Читать книгу The Herodotus Encyclopedia - Группа авторов - Страница 739

ANGUS BOWIE

Queen’s College, Oxford

Daughter of Lygdamis, the TYRANT of HALICARNASSUS (Herodotus’ hometown), and a Cretan mother, Artemisia was one of the best fighters at the Battle of SALAMIS in 480 BCE. On the death of her husband, she became ruler of Halicarnassus and of COS, NISYROS, and CALYDNA on behalf of her young son Pisindelis, who is said to have succeeded her (Suda s.v. Ἡρόδοτος (Η 536)). Herodotus gives her prominence at the very end of the CATALOGUE of XERXES’ forces, where she brings five ships, “not out of compulsion but a courageous spirit”; these were the best on the Persian side after those of SIDON. She arouses Herodotus’ particular wonder, “as a woman going to war against Greece’”(7.99.1).

Her main role in Herodotus is as a figure of intelligence and reason; like many other “warners” in Herodotus, she is not always listened to. PLUTARCH is caustic about how wise Herodotus makes Artemisia, saying sardonically that he might as well have called her a sibyl (Plut. Mor. 870a/DHM 38). Her wisdom is displayed on three occasions. When Xerxes asked all the commanders in turn whether they thought they should fight at Salamis, and all agreed they should, she alone opposed this, on the grounds that the Greeks were better sailors and that Xerxes would do better to wait for the Greeks to scatter to their own CITIES and exploit their differences. This bravery in speaking out to the king pleased her enemies, but worried her friends. We do not know why she had enemies, but some Persians may have had the same qualms about a female commander as the Greeks are said to have. Xerxes, however, was impressed and thought even more highly of her, but still followed the view of the majority (8.68–69).

Artemisia’s wisdom was further displayed in the Battle of Salamis (8.87–88). She was at the front of the Persian ships, and being chased by the ship of the Athenian AMEINIAS; escape was impossible, because she was hemmed in by other Persian ships. She therefore attacked the ship of DAMASITHYMUS from Calynda, a Carian city, who was amongst the most notable commanders in Xerxes’ navy (7.98), which convinced Ameinias that her ship was either a Greek one or a deserter, and he went elsewhere. The Persians, recognizing Artemisia’s emblem, presumed Damasithymus’ ship was a Greek one. This prompted Xerxes’ famous remark, “my men have become women, my women men” (8.88.3).

After the disaster at Salamis, MARDONIUS advised Xerxes to attack the PELOPONNESE or to give him 300,000 men and to return with the rest to PERSIA. Xerxes consulted on this, and then had a private meeting with Artemisia on the basis of her wise counsel about Salamis. Artemisia advised him to go back to Persia and give Mardonius the men, on the grounds that, if Mardonius was successful in defeating the Greeks, the glory would belong to Xerxes as king rather than to his servant; if Mardonius lost, it would be no problem, since the king and his house would be safe (an important concern of ACHAEMENID monarchs, as the BISITUN Inscription shows), and the Greeks could be dealt with later: Xerxes has after all achieved his aim of sacking ATHENS in revenge for their burning of SARDIS (8.101–3). Artemisia is then tasked with escorting some of Xerxes’ “bastard sons” (i.e., sons from his lesser wives) to EPHESUS (8.107). No more is heard of Artemisia in Herodotus. There is uncertainty as to whether her son Pisindelis ruled after her or whether it was another son (or her grandson) Lygdamis, under whom Herodotus was expelled before returning to help overthrow him (see ML 32 and commentary; Fornara 1983, no. 70).

Artemisia clearly made an impression on later times. The Spartans with the spoils of the war built a “Persian Colonnade” in their AGORA, with statues in white marble of Persians, including Artemisia and Mardonius, supporting the roof (Paus. 3.11.3; Vitr. De arch. 1.1.6). Polyaenus (Strat. 8.53.1–3, 5) has various stories about her that depend on Herodotus’ account, but also attributes to her the capture of Latmos by a stratagem, after failing to capture it by force. She conducted orgiastic rites to the Mother of the Gods (CYBELE) with warriors disguised as EUNUCHS and musicians at a shrine near the city; when the Latmians came out to admire her PIETY, her men captured the city with their instruments. Ptolemy Chennos, an author of the Roman imperial period, wrote that Artemisia gouged out the eyes of a lover, Dardanus of ABDERA, who had scorned her, and that she jumped off the famous “lovers’ leap,” the Leucadian Rock (Phot. Bibl. cod. 190/153a (Henry vol. III)).

SEE ALSO: Advisers; Caria; Knowledge; Lygdamis father of Artemisia; Lygdamis son/grandson of Artemisia; Women in the Histories