In 40 BC, while Cleopatra was ruling over a stable Egypt, their southern neighbours gained a different badass lady as a ruler. Amanirenas was a fearless warrior queen who, despite her kingdom's small size, was able to stand up against the might of Rome.
ancient women
Sisters: Hai Bà Trưng
TheTrưng sisters, Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị, were warriors who rebelled against Chinese Han-dynasty domination of Vietnam, liberating their country and becoming national heroines – and are still celebrated as such today despite both dying around 2000 years ago.
Pirates: Six Biographies
Six short biographies of ruthless female pirates across history.
Women in Mythology: Nüwa (女媧)
Every religion and mythology has a creation myth. The Ancient Greeks believed in Chaos and Gaea, who gave birth to the first beings. In the Christian Bible, God spends six days forming animals, plants, and people. In Ancient China, there was Nüwa.
Z is for… Zenobia
Born around 240 AD in Palmyra, Syria, Zenobia would rise to challenge the likes of the Roman Empire and even earn their grudging respect, despite their prejudices against both her race and sex.
T is for… Telesilla
Telesilla was an ancient Greek poet who lived during the 5th century BC. Only fragments of her work have survived to this day, but it is not her poetry which she is most renowned for: she was also a famed warrior.
M is for… Medusa
The monstrous woman is a common figure in Greek mythology, and Medusa is arguably the most well-known of them. But who is the woman behind the myth, and is she truly the monster of her story?
I is for… Iceni
The Iceni were a Britonnic tribe in Iron Age and Roman Britain, which co-existed peacefully with Rome until around AD 60. When Rome tried to ransack the tribe, their queen, Boudicca, launched a revolt that almost drove the Romans from Britain for good.
A is for… Anna Komnene
Somewhat appropriately, we are kicking 2021 off with the story of the first female historian, Anna Komnene. Her work, the Alexiad, is one of the most important primary sources of 11th and 12th century Byzantine history - her work is invaluable to historians today.
Nefertiti – A Beautiful Woman Has Come
Literally named 'a beautiful woman has come', Nefertiti is now known as one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived. But she was more than just a pretty face - during her lifetime she wielded considerable power and may have even risen to pharaoh status.