Mighty Monarchs XI (Powerful Women) Quiz

Answer: Boudicca

Boudicca (sometimes spelled Boudica or Boadicea) was Queen of the Iceni. After the death of her husband (Praesutagus) the territory of the Iceni had been formally annexed by the Romans (up until then it had been a client-kingdom). Boudicca rallied her people and gained the support of the Trinovantes tribe but was eventually defeated. She died soon after of unknown causes.

Answer: Julia Soaemias

Julia Domna was the wife of Emperor Septimus Severus (r. 193-211 AD) and the mother of Caracalla (r. 211-217 AD) and Geta (r. 211 AD). Her sister was Julia Maesa, the mother of Julia Mamaea and Julia Soaemias. In 218 AD Julia Maesa had her grandson, Elagabalus (r. 218-222 AD), declared emperor by the Syrian legions (in opposition to the Emperor Macrinus who had murdered Caracalla in 217 AD and seized the throne). Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus) was totally under the influence of her mother and allowed her to guide the young emperor.

When the outrageous behavior of Elagabalus proved unpopular with the Roman public Julia Maesa had the emperor adopt her other grandson, Severus Alexander, as his heir. On Mar 11, 222 AD Elagabalus and his innocent mother were both murdered in Rome by the Praetorian Guard who quickly pledged loyalty to Severus Alexander (r. 222-235 AD) as the new emperor. Julia Mamaea, the mother of Severus Alexander, did not come into her own until the death of her mother in 226 AD.

She continued to hold great influence over her son til they were both murdered by rebellious soldiers in 235 AD.

Answer: Zenobia

Zenobia ruled the powerful mercantile city-state of Palmyra (in modern Syria). In 269 AD she withdrew her alliegence to Rome and began to seize the eastern provinces from the empire. By 270 AD she had seized Egypt - one of Rome's major grain suppliers.

In 271 AD the Emperor Aurelian invaded the eastern provinces to end Zenobia's rule. She was finally defeated and captured in 273 AD and returned with Aurelian to Rome. She marched in his triumphal train adorned with golden chains. Aurelian was merciful and granted her a pension and allowed her to retire to a private estate in Italy.

She ended her days as the wife of a Roman senator. She is also known as az-Zabba or Bath Zabbai.

Answer: Pulcheria

Pulcheria was the granddaughter of Theodosius I, the Great, Emperor of the Roman Empire (r. 379-395 AD). She was extremely pious and took an oath of celibacy early in life. She only married Marcian to continue the Theodosian dynasty (Euphemia was their daughter).

She was very influential in church affairs and was involved in the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451 AD). Eudocia was her sister-in-law and rival at court. Eudocia's given name was Athenais (she took the name Eudocia after marrying Theodosius II in honor of his mother).

Answer: Clotilda

After attributing his victory over the Alemanni tribe in 496 AD to the Christian God, Clovis had promised to convert to Chrisitianity. Clotilda seized the chance to convert the Franks to Catholicism (and not to Arianism). Though she herself was Catholic, the Burgundians were officially Arian Christians (viewed as a heresy by the Roman Church).

Her uncle was Gondebaud, King of the Burgundians. She was aided by Remigius, Archbishop of Rheims (and future saint). The conversion of the Franks to Catholicism gave the Church of Rome a strong protector against the other barbarian (Arian) kingdoms.

Answer: Theodora

Theodora was the wife of Justinian I, Byzantine Emperor (r. 527-565 AD). Justinian openly declared that he ruled the empire with his wife (she held her own separate court and even received foreign ambassadors). She often successfully opposed her husband's religious policies by covertly supporting the Monophsysites (who did not accept the findings of the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon). During the Nika revolt (Jan 11-18, 532 AD) she even persuaded her husband from fleeing Constantinople and abandoning the throne ('the purple is the noblest death shroud'). Significantly, it seems that all of the important legislative, civil, and military exploits (i.e. Code of Justinian, the Church of the Holy Wisdom, and the destruction of the Ostrogoth and Vandal kingdoms) occurred while she was alive (okay so the Ostrogoths were not defeated till 554 AD, but you get the point). Though he reigned for another 17 years, it was apparent that Justinian had lost his guiding light and pillar of strength.

Answer: Irene

When the Byzantine Emperor Leo IV (r. 775-780 AD) died his young son, Constantine VI (r. 780-797 AD), assumed the throne. Irene acted as his regent till he declared his majority and assumed the throne in his own right (790 AD). This did not sit well with mother.

She had become powerful and did not like the idea of relinguishing her influence. Constantine died soon after of injuries. Her actions were very unpopular with the citizens of Constantinople. To help secure her fragile throne she sent an embassy to Charles I, the Great (Charlemagne), Emperor of the West, to propose a possible marriage.

She was deposed in 802 AD before any formal agreement could be reached. Irene was the first woman to rule the Byzantine Empire in her own right (not just as regent).

Answer: Marozia Theophylact

In 906 AD she became the mistress of Pope Sergius III (r. 904-911 AD). Their son was Pope John XI (r. 931-935 AD). After Sergius' death she married Alberic I, Prince of the Romans (in reality a successful soldier of fortune who was a powerful force in Roman politics).

Their son was Alberic II. After Alberic I's death she married Guy, 'King of Italy' (more of a title than a reality), only to quickly cast him aside for a more powerful protector, Guy's half-brother Hugh of Provence. Hugh had recently seized the 'throne' of Italy in 932 AD. Marozia's downfall occured at the wedding festival when Hugh purposely insulted Alberic II. Alberic II quickly roused the Romans into open revolt forcing Hugh to flee in the middle of the night. Alberic had his mother imprisoned in the Castle of Sant'Angelo (932 AD).

While in prison her grandson became pope (John XII r. 955-964 AD, son of Alberic II and possibly one of the most depraved individuals to occupy the Chair of Peter). She finally met her end on May 31, 986 AD after being officially condemned to death by Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor. "Pornocracy" was first used as a derogatory term to refer to the level of decadance that the Papacy had fallen to under the guidance of Marozia and her mother.

Answer: Sichelgaita

Sichelgaita (sometimes Sigelgaita) was a Lombard princess from Salerno. She married Robert shortly after he was created Duke of Apulia by Pope Nicholas II in 1059 AD. She constantly followed her husband on campaign till his death in 1185 AD.

Answer: Matilda

Matilda (born Adelaide) had an eventful life. Granddaughter of William I, the Conqueror and daughter of Henry I (both kings of England, of course). In 1114 AD at the age of 12, she married Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, and assumed the name of Matilda.

After her husband's death (1125 AD) she insisted on retaining the title of Empress even after returning to England. In 1128 AD she married Geoffrey Plantagenent, Count of Anjou (soon to become Duke of Normandy). Their first child, Henry, was born on Mar 5, 1133 AD.

He was often referred to as Henry 'Fitzempress' (son of the empress). She was arrogant and headstrong (influences from the German court) and was not very popular with the Church or nobles. Eventually she relinquished her claim to the throne in favor of her son.

By the Treaty of Winchester (Nov 1153 AD) Stephen was forced to name Henry as his heir. Matilda died Sep 10, 1166 AD. One of her most famous exploits occured while she was being besieged in Oxford Castle (Dec 1142 AD). Sensing that the castle would soon fall (it did) she climbed out the tower window, dressed in white to blend in with the snow, and managed to avoid Stephen's blockade.

Answer: Eleanor

"Read more about Eleanor of Aquitaine at your local library." She is truly a remarkable woman. Daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine, she succeeded her father in 1137 AD. Aquitaine was the richest and most cultured province in Europe at the time. Louis VI, the Fat, King of France, seized the opportunity to expand his domains by marrying his young son to Eleanor. Shortly after the nuptials the king died and the son became king (Louis VII, the Young). Queen and Duchess at 15! She accompanied Louis on the Second Crusade (1147-1149 AD).

She had their marriage annulled (Mar 21, 1152 AD) and then quickly married Henry, Duke of Normandy (May 18, 1152 AD). They were crowned King and Queen of England on Dec 19, 1154 AD. Imprisoned for treason in 1174 AD she remained confined til Henry's death in 1189 AD.

Their fourth child became king of England (Richard I, the Lionheart). Eleanor was regent because Richard only spent a little over 6 months in England during his reign (1189-1199 AD).

She died at the Abbey of Fontevrault at the age of 82 during the reign of her and Henry's eighth child (King John).

Answer: Isabelle

Isabelle was the daughter of Philip IV, the Fair, King of France. She had previously been exiled by her husband and had settled in the County of Hainault (a state on the northern border of France). She was assisted in her revenge by her lover, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March.

They placed Isabelle's young son on the throne (Edward III) and virtually ruled England till Oct 1330 AD. Edward III, tired of his mother's dominance, had her and Mortimer arrested (Oct 19). She was sent into forced 'retirement' and Mortimer was executed (Nov 29).

Answer: Lilith

Lilith left Adam because he tried to dominate her. 'Why should I lie beneath you? I am your equal', she is reported as saying. Today she symbolizes the independence and strength of woman (i.e. the Lilith Fair).

Answer: Dido

According to one legend Dido fell in love with Aeneas, a royal exile from the fall of Troy. He abandoned her and she committed suicide. Before dying she placed a curse on him and his descendents (who were the Romans) and swore that Carthage would always be their enemy.

Answer: Joan

The legend first appeared in the 13th Century and may have been loosely based on the exploits of Marozia and her mother Theodora (see question 8).