Who's Who: Ancient Women Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut was the chief wife of Thutmose II; while she officially reigned jointly with his heir, Thutmose III, she had herself crowned pharaoh and was the dominant ruler in Egypt. She accomplished much during her twenty-two year reign, including an expedition to Punt, which opened trade to a new area, and several monumental building projects.

Interesting, Thutmose III, who had to wait quite a while before becoming pharaoh in his own right, is considered one of the greatest military strategists of the ancient world.

Answer: Esther

When the Persian king's (Xerxes) wife, Vashti, disobeyed his order and fell into disfavor, Esther, a young Jewish girl, was chosen to be his queen. Protected and advised by her relative, Mordechai, who gained favor when he saved the king's life after overhearing the planning of a murder plot against him, she married Xerxes, but did not tell him she was Jewish. Haman, the king's prime minister, however, was jealous of Mordechai and obtained a decree, one that could not be reversed, that all Jews in the Persian Empire should be massacred. Esther, whose intervention on behalf of the Jews is still celebrated during Purim, worked out a plan to save her people.

She was queen of Persia for approximately thirteen years.

Answer: Artemisia

Artemisia married her brother, Mausolus, who was ruler of Caria, a satrapy in the Persian empire. When he died, she succeeded him as ruler; legend says that she was so overcome with grief that she daily mixed his ashes in her drink, and pined for him until her death two years later.

She provided for the building of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in her husband's memory, which was chosen by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Answer: Puabi

The tomb of Puabi was discovered by Sir Leonard Wooley in 1922-1934, along with approximately 1800 other graves in the Royal Cemetery of Ur. Puabi, a queen or priestess, was buried with fifty-two attendants. The treasures found in her tomb, which had been untouched by robbers, include a magnificent golden headdress, a musical lyre, and other jewelry.

Answer: Trung Sisters

The Trung Sisters, Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị, were born into a military family, and were taught martial arts as well as the art of warfare and fighting skills. They ruled what is approximately present-day Vietnam for three years after leading a successful rebellion; the Chinese, however, eventually defeated the sisters' army.

It is believed that they died in battle or committed suicide after their defeat.

Answer: Boudica

Boudica led a rebellion against Rome after the death of her husband, Prasutagus, who had ruled as an ally of Rome. When he died, the Romans, ignoring the terms of his will, annexed his kingdom. Boudica, along with an estimated 100,000 Iceni, Trinovantes, and others, burned Londinium and two other cities, killing somewhere between 70,000-80,000 Romans. Ultimately defeated by the Romans, it is unknown if Boudica committed suicide or died of illness.

Answer: Olympias

Olympias, from Epirus, was a member of a snake-handling cult before becoming the fourth wife of Philip of Macedon. After Philip II took another wife, which caused great tension between him and their son, Alexander, Olympias went into voluntary exile.

It has long been theorized, however, that Olympias, wishing to cement her son's claim to the throne, was involved in the assassination plot that killed Philip.

Answer: Wu Zetian

Wu Zetian, a concubine of Emperor Taizong, eventually married his son and successor, Emperor Gaozong. After her husband suffered a stroke, she became the court administrator, and ruled as empress. During her reign, the Chinese empire was expanded; inside China she supported the growth of education and building projects. Mother to three emperors, Empress Wu was the grandmother of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, whose rule was the longest during the Tang Dynasty.

Answer: Sappho

Sappho was born on the island of Lesbos around 630 BC, and gained such a reputation as a lyric poet that she was included on the Alexandrian list of nine greatly esteemed lyric poets, which included the famous Pindar of Thebes. The Library of Alexandria listed nine books of her poetry in their collection; sadly, only fragments have survived.

Answer: Deborah

Deborah is the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. According to the Book of Judges, she led a successful campaign against the army of Jaban, the king of Canaan, who had oppressed the Hebrews. Jaban's military commander, Sisera, was killed after his army was destroyed, and sources relate that Deborah then served as a judge in Israel during forty years of peace.