Tomyris with the Head of Cyrus II

While fighting a war against the Persian king Cyrus II, the son of the Massagetean queen Tomyris fell victim to a ruse and was captured. Tomyris demanded her son’s release, but before that could happen, the young man killed himself in shame. Tomyris swore revenge. After her victory over Cyrus, she is said to have dipped the king’s severed head in a vessel filled with blood. Since antiquity, Tomyris has symbolized maternal love, revenge, and the courage to defy superior forces.