Women and History

IES Alfredo Kraus 

WOMEN 

AND HISTORY 

Geografía e Historia 

1º ESO E 

2º ESO BC 

2º ESO E

Baddo 

I was born in the 6 th century 

I died in the 6 th century 

My name is Baddo, I was not born in a noble family. 

I met king Recadero and we became lovers, then we had 

a son called Liuva, the future king Liuva II. 

While I was with Recaredo he tried to marry a French 

princess. 

In any case, what made me famous was that I was in the 

3rd Council of Toledo in 589 and I was the only queen 

there. Recaredo and me converted to Catholicism. 

Afterwards the whole of Spain Visigoth was converted to 

Catholicism. Following that I disappeared from history. 

Aarón Bouyafsakh Garrobo 2º ESO BC

Agrippina the Elder 

I was born in 14 BC 

I died in 33 AD 

I’m Agrippina, and I want to be seen as a woman, as a 

beloved wife, as a mother, and as a general in the Roman 

army. Everything I've done in my life is good! 

My full name is Vipsania Agrippina, although I am known as 

Agrippina the Elder, and I am Roman royalty. My 

grandfather, Augustus was an emperor and my mother, 

Julia, was his only biological child. My father is Agrippa and 

I have two elder brothers: Gaius and Lucius. 

After my father’s death, my mother married Tiberius 

(Augustus’ stepson) and my brothers and I were raised by 

our grandmother, (the empress of Rome), Livia. 

I grew up at the absolute centre of power, wealth and 

privilege in the Roman empire. Unlike most of the other 

people who lived there, I had Julian blood in my veins, as I 

was a biological descendant of the semi-divine Augustus and 

the divine Julius Cesar, so I knew that after the death of my 

brothers my hand in marriage would be the key to becoming 

an emperor. I would be the next Livia! 

I was married to my second cousin Germanicus, the heir of 

the Roman Empire. I followed him to Germany, where I 

showed my strong character. When I was heavily pregnant, 

I prevented the destruction of the Rhine bridge to allow the 

retreat of the Roman legions from the other side of the 

Rhine. I was a General of Rome! 

Piso, a Roman senator, and his wife killed Germanicus 

because Tiberius ordered them to. They feared the 

popularity of Germanicus. Finally, I and all my children, 

except for Caligula, died horribly in exile after years of 

suffering. But my youngest son, Caligula, became the next 

emperor of Rome! 

Alicia Pereda Bordejé 

1º ESO E

Urraca I 

I was born in 1079 

I died in 1126 

I was the eldest and only surviving child of Alonso VI of León 

with his second wife Constance of Burgundy, this made me 

heiress of the Kingdoms of Castile and León until 1107, when 

my father recognized his illegitimate son Sancho as his heir. 

My place in the line of succession made me the focus of 

dynastic politics, and I became a child bride at age eight (1087) 

to Raymond of Burgundy, a mercenary adventurer. My 

marriage to Raymond was part of Alfonso VI's diplomatic 

strategy to attract cross-Pyrenees alliances. Author Bernard F. 

Reilly suggests that, rather than a betrothal, when I was 8 years 

old I was fully wedded to Raymond of Burgundy as he almost 

immediately appears in protocol documents as Alfonso VI's 

son-in-law, a distinction that would not have been made 

without the marriage. Reilly doubts that the marriage was 

consummated until I was 13, as I was placed under the 

protective guardianship of a trusted magnate. My pregnancy 

and stillbirth pregnancy at age 14 suggest that the marriage 

was indeed consummated when I was 13 or 14 years old. 

In addition to this stillborn child, I gave birth to two more 

children by Raymond: a daughter, Sancha Raimúndez (born 

after 11 November 1095 and before 1102) And a son, Alfonso 

Raimúndez, who would become Alfonso VII (born 1 March 

1105). Raymond died in 1107, leaving me alone with two small 

children to take care of. 

I married Alfonso VI after the death of Raymond. In 1110 I 

accused him of physical abuse. In addition to his physical abuse 

we had a falling-out over his execution of one of the rebels who 

had surrendered to me, the queen, I was inclined to be merciful. 

Additionally, as I was married to someone many in the kingdom 

objected to, my son and heir became a rallying point for 

opponents to the marriage. 

Finally, as queen, I rose to the challenges presented to me and 

my solutions were pragmatic ones according to Reilly. I laid the 

foundation for the reign of my son Alfonso VII, who, in spite of the 

opposition of my lover Pedro González de Lara, succeeded to the 

throne of a kingdom whole and at peace at my death in 1126. 

Ainhoa Rodríguez Alburquerque 

2º ESO BC

Olympias of Epirus 

I was born in 375 b.c.e. 

I died in 315 b.c.e. 

I’m Olympias, also known as Polyxenia, Myrtale and Stratonice. 

My birth name was Myrtale, and I was the daughter of 

Neoptololemus, the late king of Epirus, a place located to the 

southwest of Macedonia. 

Everybody knew me as an ambitious and violent ruler, but was 

just a survivor, in a time when to be a ruler meant to kill or to 

be killed. I was a woman, a daughter, a wife, and a ruler, but 

the most important fact in my life was that I was the mother of 

Alexander the Great. 

My son learnt the art of warfare from his father, Phillip II of 

Macedonia, but I was the most influential person in his life. 

From me he not only inherited my love of learning, but also a 

fiery nature, a strong character, and a thirst for blood. I was the 

driving force behind Alexander’s rise to the throne of 

Macedonia. 

I ordered the killing of Phillip II, the killing of his new wife, 

Cleopatra-Eurydice, the killing of her son, and the killing 

hundreds of Macedonians who were loyal to Cassander, my 

rival. I’m not a naïve woman. 

At the end, when my son Alexander died far away from Hellas, 

I could not succeed. Alexander´s wife, Roxanne, his son 

Alexander IV, and I were killed by order of Cassander. 

Andrés Pereda Bordejé 

1º ESO E

Leonor Lopez de Córdoba 



I was born in 1336 in Calatayud (Zaragoza) .My father was a servant of 

the king Pedro I of Castile and my mother was niece of Alfonso XI of 

Castile. Me and my family were members of the upper class. 

