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THe Famous Queens of Antiquity were these, Alceste the Wife of King Ad∣metus; she freely gave her life to save her Husband from death.
Semiramis, that warlike Queen of A∣ssyria, that enlarged the bounds of the Empire, and built Babylon. Thomiris, Queen of Scythia, overcame Cyrus, and
caused his head to be chopt off, and cast into a bag full of blood, with this re∣reproach, Satia te sanguine quem sitisti.
* 1.1 Cleopater was a notable Queen of Egypt, the Curtisan of Antonius, overcome by Au∣gustus in a Sea-fight. She caused two Ser∣pents to sting her to death, when she saw that she could not oppose the power of the Romans, who were resolved to lead her in Triumph.
Zenobia was a Queen of Armenia, the Wife of Radamistus, driven out of his Kingdom by Tiridates, mentioned in Cor▪ Tacit.
Amalasuntha was a Queen of the Goths, Esther of the Persians. Irene, a Famous Empress of Constantinople, who lived in the daies of Charlemaign, and governed the Eastern Empire. Odatis was a Famous Princess, the only Child and Heiress of Homartes, King of part of Bactria: When she was fought in Marriage, she refused all that came unto her, and was resolved to bestow her self upon a strange Prince whom she had seen in a dream, and fanci∣ed so much, that she could not be quiet until she had dispatched away messengers to him, to fetch him into her Fathers Court.
Olympias, the Wife of Philip, and Mo∣ther of Alexander the Great, was remark∣able for her courage and bold spirit; she freely offered her▪brest to the weapons of
the Souldiers who had been sent to mur∣der her.
Caesara, a noted Empress of Persia, caused her Husband and all his Army to become Christians, and mediated an agree∣ment between the Sophy and the Empe∣rour of Constantinople.
Julia the Empress was famous for her Whoredomes at Rome; as Messalina, the Wife of Claudius Caesar, was afterwards.
Amongst the Amazons, these were the most noted Queens, Marthesia Lampedo, Orythia, Menalippe, Hyppolite, Penthesilea, of whom Virgil speaks in the Relation of the Worthies of Troy.
Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis Penthesilea furens, mediis{que} in millibus ardet.
Helena, the Mother of Constantine, was an excellent Princess, who did mightily eucourage the affairs of Christianity in the beginning of the Universal Conversion from Paganisme.
These are the names of other noted Women of all Ages.
* 1.2 Sapho did excel in all manner of Learn∣ing in Greece, but especially in Poetry: She invented a kind of Verse which is called from her Saphick.
Cyborea was the Mother of Judas Isca∣riot, Canace was the Daughter of Aeolus. She is infamous for the incest which she committed with her Brother 〈◊〉〈◊〉
Myrrha, the Daughter of Cynaras King of Cyprus, lay with her Father by the means of a Nurse when he was drunk. She pro∣ved with-child by this incestuous marriage of the beautiful Adonis; but when her Fa∣ther understood her wickedness, he sought to destroy her; but she nevertheless saved her self in Arabia, where she was chan∣ged into the Myrrh-tree.
Lucrece was a Noble woman of Rome, who was ravisht by the Son of Tarquinius, and then killed her self, exhorting the Romans to revenge her death.
* 1.3 Arria, a Roman Lady, was married to Paetus, who fell into the Emperour Tiberi∣us's disgrace, so that he was falsly accused, and wrongfully condemned to die. When his loving Wife saw him in this condition, she advised him to dispatch himself; but he discovering an unwillingness to be his own Executioner, she snatcht the Sword out of his hand, and shew'd him what to do, by thrusting it into her own bowels, with this exclamation, Paete non dolet▪ Death is not painful. Martial hath thought her worthy of an Epigram.
Casta suo gladium cum traderet Arria Paeto Quem dedit visceribus traxer at ipsa suis: Si qua fides, vulnus, quod feci, non dolet, inquit, Sed quod tu facies, hoc mihi, Paete dolet.
* 1.4 Pompeia Paulina was resolved also to
* 1.5 accompany her Husband Seneca, who wa•• condemned to die by Nero.
Faustina, the Wife of Marcus the Em∣perour, was in love with a Feneer, and could not be cured until he was kill'd, and until she had drunk a draught of his hot blood: She was the Mother of Antoninus Com••dus, who loved so much the bloody sports of Fencing in the Amphitheatre.
Zantippe, the Wife of Socrates, is noted for a Scold; she was continually torment∣ing him with railings.
In Greece, Lais of Corinth, Phryne of Be••tia, Rhodope of Egypt, Pythonica of Athens, Aspasia of Natolia, Danae of Ephe∣sus, * 1.6Julia of Rome, Thais, who went with the Army of Alexander into Persia, Lamia of Athens, Methra of Thessaly, Caelia, Cy∣rene, Lesbia, Manilia, and Phaebe of Rome, and many more were Famous Courtisans.
* 1.7 Das Cattis, das Germanis, das Coelia Dacis, Nee Cilicum spernis Cappadocumque toros.
There have been many of that name.
Aelian. l. 12.
Cor. Tacit.
See Martial lib. 1 Epig. 14.
Lucan.
Q. Curt.
Martial l. 7.