Two of the greatest Philhellenes of antiquity were undoubtedly Queen Artemisia and her husband King Mausolus of Halikarnassos, a satrap (governor) who ruled the province of Karia in the Persian Empire in the 4th century BCE (the area of modern-day south-west Turkey). Together, they renovated their capital city of Halikarnassos (modern day Bodrum) extensively and in accordance with the principles of classical urban design. Their greatest architectural feat was a colossal tomb or "Mausoleum", designed by the architect Pytheos of Priene and attracting the most talented sculptors from across the Mediterranean, which became famous as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. While some ancient authors described its appearance and many fragments have been excavated from the site, the tomb's exact reconstruction remains unresolved.

In our exhibition, we display several very large, exquisitely carved fragments from the site, including a carved marble block from a frieze showing a battle scene. The frieze, which ran around the podium of the tomb, originally measured about 140 metres in length and depicted Greek soldiers and Amazons in combat. The Amazons were a legendary group of female warriors who lived beyond the borders of the known world, and were a popular subject in Greek art and literature, particularly in the context of battles against the Greeks.

It was Artemisia who (almost) completed the great tomb after the death of Mausolus - although her own death preceded its ultimate completion too. Artemisia is a fascinating individual, particularly when considered against the broader context of the role and status of women in the ancient world who more typically lacked autonomy and power. Ancient writers presented her as a warrior queen who played an active political and military role in the region as well as a grieving widow who organised spectacular funeral celebrations in Mausolus' honour and, apparently, even drank his ashes in sorrow. Artemisia as an icon of female power and grief endured throughout history, with European queens such as Catherine and Maria de' Medici later recast as new Artemisias to convey dedication to their dead husbands and secure their authority as sole female rulers.

Returning to the carved podium block, this scene is particularly fascinating given Artemisia's role in the tomb's construction. To the Greek imagination, Amazons - female warriors who existed outside of "civilisation" and who spurned male company and the traditional characteristics of idealised womanhood - could be monstrous beings. But in Karia, in a kingdom which also lay beyond the borders of the Greek world and where royal women could have influence, Amazons may have been interpreted differently. This frieze presents the Amazons as fierce adversaries, locked in a violent battle against the Greeks. The scene is ambiguous, as neither side has a clear advantage. At the far right, a Greek warrior grasps the hair of an Amazon, who is on her knees expecting a death blow. But behind him, unseen, an Amazon is poised to strike. In ancient times, the dynamism of this battle scene was once accentuated with metal inlays for the weaponry and paint, microscopic traces of which still remain. In the 19th century, the archaeologist Charles Newton, who became Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum between 1861-85, excavated the site between 1856-57, during which time he discovered other large sculptural fragments with similar scenes also belonging to this frieze. Newton described the visible traces of surface paint at the time of discovery, including blue for the sky, a reddish-brown for the skin, and a rich spectrum of colours for the drapery and armour. Whether to an ancient or modern audience, this highly animated scene clearly conveys female strength and power, a fitting tribute to the Queen of the royal couple interred within the great tomb.

This frieze block was removed from the ruined site sometime in the 15th or 16th centuries and ended up in the collections of the Bajano family in Genoa, displayed in the courtyard of their palace. The British Museum purchased it in 1865 from Montagu Yeats Brown, who was then the British Consul in Genoa.

This battle between the Greeks and the Amazons is currently exhibited alongside other fragments from the Mausoleum and more than 170 treasures from the British Museum in Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes, on display at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.