I married Ruy Gutiérrez of Hinestrosa (son of Juán Fernández of 

Hinestrosa) at the young age of seven in order to join the power of both 

our families. My family, was now a very privileged one until Enrique II of 

Castile began reigning. This new king killed some members of my family. 

I and my husband were put in prison from 1371 to 1379, our personal 

things were also taken from us. 

After I was released, the king returned my personal things. My family 

was considered ungrateful and we suffered constant humiliation, 

therefore I moved to Córdoba. 

In Córdoba, I helped Catalina of Lancáster reign until her son was 18 

years old. When Juan II of Castile (son of Catalina de Lancáster) began 

to reign, he valued my opinion more than the others. Because of this, I 

got a great fortune again. 

After some good years, Inés of Torres came to the court and removed 

Juan II the throne from. Because of this, I was banished from the court. 

I finally died in July of 1430. 

Ángel González Arinero 

2º ESO E

Urraca the Asturian 



I was born in Pelúgano (Asturias). I was an illegitimate 

child, as my father, King Alfonso VII of León, had an affair 

with my mother, Gontrodo, whilst the king was still 

married to Berengaria of Barcelona. 

My maternal grandparents were members of the highest 

ranks of the Asturian nobility, as my maternal 

grandfather, Pedro Díaz de Valle, was a descendant of 

several counts, and my mother, María Ordóñez, was a 

direct descendant of Prince Ordoño Ramírez. 

My mother joined a convent a year after I was born, and 

I was raised in the court by my paternal aunt, Princess 

Sancha Raimúndez. 

My first marriage was in León on the 24 th of June in 1144 

to King García Ramírez of Navarre. When my husband 

died, I married Álvaro Rodríguez de Castro. 

My second husband rebelled against his half-brother, 

King Fernando II, and tried to make Asturias an 

independent kingdom. He did not succeeded. 

Carla Robles Caballero 

2º ESO BC

Diotima of Mantinea 

I was born in 5 th century BCE 

I died in 5 th century BCE 

My name Is Diotima, that means “Zeus Honor”. I was from 

Matinea, a Peloponnesian city (Greece) that was an ally of 

Sparta in the Peloponnesian Wars. 

I was a philosopher, a priestess, and also I was the teacher of 

Socrates. I had a very important role in Plato’s philosophical 

text Symposium, as my ideas are the origin of the concept of 

Platonic love. 

My knowledge had origins in ancient wisdom based on the 

observation of the nature. I mixed religious activities with 

teaching and medicine. 

My main hypothesis of love was about the desire for eternity. I 

said that the body stayed on Earth after death, but the spirit 

went to the heaven. I believed in two kinds of love: the physical 

and the spiritual. 

Daniel Chazarra Moreno 

1º ESO E

Dido 

I was born in the 9 th century BC 

I died in the 9 th century BC 

In Greece and Rome, they know me as the founder and first 

Queen of Carthage, which is now known as Tunisia. I am 

famous because I am included in the famous Virgil’s story, 

Aeneid, where my love with Eneas and my death are narrated. 

I am the daughter of the King of Tire, Matan I. I have two 

brothers. One of them, Pygmalion inherited my father’s throne. 

My brother Pygmalion coveted treasures that Siqueo, priest of 

the Temple of Melkart in Tire had. He forced me to marry him 

and never to reveal the hidden interest of this marriage. I 

learned where the treasures were, but never told my brother 

the truth, I told him that they were under the altar when in fact 

they were in the garden of the temple. That same night Siqueo 

was found dead at the hands of thugs sent by my brother, who 

were digging under the altar. I rushed to dig up the treasure in 

the garden with my sister Ana and a group of maids who were 

Siqueo’s friends. 

I arrived at the coast of Africa where they lived a tribe of Libyan 

whose king was Jarbas. I asked hospitality and a piece of land 

to settle down with my entourage. Jarbas offered me as much 

land as I could cover with an ox skin. So I cut the skin into thin 

strips and covers an extensive perimeter building a fortress 

that became known as Birsa, which later became Carthage 

(Phoenician meant "New City"). He instituted as sovereign of 

Carthage was when I received the name of Dido. 

With his devastated homeland, the Trojans reach Carthage 

diverted from its course because of a storm and guided by their 

leader Aeneas who asked for hospitality. Venus, mother of 

Aeneas, wanted her son to reign next to me and sent Cupid to 

make us fall in love with each other. 

Although I swore to stay true to my late husband Siqueo, soon 

fell in love with Aeneas. 

However, commanded by Jupiter, Aeneas had to follow his true 

path to Italy and part of Carthage. Despite the pain, I try to 

forget him, but the grief is so great that I decide to kill myself 

digging a dagger in my chest and cursing the abandonment of 

Eneas. 

Javier Blanco Calzado 

1º ESO E



Christine de Pizan 

I was a philosopher, a poet and a the first professional writer in 

history. My best known work is the City of the Ladies. 

I was the daughter of Thomas de Pizan, a physic and astrologer. 

My father accepted an appointment to the court of King Charles 

V of France as the real astrologer, alchemist and physicist. 

I was successfully educated in a self-taught way. 

I married with Étienne du Castel when I was 15 years old, I 

decided to keep my family as a professional writer; My 

popularity increased and I was soon supported by many 

medieval nobles, including the Dukes of Burgundy. 

Diego Vaquero Fernández 

2º ESO E

Eleanor of Aquitaine 



I was the queen consort of France and England and 

Duchess of Aquitaine in my own right. As I was a member 

of the Ramnulfids rulers in southwestern France, I was 

one of the most powerful and wealthiest women in 

western Europe during the High Middle Ages. I was patron 

of literary figures such as Wace, Benoit de Sainte-Maure, 

and Bernart de Ventadorn. 

As Duchess of Aquitaine, I was the most eligible bride in 

Europe. Three months after becoming duchess upon the 

death of my father, William X, I married king Louis VI. As 

queen of France, I participated in the unsuccessful Second 

Crusade. 

Soon afterwards, I sought an annulment of my marriage, 

but my request was rejected by Pope Eugene III. However, 

after the birth of my second daughter Alix, my husband 

agreed to an annulment, since in fifteen years of marriage 

I didn’t produce a son. My daughters were declared 

legitimate and custody was awarded to Louis, while the 

lands were restored to me. As soon as the annulment was 

granted, I married the Duke of Normandy in 1152, eight 

weeks after the annulment of my first marriage. Over the 

next thirteen years, I bore Henry eight children: five sons, 

three of whom became kings, and three daughters. 

