Female Military Leaders Of The Ancient World

Tomyris was the queen of the Massagetae, a nomadic people in Asia Minor. After Tomyris saw past Persian emperor Cyrus's deceitful marriage proposal and denied him, Cyrus led the Persian army into battle against the Massagetae. Cyrus defeated the Massagetae army, led by Tomyris's son Spargapises, by getting them drunk and ambushing them while they were incapacitated. But then, Tomyris challenged the emperor to a second battle.

Tomyris personally led her army into battle in 530 BCE and defeated the Persians. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus noted that while Cyrus's cause of demise is not known for sure, it is possible that Tomyris felled him in combat.

Xun Guan - the daughter of Xun Song, governor of Xiangyang, China - led a small counter-revolutionary force in the early fourth century at age 13. Du Zeng, a government official attempting to depose Xun Song and wipe out his followers, surrounded the city of Xiangyang with what looked like an impenetrable army. Provisions in the city were diminishing, so Xun Guan volunteered to take a small army through enemy lines to get much-needed aid.

With a small force of men, Xun Guan broke through enemy lines in the middle of the night. She rode to the city of Pingnan and convinced Xun Song's allies to send reinforcements. The additional soldiers were able to flank Du Zeng's army, forcing him to flee. Through her courageous act, Xun Guan saved her father and the people of Xiangyang.

Near the end of the second century BCE, Amage, queen of the Sarmatians, took full control of the government after deeming her husband unfit to rule. During her time as governess and military commander, the Chersonesus established an alliance with her in hopes that she could stop a neighboring Scythian prince from persecuting them.

After the prince ignored her requests, Amage and 120 soldiers covered more than 100 miles in a single day and stormed the prince's palace. Amage and her soldiers quickly overtook the guards and slew the prince and his court. She left his son alive to rule in his deceased father's place on the condition that he would leave his neighbors at peace.

Fu Hao was one of the many wives of King Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty around 1200 BCE. Unlike his other wives, Fu Hao held important military and religious positions. According to inscriptions on oracle bones produced in that period, Fu Hao led successful military campaigns against a multitude of the Shang Dynasty's enemies, including the Tu-Fang, Yi, Qiang, and Ba tribes.

Inscriptions also indicate Wu Ding gave Fu Hao religious and ceremonial responsibilities, showing a great deal of trust in his wife. Archaeologists found her tomb in 1976; she was buried with ritual vessels, currency, and 16 servants.

Onomaris was an important figure in the expansion of the Celtic people throughout Europe during the fifth and sixth centuries BCE. Not much has been written about her besides a brief account in the anonymously authored Tractatus de Mulieribus Claris in Bello.

According to the ancient Greek document, Onomaris volunteered to lead the Galatians, a Celtic tribe seeking to escape the famine in Western Europe. Onomaris led the Galatians across the Danube, where they conquered the native people and settled in the Balkans.

In the ninth century BCE, amid a series of revolts and political power plays for the Assyrian imperial throne, Sammu-Ramat rose to power and brought stability to the region. Records don't show how she stabilized the country, but some historians believe it was through her military power. She went on military campaigns with her husband before his passing and continued these military campaigns when she became queen regent.

Although not much is known about Sammu-Ramat's life, historians theorize she inspired the Greek legend of the warrior queen Semiramis. Semiramis was said to be a queen who acquired power through military conquests and building projects before founding the city of Babylon.