Meet some of the most warrior mothers in history

Without detracting from the merits of most of the world's moms, who are always the warriors of the daily struggle, the women we are going to talk about later stood out in their times for their trajectories in conjunction with motherhood.

One thing is certain: they all wanted the best for their children, even if it cost the lives of one or several people. Some did not have to go to extremes, and in addition to unconditional love for their children, they also asserted their importance in history (and in the lives of their children) in a peaceful and just manner.

1 - Wu Zetian, China's Only Empress

Wu Zetian was the only woman to rise to the throne and rule sovereign in China. She was born into a merchant family in the last days of the first emperor Tang's reign. She was a stubborn child who rejected traditional women's customs, preferring to read and learn about politics. As a teenager she became a concubine in a harem, serving the current emperor Tang Taizong and his son.

At this time she gave birth to a girl who was strangled to death and Wu accused the empress (then Tang's wife) of murdering the baby, although many historians believe it was Wu who killed his own daughter to incriminate the empress. The empress was finally deposed, which paved the way for Wu to ascend as the emperor's consort.

Years later, she gave birth to a boy and began working to eliminate rivals in a cruel and calculating way. Then his son was named heir to the throne when the emperor began to fall ill. During this time Wu Zetian was increasingly in charge of making political decisions in place of her husband. This angered many close people and a series of conflicts began to take place in court.

After the emperor's death, two more emperors succeeded the throne, but without much emphasis, as Wu already commanded everything in a way. That was when she finally decided to seize absolute power in 690, becoming China's first and only sovereign empress. She ruled until the age of 80, when she was forced to abdicate the throne in February 705, giving way to her son, Emperor Zhongzong, who restored the Tang dynasty.

2 - Catherine de Medici, mother of three kings of France

At only 14 years old, Italian Catherine de Medici married then-Prince Henry II of France (also the same age), but life in the kingdom was not easy. She was the queen consort from 1547 (when Henry ascended the throne) to 1559, but suffered a marital life.

All because throughout his reign, Henry did not allow Catherine to participate in the affairs of the reign. Instead, the king favored his chief mistress, Diana de Poitiers, who had great influence over him. Even so, Catarina had several pregnancies, the first being after 10 years of her marriage, with 24 years. Of 10 children, only seven survived, and three of their boys became kings of France.

When her husband, Henry, died, one of her sons (Francis II) became king at the age of 15, but died only a year later. The tragic fact led the other 10-year-old son, Carlos IX, to the throne, promoting Catherine as regent. She ruled a France divided by civil and religious war, doing what she could to keep her family together.

In 1572, Catholic Charles IX ordered a coup that culminated in the bloody St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, which eventually affected Catherine's reputation as treacherous and conspiratorial. However, she remained a powerful advisor to the next king, her other son Henry III.

3 - Olympias - Mother of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military leaders of all time, securing an empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the Himalayan mountains, being the largest and richest ever. And, it seems, “Alex” may have inherited much of his audacity from his own mother, Olympias.

She was the fourth wife of Alexander's father (King Philip II) and was not there that traditional mother, being a faithful mystic and worshiper of the god Dionysus. Even so, he raised his son with great devotion, naming him a legitimate god in the eyes of his subjects.

When Alexander's father married another woman, a Macedonian of the people named Cleopatra (not the same one who became queen of Egypt), Olympias went into voluntary exile and only returned after her husband was murdered - an event that some historians they assign it to her.

In addition, she did not leave her rival's reign at least and murdered Cleopatra Eurydice (her second name was given by King Philip), and her sons Caranus and Europa, helping to secure the succession of her own son to the throne. Olympia was also accused of having another son of Philip II killed, Philip III (Alexander's half brother), who took the throne after Alexander's death in Babylon. Seven years later, she was captured by Cassander's army and sentenced to death.

4 - Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen

Cleopatra was the mother of four children, three by Mark Antony and one by Julius Caesar. Part of his political influence in Rome came from these blood ties with the emperors, which allowed him even more freedom to lead his own reign in Egypt.

Cleopatra was born in 69 BC. When her father Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC, she became regent with her brother Ptolemy XIII, just 10 years old. They were married according to Egyptian tradition, but under the influence of others their brother expelled her from the kingdom and she went to Syria. However, she returned with a small army to fight him when Pompey fell and Julius Caesar was taken from Alexandria.

Since he was nothing silly and had a clear “business acumen, ” Cleopatra seduced Julius Caesar and they became lovers. Cleo was again named queen with Roman military support, and in 47 BC she gave birth to Caesar's child, the boy Caesarius. After that, the queen leaves for Rome with Caesar, but after her murder in 44 BC, she returns to Egypt.

In 41 BC, Cleo meets Mark Antony and begins a political and romantic alliance with her. Wasting no time, the queen secured family and union lineage, three children were born, a twins couple and one more boy. However, after a conflict that toppled the reign and Octavian seized Alexandria, Mark Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide in 30 BC. Their children were spared Octavian's attack.

* Originally posted 05/05/2014.