Cy apres sensuit de thamyre, royne des scythes · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy apres sensuit de thamyre, royne des scythes
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; Cyrus; Revenge; Thamyris
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Central Asia; Modern day Iran; Scythia
Description: This illumination depicts Queen Thamyris in the centre of the image wearing a helmet and a crown as she swings a sword above her head. She was renowned for her nobility and capabilities of ruling a nomadic tribe. Boccaccio explains that King Cyrus of Asia Minor had invaded Scythia looking for glory, and when he had killed Thamyris’ son, she exacted her revenge by killing his entire army. When Thamyris found Cyrus’ dead body, she took his head for revenge. She is illustrated swinging her sword, about to cut the head off the body of King Cyrus, which is lying on the ground by her feet.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:19979
Language: frm
Source Name: Livre que fist Jehan BOCACE de Certalde des cleres et nobles femmes, lequel il envoia à Audice de Accioroles de Florence, contesse de Haulteville [Book from Giovanni Boccaccio of Certaldo called the cleric and noble women, of which he sent to Audice Accioroles of Florence, Countess of Haulteville]
Parent Collection: 1401 Florence; 1401 Florence
Image: mta_19979_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; Cyrus; Revenge; Thamyris