However, my new husband and me eventually became 

estranged. Henry imprisoned me in 1173 for supporting 

our son also named Henry´s revolt against him. I wasn’t 

released until the 6th of July 1189, when Henry died and 

our second son, Richard the Lionheart, ascended the 

throne. 

As Queen, I acted as regent while Richard went on the 

Third Crusade; on his return Richard was captured and 

held prisoner. I lived well into the reign of my youngest 

son, John. I outlived all my children except for John and 

Eleanor. 

Elena Pérez Iglesias 

2º ESO BC

Hélöise 



Hello, I am Heloise and I am going to write my autobiography. 

I was born in France, and I lived during the reigns of the English 

kings Henry I, Stephen I and Henry II. I was the niece of Abbot 

Fulbert, the Canon of Notre Dame. I was a philosopher, 

Medieval scholar, Prioress at the Convent of Saint Mary in 

Argenteuil and Abbess of Paraclete. 

I was educated at the Convent of Saint Mary in Argenteuil, and 

I studied philosophy, theology, and literature in Paris. The 

Abbot Fulbert arranged for me to continue my studies with 

Peter Abelard, who had been given board at the home of Abbot 

Fulbert and was a brilliant scholar and teacher at the 

University of Paris. 

I secretly married Peter Abelard and we had a son. My uncle 

took revenge, and Peter Abelard was attacked and castrated. 

Then, became a monk and I became a nun. 

Peter Abelard and I became famous after our sad story was 

sung by minstrels and troubadours of the Middle Ages. 

David García Matilla 

2º ESO E

Hatshepsut 

I was born in 1507 BCE 

I died in 1458 BCE 

My name means ``foremost of noble women´´. I am the 

fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, the 

older of two daughters born to Thutmose I and his 

queen, Ahmes. I am the second historically confirmed 

female pharaoh and the first to attain the full power of 

the position. Cleopatra, who also exercised such power, 

would rule some 14 centuries later than me. 

I came to the throne of Egypt in 1478 BCE. I became 

queen of Egypt when I married my half- brother, 

Thutmose II, around the age of 12. Me and Thutmose II 

had a daughter named Neferure, but after having our 

daughter, I could not birth anymore children. When 

Thutmose II died, I began acting as regent for my 

stepson, the infant Thutmose III. I extended Egyptian 

trade and oversaw ambitious building projects. 

I am generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the 

most successful pharaohs, reigning longer than any other 

woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty. According to 

Egyptologist James Henry Breasted I am also known as 

"the first great woman in history of who we are 

informed.". 

María Fernanda Rodríguez Ríos 

1º ESO E

Lady Godiva 



I am a character from a Middle Ages English myth. My 

name means "Gift of God". 

I was married to Leofric, Earl of Mercia, who was a greedy 

man. 

According to the typical version of the story,[20][21] 

Lady Godiva took pity on the people of Coventry, who 

were suffering grievously under her husband's 

oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva appealed again and 

again to her husband. At last, weary of her entreaties, he 

said he would grant her request if she would strip naked 

and ride on a horse through the streets of the town. 

I asked everyone to stay at home with their blinds down 

while I was doing it, and everybody did. Except for a man, 

who was looking through the window and ended up 

being blind. 

Laura Martil Fombellida 

2º ESO BC

Goswintha 


I died in 589 

During the second half of the sixth century, four different 

Visigoth kings ruled the Iberian Peninsula. 

I was born between the years 525 and 530. By the year 

545 I had married Atanagildo, who belonged to a 

illustrious family of the kingdom. After my wedding, my 

husband outlined himself as a possible successor to the 

late King Teudisclo, but Liuva was chosen as the new 

king. I was not happy so Atanagildo dethroned him with 

the help of the Byzantine emperor Justinian. I had two 

daughters with Atanagildo: Brunegilda, first queen of 

France and Galswinta. 

After the death of Atanagildo in 567, Liuva rose to power 

for four years. This Visigothic king linked to power his 

brother Leovigildo, who would reign alone from 582 after 

the death of Liuva. During that period, I married 

Leovigildo, the actual king. 

In 586 King Leovigildo died and our son Recaredo 

ascended the throne. Some years later, after he 

converted to Catholicism, I tried to kill him but I couldn’t 

and I committed suicide. 

Samuel Jiménez Hernández 

2º ESO BC

Helvia 

I was born in the 1 st century 

I died in the 1 st century 

I am a woman born in Urgayo (Jaén). I belong to the 

Helvia family. 

I married a man older than me as was the custom of the 

time. After getting married I moved to Cordoba where 

my three children were born. One of my children is the 

famous philosopher Seneca. 

I am a woman interested in philosophy, I have been a 

great support in the formation of my children. In this 

time woman have more access to culture than they will 

in later times. However, because of my husband I 

withdrew from my philosophy studies and I dedicated 

myself to the care of my family. 

We only have information about me through a work of my 

son Seneca “Consolation to Helvia”, where he writes that 

he is grateful for her role as a mother and her 

management of the family economy. He recommends that 

people follow my example. In less than a year I was 

widowed, my son died, and Seneca was banished to 

Rome. 

Gonzalo Pérez Collar 1º ESO E

I was born in 392 AD 


Galla Placidia 

I was born in Constantinople and I was the fruit of the second 

marriage of Emperor Theodosius I and Galla, my mother. 

The maneuvers of my mother who favoured us, their children, 

soon aroused jealousy in court, especially among the 

supporters of Arcadius, who was the eldest son of emperor 

Theodosius. After Theososius defeated the usurper Eugenius, 

Arcadius simply detested me, a situation that caused my 

withdrawal from Constantinople. When Theodosius died in 

395, I remained with Serena, the wife of Stilicho the Vandal, 

who was magister militum of the Western Roman Empire. She 

took care of my education while I lived in the palaces of Rome 

and Milan. 

