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Telesilla (510 BC) was an ancient Greek poet, native of Argos. She was a distinguished woman who was especially renowned for her poetry and for her leadership of Argos through a political and military crisis and subsequent re-building. #CelebratingWomen
When Cleomenes, king of Sparta, invaded the land of the Argives in 510 BC, he defeated and killed all the hoplites of Argos in the Battle of Sepeia, and massacred the survivors. Thus when Cleomenes led his troops to Argos there were no warriors left to defend it.
According to Pausanias, Telesilla stationed on the wall all the slaves and all the men normally exempt from military service owing to their youth or old age. Also, she collected the arms from sanctuaries and homes, armed the women and put them in battle position.
When the Spartans appeared, they made a battle cry to scare Telesilla and the other women, but Telesilla's army stood their ground and fought valiantly.
The Lacedaemonians, realizing that to destroy the women would be an invidious success while defeat would mean a shameful disaster, left the city.
According to Pausanias, at Argos there was a statue in front of the temple of Aphrodite dedicated to Telesilla. The statue depicted a woman holding a battle helmet, with books lying at her feet. (And people think poets don't kick ass.)
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