Category Great Womens

           Catherine de Medici played an important part in the history of sixteenth century France. She had a sad childhood, for both her parents died when she was just a year old. She was brought up by nuns, who trained and disciplined her. As she grew older, she became very well-educated.

            Catherine married King Henri II of France and had ten children, seven of whom survived. Three of her sons became kings of France, and through her children, Catherine wielded enormous power in the land. In fact, she was a major force in French politics, especially during the thirty years of the Roman Catholic-Huguenot wars. Catherine was a Roman Catholic, but when trying to create a balance with religions, she sometimes agreed with the Huguenots. By doing this, she created a policy of peace between the Catholics and the Protestants.

           Catherine had a great interest in architecture, and she demonstrated this with her authority over the building of the new wing of the Louvre Museum, the construction of the Tuilleries Gardens, and the building of the Chateau Monceau. As a great patron of the arts, she helped the Renaissance flourish, and is sometimes called a ‘renaissance woman’.

Joan of Arc was born in 1412, in the little village of Domremy in France. Her father had often told her of the sad condition of France, how the country was largely in the possession of England, and how the French king did not dare to be crowned. This made Joan very sad, and she brooded over the matter so much that she began to have visions of angels, and heard strange voices, which said to her, ‘Joan, you can deliver the land from the English. Go to the relief of King Charles of France’.

Joan believed that she had a mission from God, and she was determined to try to save France. Though everyone tried to dissuade her, she did not change her mind. She went to the king, and asked him to allow her to lead his soldiers to victory against the English. The king agreed, and when she was just 18 years old, Joan led an army of about 5000 men against the English, who had surrounded the city of Orleans. Mounted on a fine war-horse, and clad in white armour from head to foot, she rode along past the cheering multitude. In one hand she carried an ancient sword, and in the other, a white banner embroidered with lilies.

Joan was able to enter Orleans, and she led her men to victory after victory against the English. Her fame spread everywhere, and the English as well as the French thought she had more than human power. At last, the English were driven far to the north of France. Then Charles, urged by Joan, went to Rheims, with twelve thousand soldiers, and there, in Joan’s presence, was crowned king.

Sadly, Joan was later betrayed and accused of being a tool of the devil. She was tried, and was burned at the take. Later, she was declared to be a saint by the Catholic Church, and to this day, she is considered to be the national heroine of France. 

                Eleanor of Aquitaine was fifteen years old in 1137 AD, and not yet married, when her father, the Duke of Aquitaine, died suddenly. Eleanor had no brothers, so she inherited her father’s duchy, which included most of Southern France. This inheritance made her one of the richest women in Europe.

                  Eleanor was well educated. She could read and write Latin, and was well versed in music and literature too. She married the King of France Louis VII, and moved to Paris, where she set a trend for luxury and sophistication in the medieval world. She was an ardent supporter of the Crusades and she created a sensation when she dressed like an Amazon, and galloped through the crowds on a white horse, urging people to join the Crusades too. She herself even went on a Crusade with Louis.

                          Eleanor later divorced Louis, and married Henry who became the King of England. She lived into her eighties, surviving her son Richard, and saw her son John become King of England. Her last years were spent, as the abbess of a convent in Aquitaine, where she died at the age of 82.

          Hildegard of Bingen was a medieval mystic or prophet and visionary. As a young girl, she had visions connected with an illness, and was sent to a monastery where she was put under the care of a noblewoman and resident there, named Jutta. It was Jutta who taught Hildegard to read and write. In time, Hildegard learned Latin, read the scriptures, and had access to many other books of religious and philosophical nature. She took the veil and made her nun’s vows at the age of 15. A convent was built next to the monastery, and Hildegard became the abbess. She then founded a convent at Bingen.

          Hildegard produced major works of theology and visionary writings – the Scivias. She was also believed to have been the illustrator of the Scivias, and therefore, one of the few identifiable women artists of the Middle Ages. She was famous for writing sacred music and writing about natural history and medicine. She was so well respected that she was consulted by, and advised bishops, popes, and kings. These accomplishments gave Hildegard of Bergen the name of the ‘Sibyl of the Rhine’.

Boudicca, a woman of unusual courage, was the queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England. She led a major uprising against occupying Roman forces. Boudicca was married to Prasutagus, ruler of the Iceni people of East Anglia. When the Romans conquered Southern England in AD 43, they allowed Prasutagus to continue to rule. However, when Prasutagus died, the Romans decided to rule the Iceni directly. Boudicca herself was stripped and beaten by the Romans, and she rose in fury to lead an uprising against them.

Tall, red haired, and ferocious, Boudicca struck terror into the hearts of the Romans as she led her equally fearsome looking warriors against Roman strong holds. She went from victory to victory, and showed no mercy to her enemies. Even when she was defeated, she remained defiant and untamed. Her final defeat came in 61 AD, when she survived the battle, but killed herself by taking poison. Boudicca remains alive forever as a symbol of independence and determination.

              Who has not heard of Cleopatra, the beautiful ruler of Ancient Egypt? She is one of the greatest political and romantic figures in history. She called herself the daughter of the Egyptian Sun God Ra, and became the ruler of Egypt along with her younger brother in 51 BC, at a time when Egypt was facing great hardship. The Romans were seizing more and more Egyptian territories, and there was wide-spread famine throughout the land. Cleopatra herself had many enemies who succeeded in driving her out of the country. They then seized power in the name of her younger brother, who was also the ruler.

               However, Cleopatra was not to be dismissed so lightly. She sought the help of Rome’s greatest general, Julius Caesar, and he helped her to get back her throne. After Caesar’s death, one of his loyal generals, Mark Antony became her husband. Mark Antony divorced his Roman wife to marry Cleopatra, and this greatly angered the Romans. Julius Caesar’s nephew, Octavius Caesar, declared war on Egypt, and defeated Mark Antony, who committed suicide.

             Cleopatra too chose to die, rather than be taken a prisoner of Rome. She had a basket of figs, in which a snake was concealed, smuggled into her room. She died of snakebite, but became immortal for the beauty, charm, and charisma that had captured the hearts of two of the most powerful men in the world at that time.