Stilicho and Serena had a clear interest in linking their children 

with the imperial family, and so they arranged the wedding of 

Honorius, the second child of Theodosius, with his daughter 

Maria in 398. Also, in anticipation of Honorius dying soon 

without leaving an heir, around the year 400 I was engaged 

with his son Eucherius. He was later paired with Theodosius’ 

niece Serena, and I bore the noble title of birth that allowed 

me to transmit imperial dignity, to which was added the 

qualification of Augusta. 

When I was twenty years old I was imprisoned by the Visigoths 

of Alaric, who at that moment threatened the city of Rome. I 

accompanied the retinue of Alaric when he went to Southern 

Italy with the intention of embarking to North Africa, a plan he 

made before his death. The successor of Alaric, his brother- inlaw 

Ataulph, moved his army to Gaul taking me with him. 

I married Ataulph in Narbonne in January 414, and after he 

was killed in 415, I returned to Rome and married Constantius 

III, who was co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire with 

my half-brother Honorius. 

I am famous for having adorned Ravenna with many churches, 

specially the small chapel usually known as my mausoleum, that 

contains some of the finest examples of early Byzantine 

mosaics. 

Inés Martín Martínez 

1º ESO E

Inés de Castro 



My name is Inés de Castro, I am famous because of my family. 

I am a Galician noblewoman, known as lover and 

posthumously-recognized wife of King Peter I of Portugal. 

The dramatic circumstances of my relationship with Peter I, 

which was forbidden by my father King Afonso IV, my murder 

at the orders of Afonso, Peter's bloody revenge on her killers, 

and the legend of the coronation of my exhumed corpse by 

Peter, have made me a frequent subject of art, music, and 

drama through the ages. 

I went to Portugal in 1340 as a maid of Constance of Castile, 

recently married to Peter, the heir apparent to the Portuguese 

throne. Moreover, Peter's love for me brought the exiled 

Castilian nobility very close to power, with my brothers 

becoming the prince's friends and trusted advisors. 

King Afonso IV of Portugal, Peter's father, disliked my influence 

on my son and waited for our mutual infatuation to wear off, 

but it did not. Constance of Castile died in 1345. Afonso IV tried 

several times to arrange for his son to be remarried, but Pedro 

refused to take a wife other than me, who was not deemed 

eligible to be queen. Peter's legitimate son, future King 

Ferdinand I of Portugal, was a frail child, whereas Peter and 

Inés's illegitimate children were thriving; this created even 

more discomfort among the Portuguese nobles, who feared 

the increasing Castilian influence over Peter. 

Afonso IV banished me from the court after Constance's death, 

but Peter remained with me declaring me as his true love. After 

several attempts to keep us apart, Afonso IV ordered my death. 

Pêro Coelho, Álvaro Gonçalves, and Diogo Lopes Pacheco went 

to the Monastery of Santa Claraa-Velha in Coimbra, where I 

was detained, and killed me, decapitating me in front of my 

small child. When Peter heard of this, he sought out the killers 

and managed to capture two of them in 1361. 

Iker Pérez García 

2º BC

Boudicca 


I died in 60-61 AD 

My name is Boudicca, which means victory. I belonged to a 

Celtic family that lived in a part of what now a days is the United 

Kingdom. In 48 AD (when I was 18) I married the king of 

Prasutegus who was monarch of the Icenos and was an ally of 

the Romans. We were in a happy marriage and we had two 

daughters. 

Everything was going well until the death of my husband. When 

he died, in his testament he said that he was going to give 

almost everything to my daughters. He didn´t remember that 

he had a pact with the Romans that obligated him to give them 

territories when he died in exchange for military help with our 

enemies. I wasn´t going to do that. 

Months later the Romans claimed all our kingdom, I said no 

again so the Romans got angry and captured all our nobles and 

they killed them or sold them as slaves. They also tortured me, 

so I decided to fight against the Romans. All the other tribes 

stopped the wars between them and joined me against the 

Romans. 

My first objective was killing the people responsible for all the 

torture. He lived in a military colony, so we decided to besiege 

the camp and we did it successfully, even though we killed 

everyone in the city, days later everyone knew what had 

happened, when we arrived in Londinium, nowadays called 

London, all the city was empty so I burned it all. 

Our next objective was Verulamiun, all the inhabitants ran 

away when they saw us. The Romans were angry with us so 

they made us fight face to face. We had much more soldier 

than the Romans but they defeated us, I escaped from the 

battlefield. I was sure the Romans were going to capture and 

torture me, so I committed suicide with my two daughters. 

Jimena Simón Gil 

1º ESO E

Livia Drusilla 

I was born in 59 BC 


I am known as Livia Drusa Augusta, Livia Drusilla or Julia 

Augusta. 

I was the daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus and 

my mother was Alfidia. 

I got married to my cousin, Tiberius Claudius Nero, and we 

had two sons, named Tiberius and Drusus the Elder. 

One day after my divorce was announced, I married 

Augustus, who had fallen in love with me while I was still 

married. We did not have children. 

Caesar Augustus became emperor of Rome, and I was 

always at his side because I was his trusted advisor. 

I was a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a greatgrandmother 

of emperors, I became important to Rome. I 

ruled the Roman Empire from the background. 

Laura Nieto Esperalta 

1º ESO E

Olga of Kiev 

The exact year I was born is disputed 

I died the 11 th of July 969 in Kiev 

My name is Olga of Kiev. I was a Pskov woman of 

Varangian origin. 

I married Igor of Kiev and we had a son, Sviatoslav 

I of Kiev. 

Igor was killed by the Drevlianys in 945, I ruled 

Kievan Rus as regent on behalf of my son 

Svyatoslav. The Drevlianys wanted me to marry 

Prince Mal, making him the sovereign of the Rus of 

Kiev, but I was determined to stay in power and 

preserve it for my son. My soldiers killed most of 

them. 

I was the first sovereign of the Russians to convert 

to Orthodox Christianity. 

I was also the first person of the Rus people to be 

proclaimed saint, thanks to the efforts I made to 

spread Christianity in my country. I did not manage 

to convert my son, so the task of making 

Christianity the state religion would be fulfilled by 

my grandson and pupil St.Vladimir of Kiev. 

Lucía Martín Martínez 

2º ESO E

Murasaki Shikibu 



My real name is Fujiwara no Takako or in Japonese: 紫式部 In 

Spanish that means “Dama Murasaki”. I was born in Heian-kyō 

in 978. 

I was a Japonese novelist and poet at the Imperial court during 

the Heian period. I am the daughter of Fujiwara no Tametoki, 

who also was a famous author. I married a man called Fujiwara 

no Nobutaka and I had Daini no Sanmi, a girl who in time also 

became a writer. 

My most famous book is Genji Monogatari which I wrote in 

1967. The real title is 源氏物語 . The book is about Prince Genji, 

there are 54 chapters which talk about his entire love life, his 

recovery of imperial power and the life of his children after his 

death. This story is recognized as the first novel, or at least, the 

first novel in the modern sense as since the first century a 

tradition of Greek novel already existed. 

I also wrote more books such as: 

• The diary of Murasaki Shikibu. ( 紫式部日記 ) 

• Diares of Court Ladies of Old Japan. 

• A String of Flowers. 

• La storia di Genji. 

Finally I died in Kioto, Japan in 1014. 

Lucía Hernández García 

2º ESO BC

Mary the Jewess 

Date of birth and death unknown 

My name is Mary the Jewess, also known as Mary 

the Hebrew or Miriam the Prophetess, I was the first 

female alchemist. I lived between the 1st century 

and the 3rd century AD in Alexandria. I am 

considered the "founder of alchemy" and a great 

contributor to practical science. 

My identity is somewhat obscured. Some associate 

me with María Magdalena. The alchemists of the 

past believed that I was Miriam, the sister of Moses 

and the prophet Aaron, but the evidence supporting 

this claim is scarce. 

People know I existed thanks to Zosimo Panopolis, a 

scholar alchemist of Alexandria who in the IV century 

AD compiled the teachings of many earlier initiates 

to form what became an encyclopedia of Hermetic 

art. 

I was a respected laboratory worker who invented 

complicated devices for the distillation and 

sublimation of chemical materials, as well as the 

famous Water Bath: 

The tribikos was a kind of three-armed still that was 

used to obtain purified substances through 

distillation. It consisted of a clay vessel containing 

the liquid that was to be distilled, and a dish for the 

condensation of the steam (the 'ambix' or 'alembic') 

from which three copper spouts, and glass jars to 

receive the liquid. A leak or rim inside the mantera 

collected the distillate and took it to the spigots. 

The kerotakis is the most important of my 

inventions; it is a reflux device used to heat 

substances used in alchemy and collect their vapors. 

It is an airtight container with a sheet of copper 

suspended in its upper part so that the apparatus 

works correctly, all the joints have to be adjusted to 

the vacuum. The use of such containers in the 

hermetic arts gave rise to the expression 

"hermetically sealed". 

Marco Antonio Zavaleta Huarcaya 

1º ESO E

Fatimah bint Muhammed 



My name means "numerology, definition, origin, popularity 

and very interesting information" I'm Muhammed’s 

youngest daughter. My name is the most popular in the 

Muslim world and I participated in several very important 

political actions in the Muslim world. 

My father, Muhammed, was the founder of Islam and 

considered a prophet by Muslims. 

During my childhood I was attended to and cared for 

personally by my mother, normally families sent their 

newborn babies with wet nurses. I spent my youth under the 

protection of my parents. Many of my father's friends asked 

me for my hand in marriage, but my father denied them all 

because he was waiting for a sign from destiny. Ali, my 

father's cousin, also asked for my hand in marriage, and 

finally I married him, and we had three sons and two 

daughters. 

I received many titles from Muslims, which showed their 

admiration for my physical and moral characteristics. I spent 

most of my time dedicating myself to prayer, other acts of 

worship and reciting the Koran. 

Before my death, Muhammad called me and said that he 

was going to die soon, I told him that I would be the next 

member of the family to die. After the death of my father, I 

was disconsolate and remained in that state until I died six 

months later, during Ramadan. 

Two of my sons and two of my daughters survived to carry 

on the dynasty, a third son died of natural causes. 

María Castaño Timón 

2º ESO E

Hypatia 

I was born between 350-370 AD 


I was the first woman to make a substantial contribution to 

the development of mathematics. 

I was the daughter of a mathematician and philosopher Theon 

of Alexandria, he taught me some mathematics. 

It is rather remarkable that I became head of the Platonist 

school of Alexandria in about 400 AD. 

I based my teachings on those of Plotinus, the founder of 

Neoplatonism, and Iamblichus who was a developer of 

Neoplatonism around 300 AD. 

I taught these philosophical ideas with a greater scientific 

emphasis than earlier followers of Neoplatonism. 

I came to symbolise learning and science which the early 

Christians identified with paganism. However, among the 

pupils who I taught in Alexandria there were many prominent 

Christians. 

In 412 AD Cyril became patriarch of Alexandria. However, the 

Roman prefect of Alexandria was Orestes and Cyril and 

Orestes became bitter political rivals as church and state 

fought for control. I was a friend of Orestes and this, together 

with prejudice against my philosophical views which were 

seen by Christians to be pagan, led to me becoming the focal 

point of riots between Christians and non-Christians. 

Miguel Romero Gábana 

1º ESO E

Lucretia 

My birth date is unknown 

I died in 510 b. C. 

Sextus Tarquinius was the son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the 

last king of Rome who was engaged in the siege of Ardea at the 

time. One day, Sextus invited his friends for supper and drinks at 

his house. Among his guests was Tarquinius Collatinus, one of his 

distant kinsmen. The men started talking about their wives and, 

fueled by wine, each of them praised his own wife excessively. 

Collatinus finally declared that no one was more worthy than me. 

As his friends scoffed, Collatinus invited them to ride their horses 

to his house and see for themselves what his wife was doing at 

home. The men agreed and they all went on horseback to the city. 

They visited each of their houses and found every single one of 

their wives getting ready for a night out. Finally, they arrived at the 

house of Collatinus and found Lucretia, with her servants, working 

on her spinning in the middle of her house. It was then that Sextus 

was said to have been seduced both by my beauty and virtue. 

A few days later, Sextus returned to the house of Collatinus. 

Collatinus was, at this time, away at Ardea. I received him 

graciously and granted him the hospitality according to his status 

as the son of the king. Sextus waited until everyone else was 

asleep before taking up his sword and went to my bedroom. 

