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Of the other lower officers I shall make no mention, since no
necessity is laid on me; but I must speak of a certain leader named
Artemisia, whose participation in the attack upon Greece,
notwithstanding that she was a woman, moves my special wonder. She
had obtained the sovereign power after the death of her husband; and,
though she had now a son grown up, yet her brave spirit and manly
daring sent her forth to the war, when no need required her to
adventure. Her name, as I said, was Artemisia, and she was the
daughter of Lygdamis; by race she was on his side a Halicarnassian,
though by her mother a Cretan. She ruled over the Halicarnassians,
the men of Cos, of Nisyrus, and of Calydna; and the five triremes
which she furnished to the Persians were, next to the Sidonian, the
most famous ships in the fleet. She likewise gave to Xerxes sounder
counsel than any of his other allies. Now the cities over which I
have mentioned that she bore sway were one and all Dorian; for the
Halicarnassians were colonists from Troezen, while the remainder were
from Epidaurus. Thus much concerning the sea-force.
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