1. (early fifth century BC) daughter of Lygdamis, ruler of a Carian kingdom which included Halicarnassus, and after his death regent of his kingdom. With five ships she accompanied Xerxes on his invasion of Greece in 480 (see PERSIAN WARS), and is said by Herodotus (himself from Halicarnassus) to have shown bravery and resource at the battle of Salamis.

2. Sister and wife of Mausolus of Caria in whose memory she built the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus c.353 BC. She instituted a literary competition in which the most famous rhetoricians of the age took part, including Isocrates and Theopompus, who won the prize.

(är'təmĭ'shēə) , fl. 4th cent. B.C., ruler of the ancient region of Caria. She was the sister, wife, and successor of Mausolus and erected the mausoleum at Halicarnassus in his memory. A strong ruler, she conquered Rhodes. She also patronized the arts. An earlier Artemisia ruled part of Caria under Xerxes I of Persia.