Artemisia I of Caria
Artemisia I ruled Halicarnassus within the Achaemenid Persian Empire and commanded five ships during Xerxes I’s invasion of Greece. Remembered through Herodotus’ account, she became known for her strategic advice before the Battle of Salamis and remains one of the best-documented female naval commanders of the ancient world.
Enheduanna
Enheduanna was a daughter of Sargon of Akkad and high priestess of Nanna at Ur. Remembered through archaeology and a major Sumerian literary tradition, she is one of the earliest historical individuals associated by name with substantial surviving literature.