An Ancient Egyptian Warrior Queen
Queen Ahhotep II (flourished sixteenth century BC) was Ancient Egypt’s most heroic female fighter. A warrior queen of the Seventeenth Dynasty, she led armies in combat against the Hyksos – Semitic invaders who had conquered Lower Egypt. Ahhotep took control of Egypt’s throne and armies after her husband was killed fighting the invaders, and ruled as regent during the minority of her son, Ahmose I. She kept up the pressure against the Hyksos until her son was old enough to take charge and take over the fight.
A stele records Ahhotep’s deeds: “The king’s wife, the noble lady, who knew everything, assembled Egypt. [Ahhotep] looked after what her Sovereign had established. She guarded it. [Ahhotep] assembled her fugitives. She brought together her deserters. [Ahhotep] pacified her Upper Egyptians. She subdued her rebels … [The queen] is the one who has accomplished the rites and taken care of Egypt… She has looked after her soldiers, she has guarded her, [Ahhotep] has brought back her fugitives and collected together her deserters, [the queen] has pacified Upper Egypt and expelled her rebels.”