Artemisias I
In book 7&8 of his Histories Herodotus tells the reader that there was no need to write about “any of the other (Persian) commanders, except for Artemisia”. He continues saying “I consider her to be a particular object of admiration because she was a woman who played a part in the war against Greece.
Who was Artemisias I? Artemisia I of Caria (now in modern day Türkiye), was a 5th-century BCE queen. She was the daughter of Lygdamis I and a Cretan mother. Herodotus tells us little of her childhood or of her life before her husband died and she came to rule, granted he told us nothing about her husband, we theorize they married just prior to the Ionian Revolt estimate they married in 500 BCE. Her timeline begins around 480 bce at this point she is ruling over Halicarnassus and the neighboring islands of Kos, Nisyros, and Kalymnos which were part of the Persian Empire.
In 480 BC, she led a contingent of five ships in Xerxes I's invasion of Greece, fighting in the Battle of Artemisium and the subsequent Battle of Salamis. Prior to the Battle of Salamis, Artemisia advised Xerxes against engaging the Greek fleet, cautioning that their naval superiority could lead to a disastrous outcome. She suggested alternative strategies, including targeting the Peloponnese, to achieve their objectives without direct confrontation at sea. Unfortunately, her advice fell on deaf ears, resulting in a major defeat for the Persian navy.
During the battle, Artemisia's tactical skills were evident. She skillfully maneuvered her naval forces, being pursued by an enemy Athenian ship she directed her fleet to aim for an allied Persian ship. She rammed the boat and sank it. Upon seeing this the captain of the pursuing Athenian vessel mistakenly thought her fleet were deserters of an allied ship broke chase and went in pursuit of other Persian vessels. This not only resulted in her getting away unharmed but from the vantage point on the hill Xerxes and his advisors believed she had sunk an enemies ship and according to Herodotus prompted Xerxes I to respond “My men have become women and my women, men.”
