Five Powerful Women of Ancient History

Fu Hao, Olympias, Hatshepsut, Zenobia and Boudicca were five powerful women of ancient history.

Illustration by Christa Galloway, Primary Topic Shop

Women’s contributions to history are often overlooked, but even thousands of years ago, women played a pivotal role. Whether they were raised in a society that accepted women as leaders, like the Britons, or they defied tradition to seize power, like Zenobia, there are several strong women who have left their mark on history and refuse to be forgotten.

Here are five women who have left a legacy that has stood the test of time.

Boudicca

Boudicca led the biggest rebellion in Britain against the Roman Empire, raising an army of 180,000 and defeating the famed Ninth Legion of Rome.

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Fu Hao

Fu Hao was one of the most powerful women in the Shang Dynasty in Ancient China. Not only was she a queen and a high priestess, but she was a successful military general.

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Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh who ruled Egypt for 20 years of peace and prosperity. She was not the first female pharaoh, or even the most famous, but she was the most successful and powerful.

Olympias

Olympias was a queen in the kingdom of Macedon, north of Greece. She is best known as the mother of Alexander the Great, but she was a powerful woman in her own right, using politics, religion, and cunning to keep her family in power in a world ruled by men.

Zenobia

Zenobia was a queen of Palmyra, an ancient city in the area that is now Syria, in the third century. She rose to power after her husband was assassinated and defied the Romans to create an Empire that lasted for only three years.

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