What Kind of Ancient Female Warrior Are You?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
What Kind of Ancient Female Warrior Are You?
Image: nemke/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

They say history is written by the winners, but that's not entirely true - or at least, it is not the whole truth. History is written by the literate, and even the literate tend to focus on telling the stories of people who look and sound like them. Given that literacy was a privileged reserved primarily to men generally and men of means in particular, this means that most of history has shamefully ignored most of the deeds of women. From entrepreneurs to inventors to adventurers to leaders, women's agency has been diminished and erased at every turn.

This means that where women were able to break through cultural, social and financial taboos against participating in public life, we often don't hear about it - and in no field of human endeavor is this more clear than war. Female soldiers have been considered such an aberration that some nations still insist on banning women from the military, or at least from specific combat roles. However, there have always been women who fight. Simply staying alive sometimes required it. In other cases, women disguised themselves or leveraged privilege, smarts or sheer determination to break through a glass ceiling and serve - and they've been doing it since antiquity. What sort of warrior from those times would you be?

Do you prefer working with other women, or with men?
Only women please
Men for me!
I work alone.
Whoever's brave and strong

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What's your preferred weapon?
Bow
Sword
Poison
Cavalry

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Do you need to get credit for what you do?
I'd love that, yes.
Not much
Nope
Ideally, but I can deal.

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Is being a warrior a paid gig for you?
Of course.
No, I do it for love.
Yes, though not well.
Yes, though I do also love it.

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Does your family know what you do?
Yes, they all do it too.
Yes, they would be ashamed if I did not do it.
Nope.
Yes, they're mad about it.

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Do you have leadership potential?
A little
More than people realize
Not really
I am a natural leader, yes.

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Do you know how to take an order?
Oh, yes.
I love it!
Yes, as long as I get to improvise.
I know how to give one even better.

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Can you show initiative when you have to?
Not really
Somewhat
Absolutely
I've learned, yes.

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Were you born in a culture that approved of you being a warrior?
Yes
Somewhat
Not really
No

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How much armor do you like to wear?
A few key pieces
Mostly just an arm guard
None
Full armor, please!

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What climate do you like to fight in?
Hot and dry
Anything suits me.
Varied
Any weather that's clear

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What is your body type?
Large and sturdy
Wiry and rangy
Small and limber
Athletic and healthy

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What language do you speak?
Russian
Greek
Japanese
I speak many.

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Where would you like to do your fighting?
Open plain
Mountains
City
Water

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What kind of fight is the best fight?
Guerilla warfare
Pitched battle
Assassination
All-out warfare

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What would your job be if you were not a warrior?
Bouncer
Mom
Spy
COE

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What gun would you use if you were a modern warrior?
M-16
AR-15
Anything with a good silencer
12-gauge shotgun

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What branch of today's military would you fit into best?
Army
Marines
Intelligence
Air Force

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Who would you fight for?
My family
My country
My friends
My king or queen

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Would you prefer to fight by day or night?
Definitely day
I'm easy.
Definitely night
Whichever the enemy likes less

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Do you see the wider strategy?
Not really, I go where I'm told.
Somewhat: I see the stakes, which helps.
Nope
Of course

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At what age do you think you will retire from fighting?
45
Death
40
65

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Do you study military history?
Only of my own people
Not really
No, just my own job
Of course

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What higher belief do you fight for?
Freedom
Independence
Power
Honor

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Do you like being the first woman to do a thing?
No, I like being among many.
I don't feel strongly.
I would like it, but I don't mind too much.
Yes, please!

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How important is your legacy?
Enormously
A little
Not at all
Fairly

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What animal do you like to use in your fighting?
Horse
Oxen
Carrier pigeon, to send messages
Elephant

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Would you rather fight in the city or countryside?
Definitely the countryside
Definitely the city
Preferably the city
Preferably the countryside

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How patient are you?
Not at all
Not much
Like a rock
Fairly

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What stereotype about you annoys you?
I'm mannish.
I'm heartless.
I don't exist at all.
I'm an anomaly.

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You Got: