Rhodogyne and the Tradition of the Amazon Type

This paper focuses on the figure of Rhodogyne, the Persian queen featured in Aeschines’ Aspasia (according to the anonymous Tractatus de mulieribus, 8) and portrayed in Philostratus’ Imagines (2.5). Based on a close reading of these scanty testimonies, the study aims to explore Rhodogyne’s place within the literary tradition of the Amazon type, a man-hating woman type that includes a set of other warlike female figures. More particularly, the paper seeks to: (1) analyze the portrayals of Tomyris, Atossa and Artemisia (whose primary accounts are to be found in Hdt. 1.205–214, 7.99; 8.68, 87–88, 93, 101–103, and Anon. De mulier. 7 respectively), so as to discuss both their relationship with Rhodogyne and the actual homogeneity of the “category” of Amazon-like women; (2) extend the analysis to other figures who show more obvious similarities with Rhodogyne, notably the Assyro-Babylonian queen Semiramis portrayed in Ctesias’ Persica (cf. Polyaen. 8.26 and D. S. 2.4–20), who is often associated, in turn, with the goddess Ishtar and the Sacae queen Zarinaea; (3) explore the (possible) reasons for the inclusion of Rhodogyne in Aeschines’ dialogue, which would appear to feature the only portrayal of this woman-type in the extant Socratic literature. Regarding this last point, special attention will be paid to the connection between the depiction of Rhodogyne and the treatment of key topics such as religion, eros and politics.