Placing his sword against me, Sextus woke me with a low voice 

and declared his love for me. After begging, threatening and 

exhausting every method of seducing me, who would rather die 

than submit to him, Sextus finally said, “when I have killed you, I 

will put next to you the body of a nude slave. Everyone will say 

that you were killed during a dishonorable act of adultery.” With 

this final threat, Sextus succeeded. After he raped me, he left. 

Distraught, I sent messengers to my husband and my father, 

Spurius Lucretius – prefect of Rome, asking them each to come at 

once with a good friend, because a terrible thing had happened in 

my husband’s house. Spurius Lucretius came with Publius Valerius 

and Collatinus came with Lucius Junius Brutus. When I saw them, I 

began to cry. I told them what had happened to me and charged 

them to avenge my honor. After promising me that they would 

pursue Sextus, they tried to appease my sorrow by saying what 

had happened to me was not my fault. I said, Nec ulla deinde 

inpudica Lucretiae exemplo vivet. (“Not in time to come shall ever 

unchaste woman live through the example of Lucretia”) Then, as 

the men looked at each other in despair and confusion, I took up a 

dagger and plunged it into my heart. I died amid the cries of my 

husband and father. 

Nathalie Montserrat Peña López 

1º ESO E

I was born on the 20 th of June 1211 

I died on the 2 nd of March in 1282 

Saint Agnes of Prague 

I’m also known as Agnes of Bohemia. I was a 

medieval Bohemian princess who opted for a life of 

charity, mortification of the flesh and piety over a life of 

luxury and comfort. Although I was venerated soon after 

my death, I was not beatified or canonized for over 700 

years. There is a feast in my honor is the 2 nd of March 

and I’m the patron saint of the Czech Republic. 

I was the daughter of King Ottokar I of Bohemia. My 

mother was Constance of Hungary, who was the sister of 

King Andrew II of Hungary, so I was a first cousin to St. 

Elizabeth of Hungary. When I was eight, I was betrothed 

to Henry, son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick 

II. Henry was ten years old and had just been 

crowned King of Germany. 

I was sent to the court of Duke Leopold VI of Babenberg. 

Leopold, however, wanted the young Henry to marry his 

own daughter, Margaret. After being betrothed for six 

years, our betrothal contract was cancelled. Like other 

noble women of my time, I was a valuable political pawn. 

In 1226, my father Ottokar went to war against the 

Babenbergs as a result of the cancelled betrothal. 

Ottokar then planned for me to marry Henry III of 

England, but this was vetoed by the Emperor, who 

wanted to marry me himself. 

I was beatified in 1874 by Pope Pius IX, and then I was 

canonized on the 12 th of November of 1989 by Pope 

John Paul II in the Vatican city 

Óscar Molinero Atienza 

2º ESO BC

Blanche I of Navarre 



My name is Blanche I of Navarre. My father was called Carlos III of 

Navarre and was nicknamed The Noble, I don´t know why, and my 

mother was Leonor of Trastámara. In fact, I am French but that 

doesn´t matter. On the 21 of May 1402 (when I was 39) I “married” 

Martin the Younger, king of Sicily, I say “marry” because on our 

wedding I wasn´t there. Strange no? 

For me it was very weird, but everyone seemed so confident that in 

the end I didn´t care. That same year on December I arrived in Sicily. 

On December 26 my real wedding took place, personally I wasn´t very 

happy with my new husband. My father complained to the court of 

Sicily and two years later they gave me the territories that they should 

have given me on my wedding day, the territories weren´t more than 

four small cities. 

in 1405 Martin went to Aragón so he made me queen of Sicily. My 

reign was a little bit difficult, I had some problems because the 

Sicilians didn´t like me but they ended up getting used to me. I reigned 

with help of a council. In 1406 I had my first son who would be king 

of Aragon, he died eight months later. It was 1409 and my husband 

was going on another expedition in Sardinia so he made me queen 

again, he never returned from this expedition, he died from malaria. 

I was going to marry Louis VII of Bavaria, but our wedding was 

canceled. A few months later they had organized me a wedding with 

Eduardo I of Bar, that made me be very happy, but unexpectedly he 

died on the battle of Agincourt. I continued reigning in Sicily, the 

Sicilians liked me a lot, they considered me a symbol of independent 

Sicily (the Aragonese had conquered Sicily and Sicilians hated them) 

they tried to marry me with a descendant of Federico III of Sicily and 

also with a son of Juan I of Portugal, Juan wanted to conquer Sicily. 

My older sister Juana of Navarre died so I was the successor of the 

kingdom of Navarre, my father made me return with him. In 1415 I 

returned with my father. 

When I arrived in Navarre my father made me princess of Navarre. In 

1420 I married Juan II of Aragón. I had a son with Juan called Carlos, 

my dad made him prince of Viana. We also had two daughters, 

Blanche II of Navarre and Leonor I of Navarre. It was 1429 and I was 

crowned as queen of Navarre. My daughter Blanche II of Navarre was 

going to marry Enrique IV of Castile. I was doing a pilgrimage to 

sanctuary of Guadalupe when I died. 

Pablo Simón Gil 

2º ESO E

Mary Beard 


I am still alive 

My name is Mary Beard and I was born in Much Wenlock, 

United Kingdom. I am an English scholar and classicist. I am a 

professor of classics at the University of Cambridge, a fellow 

of Newnham College and also a Royal Academy of arts 

professor of Ancient literature. I´m the editor of The Times 

Literary Supplement where I write my blog that is called ``A 

Don´s Life´´. 

I´m an only child who was born on 1 January 1955. My 

mother, Joyce Emily Beard, was a headmistress and an 

enthusiastic reader; and my father, Roy Whitbread Beard, 

worked as an architect in Shrewsbury. I studied at Shrewsbury 

High School. When I was eighteen, I sat for my entrance exam, 

which was compulsory, to win a place in Newnham college. I 

developed feminist views, because there were many places, 

(for example that college), where people didn´t let women 

participate. 

I got married in 1985 with an art historian and classicist called 

Robin Cormack. My daughter is called Zoe and right now she is 

a historian of South Sudan and my son is called Raphael, he is 

a scholar of Egyptian literature. 

I have done lots of things during my career. Between 1979 

and 1983, I lectured in classics at King´s College, London. 

