Artemisia, the female ruler of Halicarnassus, was one of several prominent figures during the Achaemenid period of the Persian Empire. Noted for her significance as a naval commander and ascension to throne of Caria, the core aspects which led to her considerable impact on history have been debated and scrutinised by scholars and historians. Through analytical readings and evaluation of both primary and secondary sources, three main concluding reasons can be determined for the influence of Artemisia in ancient history: her tactical and strategic prowess during warfare, the relationship between Xerxes and Artemisia, and lastly, her portrayal by Herodotus with the relative performance of Artemisia alongside her fellow Persian commanders. Confident and tactical, Artemisia’s prowess in military strategy was central to her influence in Persian history. During the Battle of Salamis and Artemisium, she provided the commander of the Persian forces, Xerxes, with invaluable advice. As portrayed by Herodotus, he writes, “of all the allies she gave the king the best advice” (Falkner, 2001), suggesting Artemisia’s active and fruitful participation in Xerxes war councils. In 480 BCE, Artemisia accompanied Xerxes on the Persian expedition, and engaged Greek forces off the coast of Euboea. She demonstrated her tactical skill during battle, where she kept …show more content…
Artemisia’s significant impact on Persian history can thus be accounted for three main reasons, her success during the Persian invasion as an advisor, Xerxes’ appraisal of Artemisia and their relationship and the performance of Artemisia relative to her fellow Persian commanders as portrayed by Herodotus. This is majorly supported by the central primary source of the history of Artemisia, Herodotus’