Artemisia I of Caria (Old Persian: Anāhitā) (Ancient Greek: Ἀρτεμῑσίᾱ) (Persian: آناهیتا) (fl. 480 BC) became the ruler, after the death of her husband, as a client of the Persians – who in the 5th century BC ruled as the overlords of Ionia.
Artemisia is best remembered for her participation in the Battle of Salamis.
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The name Artemisia (Anāhitā) derives from Artemis (n, f.; Roman equivalent: Diana). According to Jablonski, the name is also Phrygian and could be "compared with the royal appellation Artemas of Xenophon. However according to Charles Anthon the primitive root of the name is probably of Persian origin from arta*, art*, arte*,... all meaning great, excellent, holy,... thus Artemis (i.e. Diana) "becomes identical with the great mother of Nature, even as she was worshipped at Ephesus".[1] According to Herodotus (Histories, Books 7 and 8), Artemisia was Halicarnassian on her father Lygdamis' side and Cretian on her mother's.[2]
The only one of his commanders to be female, Artemisia counselled the Persian king Xerxes to coordinate a joint land-sea offensive. She wanted the Persian army to march to the Isthmus of Corinth and attack the Greek coalition that was fortifying there, while moving the fleet to attack the Greek triremes. In this, Artemisia hoped that the Greek ships would scatter to their city-states, leaving them vulnerable to an intact Persian fleet. Xerxes refused this plan, instead moving to attack the assembled Greek fleet at Salamis. Artemisia participated in the Battle of Salamis in September, 480 BC as a Persian ally commanding five ships.
Artemisia convinced Xerxes to retreat back to Asia Minor after the defeat at Salamis, contrary to the advice of Mardonius, who wanted Xerxes to stay. Xerxes then sent her to Ephesus to take care of his sons. In return, Artemisia's lands did well by their alliance with the Persians.
A legend, quoted by Photius,[3] claims that Artemisia fell in love with a man named Dardanus, and when he ignored her, an oracle told her to jump to her death into the Aegean Sea from the rock of Leucas. In contrast, Herodotus had a favourable opinion of Artemisia, despite her support of Persia, possibly because he too came from Halicarnassus.
An Iranian destroyer (Persian: ناوشکن) built during the Pahlavi dynasty was named Artemis in her honor.[4]