Women in Combat

[locoace3]

I was wondering, if women were ever used in combat around this era, i know there is always at least one nation/empire throughout history that wasn't so picky about war, were there any during EB time period? And i'm not talking like women commanders, i mean actual fighters.

[athanaric]

Not enough to warrant a separate unit in-game (this question is one of the periodically recurring ones, usually combined with demands for an Amazon faction or women units. There was a long thread on it in the Rome 2 forums). So I'm gonna quote one of my ancient history professors here, whose remark on this topic was (almost literally) "Hahaha! No."

Some of the nomadic noblewomen were interred with weapons, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were fighters too. If they actually were, keep in mind that that still only makes a tiny minority, as aristocrats usually comprise about 2% of society.

Outside of the EB time frame, we know of a bunch of individuals from late Medieval (IIRC) to recent times who served as soldiers, some with distinction, almost always disguised as men (this disguise tended to be blown if they were treated for wounds).

This is of course not counting heads of state, nor ordinary people who took up weapons in defence of their homestead.

[locoace3]

Yeah i'm not gonna be waving my pitchfork screaming " I WANTZ NAKED AMAZONS!" but i was just wondering. So basically nomadic tribes, (Like the saka?) Might have women grab weapons along with men, but it wasn't terribly commonplace?

Also i do want to get a degree in european history, preferably hellenistic era, or classical.

[Alhaioth]

The only things that come to my mind are the death of Pyrrhus, and possibly the sieges of Carthage and Masada. But that doesn't count as regular participation in warfare - sieges often turn the defenders desperate.