus, their hero; where, however, t

he Argive women and incited them to defend their homes. The call was responded to with enthusiasm. Armed with weapons from the temples, or from

ing reproached, even if successful, with fighting again

ieging the walls, Demeratus attacked the Pamphyliacum, or Citadel, whence he was driven with great loss by Telesilla and her companions. This, however, is

il the dictum of the oracle a little before, about 'the female conquering the male.'" Without for a moment denying that the Argeian women coul

companions, many of whom fell in the conflict. A statue of the poetess

thither with a gigantic and overwhelming army and navy. Amongst the tributary sovereigns who followed him in this expedition was Artemisia, Queen of Caria. She was daughter of King Lygdamis, and her husband, the late king, having died w

d advice as this heroine; but King Xerxes was not at that time wise enough to profit by her counsels. She was the only

d displayed great presence of mind, though it also showed how unscrupulous she was in the choice of stratagems. Closely pursued by an Athenian ship (commanded by Aminias of Pallene, the brother of ?schylus), escape seemed impossible. But with her customary decision of mind, the queen hung out Grecian colours, and

ry of Artemisia. When he could no longer doubt that it was she who performed such gallant deeds, he exclaim

y which lay temptingly near to Halicarnassus, she placed her troops in ambush, and under pretence of celebrating the feast of Cybele in a wood consecrated to that goddess, she repair

tly in love with a native of Abydos, a young man named Dardanus; but her passion was not reciprocated. To punish his d

of Caria. The second of that name was daughter of King Hecatomus, and is principally famous for the honours which she paid to the memory of her husba

ns, indignant that a woman should reign over Caria, despatched a fleet to Halicarnassus to dethrone Artemisia. The queen commanded the citizens to appear on the walls directly the Rhodians came in sight, and to

n on board she sailed to Rhodes, where the people, seeing their own ships return adorned with laurel-wreaths, received them with every d

image of herself, branding the former figure with a red-hot iron. Vitruvius says the Rhodians were forbidden by

me year (B.C. 351) probably reinst

d her to retain the province, and he had no reason to regret it. Mania acquitted herself with all the prudence and energy which could have been expected from the most experienced ruler. In addition to the customary tributes, she added magnificent presents; and when Pharnabasus visited her province, she entertained him with greater splendour than any of the other governors throughout Asia M

t content with the cities committed to her care, she made new conquests; amongst others, Larissa, Amaxita, and Colona, which belonge

two fortresses in which she had secured her treasures. The other cities of ?olia at once declared against him; and he did not very long enjoy the fruits of his crime. Dercyllidas, commander of the Greek forces in Asia,

Alexander, the son of one of

n to quarrel among themselves; two years later, Perdiccas was assassinated, and the regency conferred on Antipater, governor of Macedonia and Greece. The latter, on his death-bed, bestowed the office of regent and the

ffer was accepted; Alexander established his head quarters at Sicyon. At the head of his troops he gained several victories. Cratesipolis, his wife, was the idol of the soldiers. They regarded her, and justly, as a woman who possessed the spirit of a hero and the talents of a great general. She interested herself in all their

hem, conspired against their rulers. The governor was slain by Alexion and some companions who pretended to be Alexander's friends

t a woman could take the command of the army, rose in rebellion, and barred the city gates. Cratesipolis, enraged as much at the insult as at the treachery with which they had slain he

om and prudence as to excite the admiration of all. To the last she kept up a large and well-disciplined army, always ready at a moment's notice to set forth on an expedition. The sold

ed Syria, B.C. 217. In the battle of Raphia she rode up and down through the ranks, exhorting the soldiers to behave manfully during the fight.