The majority of historical characters are male. Although this picture is changing, until recently in all areas, whether scientific, cultural or political, the absence of women was evident. There are only a few exceptions to that rule, such as female painters Sofonisba Anguissola or Clara Peeters , scientific as Mary the Jew or Maria Sibylla Merian and some women who came to govern countries, such as Queen Victoria or Nitocris of Egypt . This time we want to get closer to the Queen Gorgo de Sparta, the shrewd daughter, woman and mother of Spartan kings. He did not govern alone, but with his influence and intelligence he helped his people.
The Gorgo Queen of Sparta
Herodotus was a Greek historian of the fifth century BC. who is considered in the West the "father of history" in the sense in which he was the first to trace a structured and reasoned account of the actions of men. Its main objective was to explain the wars between Greeks and Persians. He not only narrated the events, but he completed his stories with anecdotes and tangential facts that have been very interesting, since they offer a valuable and unique information.
In Herodoto's stories, very few women appear, evidencing the treatment that females received in Ancient Greece, and among the few that we find, one of the main ones is the Queen Gorgo . Many will know it by its appearance in books, comics and movies like "300".
In the movie "300" It is an important figure and reflects the status of Spartan women enjoying in their society, far superior to that of Athenians or other Greek polis. The Queen Gorgo She speaks as an equal with the male members of the council and we see her defending her husband, Leonidas, becoming an example of what was be a woman in Sparta .
Spartan women of the nobility as well as singing and dancing knew literature and received intense physical education. They could continue to cultivate, own land, initiate divorce and have great freedom of movement.
Gorgo, daughter of a king
Gorgo She was the only daughter of the King of Sparta Cleomenes I. Although the exact date is unknown, it is believed that she was born between 518 and 508 a.C. The fact that she was the daughter of King Cleomenes, although there was no male, did not suppose that she could reign, so in her adolescence she was married to the half-brother of her father Leonidas, called to succeed him when the time came. However, in his childhood, before that event, he already showed his intelligence, wisdom and good political judgment.
Herodotus explains that when Gorgo he was 8 or 9 years old, a diplomat named Aristagoras of Miletus arrived at the court of Cleomenes, trying to get the king to support the "Ionian revolt" against the Persians. Unable to do so, Aristagoras visited Cleomenes at his home. Gorgo I was present at the interview. Aristagoras asked Cleomenes to let the little girl out Gorgo of the room since he had something to tell him in private. The king told her that she could listen to everything she had to propose. The diplomat offered a bribe to Cleomenes and seeing that he refused to accept it, the number was increased, until Gorgo He went to his father and said: "Father, your visitor is going to corrupt you if you do not get up and leave." The king listened to him and did not accept the bribe.
Reina Gorgo, wife of Leonidas
At the death of Cleomenes, Gorgo became queen consorte . Next to Leónidas he traveled to other Greek polis and the anecdote is told that, being Athens , an Athenian asked him how it was that the Spartans were the only ones who controlled their men. She replied that the Spartans "were the only ones who gave birth to True Men".
Herodotus explains that thanks to her the lives of many Greeks were saved. During the government of Leonidas was received in Sparta a letter on a wooden plaque on which was written with wax, but had nothing written. The Queen Gorgo he realized that there must be something else and had the wax scraped, a secret text written directly on the wood appearing underneath; it was from Dermato, a man who had been co-ruler with Cleomenes and who had been expelled, taking refuge in the court of Xerxes. Dermato, knowing that the Persian king was preparing for war against Greece, warned the Spartans to prepare themselves and not catch them off guard. Leonidas and other Greek polis kings, they did it.
When Leonidas left for war, she asked him what he should do, to which the king replied: "Marry a good man who treats you well, who gives you children and lives a good life."
Gorgo, the mother of a king
Once Leonidas died in the Battle of Thermopylae , the Queen Gorgo He disappears from history and climbs to the throne the son he had with him, Plistarco.
The Queen Gorgo She is considered one of the most intelligent and influential women in the history of Ancient Greece. Did you know this shrewd and very intelligent Spartan? Do you know something else about the Queen Gorgo ? Share it with us!