Historical Women Made of Awesome
Mar. 19th, 2007 11:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amari_zAs threatened, my list of Historical Females Made of Awesome in honor of Women's History Month (I'm ignoring the "National" part).
There's no way for this list to be complete, so it is a rather randomly selected sampling based on my own interests. My only rules here were that there had to be a basis for believing that the woman actually existed, and no one who was still living. I've provided descriptions or not, depending mostly on my whim and how well-known I thought the woman was.
Hatshepsut (dates uncertain, death c.1458 BCE). The first of only a handful of female pharaohs of Egypt. She ruled in the 15th Century BCE for over 20 years.
Sappho (dates uncertain, death c.570 BCE). One of the first women whose own voice has come down to us. Her poetry was part of the classical canon taught to well educated Greeks and Romans.
Artemisia I, Queen of Halicarnassus (5th Century BCE). Artemisia has always intrigued me. Herodutus tell us that she fought in the Battle of Salamis (480 BCE) on the Persian side and had five ships under her command. This is stunning enough in the chauvinistic Greek world, but Herodutus also tells us that, among all the Persian captains, she alone spoke up and gave the Persian Great King Xerxes the good (and ignored) advice to avoid engaging the Greeks at Salamis. When the Persians proceeded anyway, and the Greeks' tactic of limiting the Persian fleets' mobility by crowding the Persian’s ships into the narrow strait succeeded, she actually rammed another Persian ship in order to gain the maneuverability to get away. The Athenians thought fighting a woman was so insulting that they offered a reward of ten thousand drakhmas to any captain who could take her alive, but the reward was never collected. While, like many of Herodotus's accounts, his details are suspect, there is no particular reason to think he actually made up Artemisia or her participation at Salamis. Herodotus himself was from Halicarnassus.
Livia (58 BCE-29 CE). In my opinion Livia gets a bum rap, having been made a villain by Tacitus, a treatment that Robert Graves runs with. While she may very well have been dominating, manipulative and proud, she also no doubt suffers the fate of many strong women--the backlash. When Augustus (then still Octavian) met her, the story goes, he was smitten with her instantly, never mind that they were both already married and that she was six months pregnant with her second child. These were mere inconveniences, and after divorces were obtained, and ignoring the traditional waiting period, she and Augustus were married. Their marriage lasted 51 years, until Augustus' death, despite being childless. Livia remained, throughout their marriage, someone whose advice Augustus took and trusted. It was her oldest son by her first husband, Tiberius, who succeeded Augustus as emperor.
Boudica (undertain, died c. 60 CE).
Trung Trac and Trung Nhi (uncertain, First Century CE). Sisters who were heroines of the first Vietnamese independence movement against the Chinese around 39 CE. They briefly established an autonomous state. Cited as being one of the sources of the relatively respected position of women in Vietnamese society.
Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 370–415 CE). Philosopher, mathematician and astronomer, she was the head of the Platonist school at Alexandria. Not much is known about her, but she was murdered by a Christian mob.
Theodora, Empress of Byzantium (c.500-548). She was born into the lowest level of society (her father was a bear keeper), and she had been an actress (and probably a prostitute) before soon-to-be Emperor Justinian I met her. Justinian, apparently recognizing her intelligence and talent, actually treated her as joint ruler of the empire, and, by his own accounts, frequently consulted her, to the extent that it hard to say which of them is to be credited with various decisions. She played a large part in legal reforms and is credited with laws that protected women and and expanded their rights. During the Nika revolts in 532, when the populance of Constaintople rose up in rebellion against Justinian, Justinian was actually poised to flee the city (and thus probably lose his empire), but stayed to try to quell the rebellion because Theodora put her foot down and refused to leave. The revolt was sucessfully (and with extreme brutality) quashed.
Wu Zetian, Empress of China (625-705). In a 2100-year history, the only woman to be emperor of China. She was the concubine of one emperor, and, after his death, shockingly became the concubine of his son (and later, though some plotting, she became the son's official wife). She began to rule as her husband's health failed and then, after his death, through a series of puppet-ruler sons. She later assumed direct control and declared herself "emperor". Her rule, direct or indirect, lasted about half a century.
Trotula of Salerno (unknown, Eleventh-Twelfth Centuries). A female physician who wrote several influential works on women's medicine. Her works were later credited to men, since it was considered inconceivable that a woman could have written them.
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204).
Razia al-Din (1205-1240). The only female monarch to rule over South Asia. Although she had a large number of brothers, her father chose her as his successor to the Delhi Sultanate. Despite being the named heir, when her father died, one of her brothers took the throne, but she overthrew him after seven months. She is credited as being a smart and capable, but her rule lasted only four years.
Christine de Pizan (1364–1430). Writer, philosopher and critic. She is regarded as Europe's first professional female writer.
Joan of Arc (c.1412-1431).
Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603).
Amina, Queen of Zaria (c.1553-1589). She expanded the domain of Zazzua (part of present day Nigeria) to its largest size through her military exploits. She is remembered as "Amina, daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man.”
Ana de Sousa Nzinga Mbande (c.1583-1663). Queen of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in southwestern Africa. Warred with the Portuguese and abolished slavery in her domain. She held off Portuguese control of Angola for over 30 years.
Maria Theresa, Holy Roman Empress, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1717–1780). Regarded as one of the most capable (and the only female) of the Habsburg rulers (a dynasty that spans a millennia), she ruled for forty years. Although many of her actions--like those of the other rulers on this list--were far from admirable, she was a powerful, capable women, who consolidated her position despite the odds and and can be credited with a number of reforms, including outlawing capital punishment from the penal code. She also had 16 children (the youngest of which, was Maria-Antonia, better known as Maria-Antoinette, Queen of France).
Catherine II ("the Great") of Russia (1729–1796). Basically a despot, she ruled Russia for 34 years, the longest Russian imperial reign. Unlike Maria Theresa and Elizabeth I, she did not come to the throne because she was the only (inconveniently female) heir; she married into the imperial family and succeeded to power after her husband's death by means of her own savvy and forcefulness despite not being a descendent of any Russian czar. She and Peter the Great vie for the title of most influential Russian ruler.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821- 1910). Considered the first modern female physician.
Harriet Tubman (1822-1913).
Mary Harris ("Mother") Jones (1837-1930). A self proclaimed hell-raiser, she was a tireless agitator for the rights of workers and children in America during the industrial revolution.
Yaa Asantewaa (c.1840-1921). Led the Ashanti Uprising of 1900 against the British (in modern Ghana).
Clara Shortridge Foltz (1849-1934). First female admitted to the bar on the West Coast. She was turned down for admission to Hastings Law School and argued her own case before the California Supreme Court, which she won. She graduated and passed the bar exam, but California law at the time only allowed white males to practice law. She was finally admitted to the bar after successfully lobbying for a change to the statute to substitute "person" for "white male." She was a leader in the women's rights movement and was one of the pioneers of the concept of the right to counsel of indigent persons accused of crimes, which is now part of the American legal system.
Marie Curie (1867-1934). Among many other things, she was the first woman to win a Noble Prize and the first person to win two.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962).
Amelia Earhart (1897-1937).
Rosa Parks (1913-2005). I'm sad to be able to add her to the list.
Eva Perón (1919-1952).
Celebrate! What's your list?
There's no way for this list to be complete, so it is a rather randomly selected sampling based on my own interests. My only rules here were that there had to be a basis for believing that the woman actually existed, and no one who was still living. I've provided descriptions or not, depending mostly on my whim and how well-known I thought the woman was.
Hatshepsut (dates uncertain, death c.1458 BCE). The first of only a handful of female pharaohs of Egypt. She ruled in the 15th Century BCE for over 20 years.
Sappho (dates uncertain, death c.570 BCE). One of the first women whose own voice has come down to us. Her poetry was part of the classical canon taught to well educated Greeks and Romans.
Artemisia I, Queen of Halicarnassus (5th Century BCE). Artemisia has always intrigued me. Herodutus tell us that she fought in the Battle of Salamis (480 BCE) on the Persian side and had five ships under her command. This is stunning enough in the chauvinistic Greek world, but Herodutus also tells us that, among all the Persian captains, she alone spoke up and gave the Persian Great King Xerxes the good (and ignored) advice to avoid engaging the Greeks at Salamis. When the Persians proceeded anyway, and the Greeks' tactic of limiting the Persian fleets' mobility by crowding the Persian’s ships into the narrow strait succeeded, she actually rammed another Persian ship in order to gain the maneuverability to get away. The Athenians thought fighting a woman was so insulting that they offered a reward of ten thousand drakhmas to any captain who could take her alive, but the reward was never collected. While, like many of Herodotus's accounts, his details are suspect, there is no particular reason to think he actually made up Artemisia or her participation at Salamis. Herodotus himself was from Halicarnassus.
Livia (58 BCE-29 CE). In my opinion Livia gets a bum rap, having been made a villain by Tacitus, a treatment that Robert Graves runs with. While she may very well have been dominating, manipulative and proud, she also no doubt suffers the fate of many strong women--the backlash. When Augustus (then still Octavian) met her, the story goes, he was smitten with her instantly, never mind that they were both already married and that she was six months pregnant with her second child. These were mere inconveniences, and after divorces were obtained, and ignoring the traditional waiting period, she and Augustus were married. Their marriage lasted 51 years, until Augustus' death, despite being childless. Livia remained, throughout their marriage, someone whose advice Augustus took and trusted. It was her oldest son by her first husband, Tiberius, who succeeded Augustus as emperor.
Boudica (undertain, died c. 60 CE).
Trung Trac and Trung Nhi (uncertain, First Century CE). Sisters who were heroines of the first Vietnamese independence movement against the Chinese around 39 CE. They briefly established an autonomous state. Cited as being one of the sources of the relatively respected position of women in Vietnamese society.
Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 370–415 CE). Philosopher, mathematician and astronomer, she was the head of the Platonist school at Alexandria. Not much is known about her, but she was murdered by a Christian mob.
Theodora, Empress of Byzantium (c.500-548). She was born into the lowest level of society (her father was a bear keeper), and she had been an actress (and probably a prostitute) before soon-to-be Emperor Justinian I met her. Justinian, apparently recognizing her intelligence and talent, actually treated her as joint ruler of the empire, and, by his own accounts, frequently consulted her, to the extent that it hard to say which of them is to be credited with various decisions. She played a large part in legal reforms and is credited with laws that protected women and and expanded their rights. During the Nika revolts in 532, when the populance of Constaintople rose up in rebellion against Justinian, Justinian was actually poised to flee the city (and thus probably lose his empire), but stayed to try to quell the rebellion because Theodora put her foot down and refused to leave. The revolt was sucessfully (and with extreme brutality) quashed.
Wu Zetian, Empress of China (625-705). In a 2100-year history, the only woman to be emperor of China. She was the concubine of one emperor, and, after his death, shockingly became the concubine of his son (and later, though some plotting, she became the son's official wife). She began to rule as her husband's health failed and then, after his death, through a series of puppet-ruler sons. She later assumed direct control and declared herself "emperor". Her rule, direct or indirect, lasted about half a century.
Trotula of Salerno (unknown, Eleventh-Twelfth Centuries). A female physician who wrote several influential works on women's medicine. Her works were later credited to men, since it was considered inconceivable that a woman could have written them.
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204).
Razia al-Din (1205-1240). The only female monarch to rule over South Asia. Although she had a large number of brothers, her father chose her as his successor to the Delhi Sultanate. Despite being the named heir, when her father died, one of her brothers took the throne, but she overthrew him after seven months. She is credited as being a smart and capable, but her rule lasted only four years.
Christine de Pizan (1364–1430). Writer, philosopher and critic. She is regarded as Europe's first professional female writer.
Joan of Arc (c.1412-1431).
Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603).
Amina, Queen of Zaria (c.1553-1589). She expanded the domain of Zazzua (part of present day Nigeria) to its largest size through her military exploits. She is remembered as "Amina, daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man.”
Ana de Sousa Nzinga Mbande (c.1583-1663). Queen of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in southwestern Africa. Warred with the Portuguese and abolished slavery in her domain. She held off Portuguese control of Angola for over 30 years.
Maria Theresa, Holy Roman Empress, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1717–1780). Regarded as one of the most capable (and the only female) of the Habsburg rulers (a dynasty that spans a millennia), she ruled for forty years. Although many of her actions--like those of the other rulers on this list--were far from admirable, she was a powerful, capable women, who consolidated her position despite the odds and and can be credited with a number of reforms, including outlawing capital punishment from the penal code. She also had 16 children (the youngest of which, was Maria-Antonia, better known as Maria-Antoinette, Queen of France).
Catherine II ("the Great") of Russia (1729–1796). Basically a despot, she ruled Russia for 34 years, the longest Russian imperial reign. Unlike Maria Theresa and Elizabeth I, she did not come to the throne because she was the only (inconveniently female) heir; she married into the imperial family and succeeded to power after her husband's death by means of her own savvy and forcefulness despite not being a descendent of any Russian czar. She and Peter the Great vie for the title of most influential Russian ruler.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821- 1910). Considered the first modern female physician.
Harriet Tubman (1822-1913).
Mary Harris ("Mother") Jones (1837-1930). A self proclaimed hell-raiser, she was a tireless agitator for the rights of workers and children in America during the industrial revolution.
Yaa Asantewaa (c.1840-1921). Led the Ashanti Uprising of 1900 against the British (in modern Ghana).
Clara Shortridge Foltz (1849-1934). First female admitted to the bar on the West Coast. She was turned down for admission to Hastings Law School and argued her own case before the California Supreme Court, which she won. She graduated and passed the bar exam, but California law at the time only allowed white males to practice law. She was finally admitted to the bar after successfully lobbying for a change to the statute to substitute "person" for "white male." She was a leader in the women's rights movement and was one of the pioneers of the concept of the right to counsel of indigent persons accused of crimes, which is now part of the American legal system.
Marie Curie (1867-1934). Among many other things, she was the first woman to win a Noble Prize and the first person to win two.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962).
Amelia Earhart (1897-1937).
Rosa Parks (1913-2005). I'm sad to be able to add her to the list.
Eva Perón (1919-1952).
Celebrate! What's your list?
