In The Histories, Spartan women act as mothers, daughters, wives and queens and they participate in the political and social arenas. One of the most notable of Spartan women was Gorgo. She was the daughter of Cleomenes and wife of Leonidas. The reader can tell that Gorgo, though just a small child, is intelligent and diplomatic, possessing a keen ability to assess one’s character (Herodotus 5.51). Aristagoras asked the King to send away the child so they could speak, but: “Cleomenes told him to say what he wished and not to mind the child.” (5.51) The mere fact that a young girl was allowed to overhear and participate in an important conversation of the King is un

The aristocratic women portrayed throughout The Histories are often performing traditional duties; raising children, minding the home and satisfying their husband. The exceptions are mostly Spartan women, like Gorgo. Men dominated all aspects of society - politically and socially. Women were treated like property, like king Candaules’ wife. The king was mesmerized by his wife’s beauty and wanted his servant Gyges to see her bare for himself (1.8). This was socially unacceptable, even to Gyges, and though the king’s wife had her revenge for this act, it was clear that men did what they pleased with their wives and were dominant in nearly all relationships.

In one of his stories, Herodotus writes of Pisistratus, a man who married in order to have sex with a woman in a socially acceptable way. “…He did not want children from his new wife, and to prevent her from having any refused normal intercourse and lay with her in an unnatural way.” (6.61) It was common for men to lust after women (as in the story of Gyges) but never did a women lust for a man. Women had an inferior place in ancient Greek society, and they mostly held the same subdued position in Herodotus’ stories. (King 106)

There are, however, a few exceptions to the average Greek woman in The Histories. One example is Artemisia. She led a campaign against the Greeks and set sail, leading the men from Halicarnassus, Cos, Nisyra, and Calydna. “….she sailed with the fleet in spite of the fact that she had a grown up son and there was consequently no necessity for her to do so. Her own spirit of adventure and manly courage were her only incentives.” (7.99) She showed bravery and ambition uncharacteristic of a woman in ancient Greece.

These Spartan women committed treason, however, they were ambitious and clever enough to carry out a cunning plan. No other Greek women in The Histories challenged authority in such a crafty way.

paralleled in The Histories. When Aristagoras continued to raise his offer for Cleomenes’ support in the war, Gorgo speaks out to her father: “Father, you had better go away, or the stranger will corrupt you.” Aristagoras left for good, and Cleomenes appreciated his daughter’s warning. Gorgo’s powerful statement stopped the Spartans from participating with Aristagoras in Ionia.

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