During 1992, I worked as the classical editor of The Times 

Literary Supplement. In 2012, I wrote and presented the three 

part television series, Meet the romans with Mary Beard, but 

the critics A. A. Gill thought that I was too ugly for television. 

But finally I was accepted the way I am. I was also abused 

online, mostly on twitter, but I answered the critics with 

reason and optimism. 

There are many books written by myself in bookshops and 

libraries. I´ve written books like, for example: Rome in the Late 

Republic, The Colosseum, The Roman Triumph, The Invention 

of Jane Harrison, The Good Working Mother´s Guide… Most of 

my books talk about things referring to Italy, but more exactly 

to Rome, its capital city. 

Patricia Carrillo Serrano (1ºE)

Petronilla of Aragón 



My name is Petronilla, I was born on the 29th of June in 

1136 in Huesca and I died on the 15th of October in 1173. 

My father was Ramiro II of Aragon and my mother was 

Ines of Poitou and I lived in the real Aragon house. 

I was conceived to give continuity to the dynasty of 

Aragon. When the king Alfonso I the Battler died my 

father was proclaimed king, they called him ¨the monk¨ 

and he married my mother. A year later they signed 

marriage capitulations with the Count of Barcelona in 

Barabastro (regulating the Potestas regia) saying that 

when I got older I would marry Ramón Berenguer IV and 

thus the Kingdom of Aragon and the county of Barcelona 

would be unified. I was educated in the court of 

Barcelona. During this period the crown of León pressed 

me to marry Alfonso VII of León or his son, Sancho El 

Deseado, in order to unite the crowns of León and Aragon, 

giving me the name Magpie. In the end I didn’t marry any 

of them. 

My wedding with Ramón Berenguer IV was celebrated 

thirteen years later in Lérida, in the month of August 

1150, when I reached the age required by the canon law, 

to consummate the marriage, fourteen years. In March 

1157 was born in Huesca our son called Alfonso II in honor 

to Alfonso I. 

After the death of my hasband in 1162, I abdicated in my 

son the Kingdom of Aragon and the county of Barcelona 

in document dated July 18, 1164, after I gave up the crown 

and second marriage, I lived privately and holyly for the 

rest of my years. Finally I was buried in the Cathedral of 

Barcelona. 

Our next objective was Verulamiun, all the inhabitants ran 

away when they saw us. The Romans were angry with us 

so they made us fight face to face. We had much more 

soldier than the Romans, but they defeated us, I escaped 

from the battlefield. I was sure the Romans were going to 

capture and torture me, so I committed suicide with my 

two daughters. 

Paula Latorre Aldabas 

2º ESO BC

Pilar Acosta Martínez 



I was a Spanish archaeologist who specialized in rock art. I was 

the daughter of José Acosta and Presentación Martínez. They 

were my parents and my teachers. 

I stood out for my restlessness to learn and study. I studied in 

Tíjola at the school of nuns of the sisters of charity of San 

Vicente of Paúl, and then I continued studying at the institute 

of Teaching Half of Almeria, Isabel the Catholic of Madrid and 

Ángel Ganivet of Granada, I finished with good qualifications. 

I studied history in the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature of 

the University of Granada. I finished with outstanding marks at 

the end of my university degree. 

After leaving university I made a lot of art. Then I became the 

director of Spal magazine. I was also on numerous Doctoral 

Thesis Tribunals. Many people in universities like Sevilla’s read 

my magazine. In many universities they have tributes to me. In 

Tíjola they gave me the posthumous title of their favourite 

daughter. They remember me as a great teacher and a great 

researcher. 

Sebastián Flores 

1º ESO E

Saint Beatrice of Silva 



I was in the Order of the Immaculate Conception (O.I.C), also known as the 

Conceptionists, we were a contemplative religious order of nuns. I was born 

in Campo Maior, Portugal in 1424 and I died in Toledo, Castile, August 9 th 

1492, I was a noblewoman of Portugal, who became the foundress of 

the monastic Order of the Immaculate Conception of the lady in Spain. I’ m 

honored as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. 

I was one of the eleven children of Rui Gomes da Silva, the first governor 

of Campo Maior after its reconquest from Arab rule, and of Isabel de 

Meneses, the Countess of Portalegre. 

My son, Dom Pedro de Meneses, was the 1st Count of Vila Real and 

2nd Count of Viana do Alentejo, in whose army my father was serving at the 

time of my birth. Another of my brothers was the Blessed Amadeus of 

Portugal, O.F.M. (Franciscans were a group of related mendicant religious 

orders within the Catholic Church), a noted reformer of the Order of Friars 

Minor. I was long thought to have been born in the Portuguese colony 

of Ceuta in North Africa, where my father was serving as a military adjutant 

at that time. However, the truth is that I was born in the family home at 

Campo Maior. 

In 1501 Pope Alexander VI united the nuns of Santa Fe, which I had founded, 

with the neighbouring Benedictine Monastery of San Pedro de las Duenas, 

and put them all under the Rule of St. Clare. Through this, the Order became 

connected with the Franciscans. Pope Julius II gave the new Order a rule of 

life of its own in 1511, and in 1516 special Constitutions were drawn up for 

the new Order by the Franciscan Cardinal Francisco de Quiñones, who 

resolved some ongoing tensions between the nuns of Santa Fe and the former 

Benedictine nuns who had been fused into the Order, establishing the 

community as the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception. 

I was raised in the castle of Infante John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz. In 

1447 I accompanied my daughter, Princess Isabel of Portugal, to Castile as 

a lady-in-waiting when Isabel left to marry King John II of Castile and 

became Queen of Castile and León. 

The king wanted to decapitate me so my daughter helped me and I escaped 

imprisonment with difficulty and took refuge in the Dominican Second 

Order monastery of nuns in Toledo. In 1484, I and some companions, took 

possession of a palace in Toledo set apart for them by Queen Isabel for the 

new community under the name Monastery of Santa Fe, which was to be 

dedicated to honouring the Immaculate Conception of Mary. I died in the 

monastery I had founded and my remains are there. 

Raquel Álvarez Sánchez de la Nieta 

2ºESO E

Cleopatra 

I was born in 69 BCE 

I died in 30 BCE 

My name is Cleopatra, and I am the youngest ever Egyptian 

queen. My mother was Cleopatra VI and my father was 

Ptolemy XII who died when I was just 18 years old, after his 

death I ascended to the throne. 

