Artemisia I of Caria

Artemisia I of Caria was a remarkable woman who ruled over the ancient Greek city-state of Halicarnassus and the nearby islands of Kos, Nisyros, and Kalymnos. She was of mixed Carian and Greek ancestry, and inherited the throne from her husband, whose name is not recorded. She had a son named Pisindelis, who was still a minor when she became queen. Artemisia is best known for her participation in the second Persian invasion of Greece, led by the Persian king Xerxes I, who was her ally and friend. She commanded five ships in the Persian fleet, and distinguished herself for her bravery and cunning in the naval battles of Artemisium and Salamis. She was one of the few commanders who advised Xerxes to avoid a naval confrontation with the Greeks, but he did not listen to her. At Salamis, she managed to escape from the Greek ships by ramming one of her own allies, making the Greeks think that she was on their side. Herodotus, the Greek historian who was also a native of Halicarnassus, praised her as the most valiant and intelligent of Xerxes' generals. After the Persian defeat at Salamis, Artemisia escorted Xerxes' sons to safety in Ephesus, and then returned to her own realm. Nothing more is known about her life or death. She was succeeded by her son Pisindelis, who was also a friend of Herodotus. Artemisia's legacy is that of a strong and independent woman who defied the stereotypes of her time and earned the respect of both friends and foes.