num_pages: 249
description: Paul Chrystal has written the first full length study of women and warfare in the Graeco Roman world. Although the conduct of war was generally monopolized by men there were plenty of exceptions with women directly involved in its direction and even as combatants Artemisia Olympias Cleopatra and Agrippina the Elder being famous examples. And both Greeks and Romans encountered women among their 'barbarian' enemies such as Tomyris Boudicca and Zenobia. More commonly of course women were directly affected by war as noncombatant victims of rape and enslavement as spoils of war and this makes up an important strand of the author's discussion. The portrayal of female warriors and goddesses in classical mythology and literature and the use of war to justify gender roles and hierarchies are also considered. Overall it is a landmark survey of how war in the Classical world affected and was affected by women.
language: English
title: Women at War in the Classical World
publisher: Pen & Sword Military