In 48 BCE, the Roman Empire was involved in a civil war 

between Julius Caesar and Pompey. With Caesar’s military 

strength and support, my brother, Ptolemy, was 

overthrown and killed and I became the queen again. 

In 47 BCE, I gave birth to Caesarion, which means little 

Caesar, though, Caesar never declared him to be his son. 

For a time, my reign brought relative stability to the region, 

bringing peace and prosperity to a country bankrupt by a 

civil war. Although I was brought up to speak Greek like my 

family, I made an effort to learn Egyptian. 

In 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated. 

I and Mark Anthony, a roman general, began a relationship 

together and we had three children. Then, we were beaten 

in a battle and we had to escape back to Egypt, but, we were 

captured in Alexandria in 30 BCE. With no chance of escape 

we both took our own lives, I committed suicide by 

persuading a cobra to bite me on the breast on the 12 th of 

August 30 BCE. 

Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire and I proved 

to be the last of the Egyptian Pharaohs. 

Raquel Olmedilla Pulido 

1º ESO E

Hrostwitha 



My name is Hrotsvitha and I am a German secular canoness, 

dramatist and poet who live at Gandersheim Abbey, 

established by the Ottonian dynasty. I write in Latin, and I’m 

considered by someone to be the first person since antiquity to 

compose drama in the Latin West. 

I divided my work in three books: 

Liber Primus 

1. Prose introduction 

2. Verse dedication to the Abbess Geberg 

3. Eight legends 

4. Prose conclusion 

Liber Secundus 


2. Epistola eiusdem ad quosdam sapientes huius libri 

fautores 

3. Six dramas 

4. Poem on a Vision of St. John (35 lines) 

Liber Tertius 


2. Verse dedications to Otto I and Otto II 

3. Gesta Oddonis 

4. Verse introduction 

5. Primordial Coenobii Gandeshemensis 

Clara Pedraza García 2º ESO BC

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal 



I am a Spanish princess who has given in marriage to King Denis 

of Portugal at the age of twelve. I am very beautiful and very 

lovable, didn’t I? I am very pious and I go to Mass every day. I 

was a holy wife, but although my husband was fond of me at 

first, he soon began to cause me great suffering. Though a good 

ruler, he did not imitate my love of prayer and virtues. In fact, 

his sins of impurity gave great scandal to the people. 

Later, to make things worse, the King believed a rumor about 

me and one of my pages by another page, who was jealous of 

his companion. In great anger, my husband, ordered the one he 

believed guilty, to be sent to a lime-burner. The lime-burner 

was commanded to throw into his furnace the first page who 

came. The good page set out obediently, not knowing death 

was waiting for him. On his way he stopped for Mass, since he 

had the habit of going daily, like me, you remember? The first 

Mass had begun, so he stayed for a second one. In the 

meantime, my husband sent the wicked page to the limeburner 

to find out if the other had been killed. And so it was 

this page who was thrown in the furnace! When Denis learned 

what had happened, he realized that God have saved the good 

page, punished the liar, and proven my innocence. 

This amazing event helped greatly to make my husband live 

better. He apologized to me in front of everyone and began to 

respect me. In his last sickness, she never left his side, except 

for Mass, until he died a holy death. I lived for eleven more 

years, doing even greater charity and penance. I was a 

wonderful model of kindness toward the poor and a successful 

pacemaker between members of my own family and between 

nations. 

Iker González Langa 2º ESO BC

Toda Aznárez 


I died in 958 

My name is Toda Aznárez and I was born on the 2nd of January 

in 876. I was known as Toda of Pamplona, because I married 

Sancho I of Pamplona and I was the queen consort of 

Pamplona. 

I was daughter of Aznar Sanchéz of Larraun, the paternal 

grandson of King García Íñiguez of Pamplona, while my mother 

Onneca Fortúnez was a daughter of King Fortún Garcés. My 

children were also descendants of the Arista Dynasty of 

Navarrese monarchs. 

I had a relationship with Muslims because my sister Sancha 

Aznárez and me were aunts of Caliph Add-an-Rahman III 

because my mother married Abdullah ibn Muhammad. 

Víctor Somolinos Fernández 2º ESO BC



Alexandrine Tinne 

My name is Alexandrine Petronella Francina Tinne. I 

was born in The Hague on October 18, 1835. My father 

died when I was 10 years old and I became the richest 

heiress of the Netherlands. 

At the age of 19 I traveled to Egypt. At the age of 22, I 

made the decision to explore the mythical sources of the 

Nile, accompanied by my mother and my aunt. We 

climbed up the river Nile to Gondokoro where we had 

to retire. For that reason, I, my mother and my aunt 

have been considered as European women who had 

advanced more in the search of the mythical sources of 

the Nile. 

In 1862 I decided to explore the interior of Africa by 

sailing to Bahr al-Ghazal, the largest western tributary 

of the Nile, and then travelling by land to Lake Chad. I 

was hoping to discover the sources of the Congo River. 

On this trip my mother died. 

In Europe my expeditions and discoveries began to be 

known and admired, and the newspapers identified me 

as "young and beautiful", "Amazon without fear", 

"unfailing accomplice of their objectives", 

"knowledgeable of many languages, including Arabic". In 

1869 I set out to become the first Western woman to 

cross the Sahara desert. I contracted two Dutch sailors to 

join the expedition. The first phase of the expedition was 

as planned. However, there was a rumor among the 

camel drivers that the tanks we were carrying were full 

of gold coins. When we were leaving the oasis of Wadi 

Shergui, 12 horsemen entered our camp telling us that 

they were sent by the Ichnunchen chief to drive them to 

Ghat. At that time, our Tuareg guide of the expedition 

disappeared and there was an altercation between the 

12 horsemen and the Arab servants he was carrying. One 

of the Dutch sailors who came with us, tried to restore 

calm and a Tuareg crossed it with his spear, then went to 

where I was. To stop him, raise my hand and cut my 

hand. Then there was chaos, the other Dutch sailor and 

the Arab servants tried to defend me, and they were all 

killed by the Tuaregs who left the camp leaving me to 

bleed to death at the age of 34. 

Javier Cardenal Fernández 

2ºESO E

Women and History

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