Sammu-Ramat, or Semiramis (reigned c. 811 – 806 BCE)
Women rulers were rare in the Assyrian Empire. Women were prohibited from leadership positions, until Sammu-Ramat the throne. She is notorious for her “beauty, cruelty, and sexual appetite,” but this may have been the embellishment of Greek historians launching a smear campaign against the Assyrians. Sammu-Ramat’s actual story is more inspiring. When Shamshi-Adad V died in 811 BCE, his wife Sammu-Ramat, known for her influence and power, ruled until her son came of age. Although details of her reign are difficult to find, historians believe she may have led military campaigns, expanded Assyrian territory, and authorized building projects around the Empire. She was revered enough to have an obelisk dedicated to her in Ashur.