In the past, just like today,
the majority of political and military leaders were men. In most (but not all)
regions of the world, the prevalence of female leaders decreases as you go back
further and further into history. As a sad result, it is common for historians
to become extremely enthusiastic when they find even a single woman in a
position of influence within a kingdom or empire in the ancient or medieval
world. Sometimes, these female rulers earned their place in history by merely
achieving and maintaining power, an impressive feat in a world dominated by
men. Yet, a few women during this male-dominated period of early history truly
proved themselves to be more cunning, courageous and politically competent than
their male counterparts. One of these great female figures from ancient history
was Artemisia I, a vassal, military leader and trusted advisor of the Persian
King of Kings, Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE).
