Yanxiao He (University of Chicago)
This paper provides a critical interpretation of Diodorus’ account of Semiramis who builds the
first empire from Syria to Bactria from a comparative perspective. I argue that Diodorus has two
agendas in writing on Semiramis. First, it has to do with Rome’s eastern campaigns during the
late republic. Given Cicero’s accusation of the Syrian governor Gabinius as Semiramis in De
provinciis consularibus (Cic. Prov. 4.9), I contend that Semiramis registers late republican
Roman male elites’ anxiety about the potentially “contaminating” effect brought by Rome’s
eastern campaigns.
Second, as I suggest, though Diodorus taps into this anxiety, Diodorus demonstrates his
admiration for Semiramis by subverting this usual Roman elites’ understanding. I argue that this
admiration is related to Diodorus’ Greek outsider status in the Roman system when Diodorus
expresses his marvelousness on Semiramis’ ability to break into male-dominated imperial
politics as a lowborn female (Diod. Sic. 2.4.1). In this light, I demonstrate that Diodorus
develops a queer understanding of early Hellenistic mercantile ideology regarding Central Asia
as a land of opportunities for male outliers as shown in Menander’s Samia (622-30) when
Diodorus highlights Central Asia’s significant role in Semiramis’ career.
The Chinese historian Sima Qian’s gendered understanding of Emperor Wu’s Central Asian
campaign during 104 and 101 BCE will enrich our understanding of Diodorus’ account of
Semiramis. As I show, in the chapter Biographies of the Great Yuan (Dayuan liezhuan) in Shiji
(The Records of Grand Historian), Sima Qian deliberatively presents Emperor Wu’s aim of
Central Asian campaign as to promote the emperor’s concubine by commissioning the
concubine’s brother to lead this campaign. Sima Qian also recounts females’ greater autonomy
and agency in Central Asia. I argue that this mention entails a queer understanding of Emperor
Wu’s Central Asian campaign by which the emperor subscribes to the power of a concubine.
I thus show that both Diodorus and Sima Qian develop queer understandings of Central Asia
when Rome and China almost simultaneously expanded eastward and westward respectively. I
demonstrate that, for Diodorus, writing on Semiramis is a means to map out his Greek identity
under the Roman domination while Sima Qian’s portrait of Emperor Wu represents an imperial
critique given Sima Qian’s role as a dissident who has suffered castration under the emperor’s
order. In usual comparative ancient historiographical research, Sima Qian is usually compared
with Herodotus. This paper suggests that comparing Sima Qian with Diodorus is another viable
means.