The Masculinities of the Neo-Assyrian "Queens of the Arabs"

Abstract:The "Queens of the Arabs" are a unique group of women whose actions are only recorded in the sources of the Neo-Assyrian empire. They ruled in many of the same ways as other foreign male kings did: they led military campaigns, and were in control of their people's assets. In a very real sense these women acted in a masculine manner. In this contribution, I will explain how hegemonic masculinities theory can provide nuance to a gendered reading of these women. I will then demonstrate how the "Queens of the Arabs" conformed to Assyrian ideals for foreign masculinities. Finally, I will discuss how the scribes and artists tasked with recording the actions of these women used motifs in their repertoires for both men and women to depict these masculine women in reliefs and texts.