Adversaries: Cynane

Cynane (357 BC - 323 BC) was a warrior princess and older half-sister of Alexander the Great. She fought in battle as a child with her father and half-brother, and is believed to be the first person to have ever rallied her own army. 

For Further Reading: 

• World History Encyclopedia: Cynane
• The Macedonian Amazonian: Who Was Cynane?
• Illyrians

This month we’re talking about adversaries. These women fought against systems, governments and – sometimes each other to break barriers in their respective fields. They did unthinkable and sometimes unspeakable things to carve out their place in history.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this
is Womanica.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
This month, we're talking about adversaries, women who fought for
their place in history, whether they fought to get to
the top of their sport against how society perceived them,
or fought with each other to be champions. We're talking
about women who broke barriers and sometimes did seemingly impossible
or unspeakable things to carve out their place in history.
This episode of Womanica is brought to you by the

(00:29):
all new Toyota Camry.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
You've likely heard of Alexander the Great. His half sister,
like him, was a force to be reckoned with. She
was both a princess and a warrior. Please meet Sianna.
Sianna was born in the ancient kingdom of Macedonia in
three hundred and fifty seven BCE. She was the first

(00:54):
child of King Philip the IOND of Macedon and his
first wife, OData, an Allyrian princess. In some reports of
Sienna's life, her mother was captured by her father and
others they joined families to quell the fighting between their
two nations. In Illyrian culture, women had high standing and
were seen as equals in both intelligence and ability. So OData,

(01:17):
Sienna's mother, raised her daughter in the Illyrian way. She
taught Sienna how to ride horses, hunt and fight, but
Allyrian culture and Macedonian cultures were different. As Siena came
of age, she became famous for her fierce abilities in
military knowledge. As the daughter of the king and the
sister of Alexander the Great, she sat on the royal

(01:40):
court of Macedon, but she refused to behave as they
believed women should. She was her mother's daughter, and she
wasn't afraid to show it. In her teenage and young
adult years, Sienna fought in battles far and wide, and
one particularly stunning fight, she killed the Illyrian queen on
her own and rode ahead of the Macedonian army, guiding

(02:00):
them through battle. Tales of her prowess began spreading across
the kingdoms. Despite her might, it was necessary that Sienna married,
and she did. Her father, King Philip, gave Sienna away
to her cousin. She eventually gave birth to a daughter, Ada,

(02:20):
Just like Sienna's mother before her. She taught Ada how
to fight, hunt, and ride horses. Sienna's marital life didn't
last long. When her father died, her brother Alexander assumed
the throne, but he was paranoid that someone might try
to take the crown from him like his brilliant sister,
so Alexander had Sienna's husband executed. Sienna was young and

(02:43):
as a royal, expected to remarry, but she remained single,
dodging the offers presented to her by her family. As
a king, Alexander the Great had plenty of things to
worry about, but his sister and her competitive spirit stayed
on his mind. Alexander left Macedon to conquer Persia. Sienna
remained at court, biding her time and training up her daughter.

(03:07):
Not long after, Alexander died. By three hundred and twenty
three BCE, Sienna had no husband or father, but she
needed some kind of political assurance, so she hatched a plan.
She'd marry her daughter after her half brother, Philip the Third,
after he was chosen king. This plan could secure her future,

(03:28):
once again, putting her as close to the throne as
possible without actually being on it, so Sienna raised an army.
She led them to Babylon to force a marriage. Despite
her courage, Sienna was stopped in her tracks. She was
killed by Philip's brother and an army of supporters, but

(03:48):
her cause wouldn't die with her. Sienna's death sparked outrage
among the Macedonians, even the supporters of her half brother.
They demanded that Adea, a warrior with royal blood running
through her vein, take her rightful place on the throne.
A Daya married the king and took on the name Eurydice,
just like her mother wished for her. She became a
queen consort with the king's ear. She used her mother's

(04:11):
teaching to help lead a series of brutal wars, but
life in this era was unstable and her proximity to
power didn't last long. Sienna's daughter was killed and laid
to rest in three seventeen BCE alongside her. Despite the
fact that Sienna died in an ancient kingdom, the legend
of her strength and her fearlessness lives on. All month,

(04:34):
We're talking about Adversaries. For more information, find us on
Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan,
my favorite sister and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow