ARTEMISIA

artemisia, daughter of lygdamis, was queen of halicarnassus and cos about 480 b.c. being a dependent of persia, she took part in person in the expedition of xerxes against the greeks, and fitted out five ships, with which she distinguished herself in the sea-fight near salamis (480). when closely pursued by the athenians she escaped by the stratagem of attacking one of the persian vessels, whereupon the athenians concluded that she was an ally, and gave up the pursuit (herod. vii. 99, viii. 68). after the battle xerxes declared that the men had fought like women, and the women like men. by her advice he did not risk another battle, but at once retired from greece. she is said to have loved a young man named dardanus, of abydos, and, enraged at his neglect of her, to have put out his eyes while he was asleep. the gods, as a punishment for this, ordered her, by an oracle, to take the famous but rather mythical _lover's leap_ from the leucadian promontory (photius, _cod. 153a_).