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 monopolised 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 non-combatant 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.
AUTHOR: Paul Chrystal studied Latin and Greek at the University of Hull and then specialised in Latin love poetry for his MPhil at the University of Southampton. He is the author of many works including both local and Classical history, most recently Roman Military Disasters, published by Pen & Sword in 2015. He has contributed as a feature writer to the Daily Express and is frequently on BBC Radio York, BBC Radio Tees and BBC World Service. He lives in York.