Objections to Women and War in Antiquity: the Case of Hellenistic Royal Women

Frances Pownall

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Chapter 21 Objections to Women and War in Antiquity: the Case of Hellenistic Royal Women

In: Brill's Companion to Ancient Women and War in the Mediterranean World

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Frances Pownall

Frances Pownall
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 425–445

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004749368_022

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Abstract

From the very beginning of the Greek historiographical tradition, the active participation of women in warfare was considered transgressive and a marker of “barbarian” mores. The misogynistic portrayal of women in warfare by ancient male authors is particularly acute in the case of Hellenistic royal women, who possessed no legitimate institutional power of their own, yet were also thrust into the often precarious position of safeguarding the dynastic claims of their birth family, husbands, or children. I examine as case studies the historiographical tradition on three Early Hellenistic royal women who are attested to have led armies in warfare: Cynnane, Olympias, and Adea Eurydice. Our earliest extant source, Duris of Samos, sets the tone for the hostile treatment of these three royal women in the later tradition. Not only does he portray their assumption of military authority as illegitimate and transgressive, but he injects into his narrative sensationalistic and exotic details that emphasize the foreignness of these women. Duris’ attempt to “other” these royal women is indicative of the general tendency in his history to condemn all the Macedonian Successors as stereotypical foreign tyrants. The active role of Hellenistic royal women in advancing the interests of their dynasty was symbolic of the new world order and as such was a lightning rod for resentment in the Greek sources.

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Brill's Companion to Ancient Women and War in the Mediterranean World

Series: Brill's Companions to Classical Studies, Volume: 11 and Brill's Companions to Classical Studies: Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean World, Volume: 11

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004749368

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 26 Nov 2025

Subjects
- Classical Studies
  - Ancient History
  - Archaeology, Art & Architecture
- History
  - History of Warfare

Front Matter

Part 1 Introduction

Part 2 Goddesses, Myth, Amazons, and War

Part 3 Royal Women and War

Part 4 Women and Armies in War

Part 5 Representations of Women in Texts about War

Part 6 Afterword

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Chapter 21 Objections to Women and War in Antiquity: the Case of Hellenistic Royal Women

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Brill's Companion to Ancient Women and War in the Mediterranean World

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