Challenging Gender Roles: Hypsicrates, wife of Mithridates VI

An Inscription of Hypsicrates

Name:   Unknown Date:   1st century BCE Region:    Phanagoria [1] [modern Russia] Citation:     Supplemetum Epigraphicum Graecum 56.934

For many years, it was assumed that comments about Hypsicrates’ “masculine” behavior was exaggerated by ancient authors, until the following inscription was discovered that confirms the use of the masculine form of their name.

 

 Hypsicrates, wife of Mithridates VI, hail!

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[1] This inscription was found on the base of a [now lost] sculpture on the Black Sea coast town of Phanagoria [modern Russia] in 2004.

An Inscription of Hypsicrates

ΥΨΙΚΡΑΤΗΣ ΓΥΝΑΙ ΜΙΘΡΙΔΑΤΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΥ ΧΑΙΡΕ

HYPSICRATES, UXOR MITHRIDATI EUPATORIS DIONYSI SAL. Translated into Latin by Kris Masters