You’ve probably heard of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, and maybe even Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, but what about Mousa and Boran? These last two queens are women who ruled the ancient Persian Empire. Meet Mousa. She is depicted on this coin wearing a special crown. The inscription identifies her as “Queen Mousa, Goddess Ourania.” Mousa was said to be an enslaved Italian woman whom the Roman emperor Augustus sent to Phraates IV, the king of the Parthian Empire from 38 BC to about 2 BC. Mousa had a son who would later become King Phraates V. According to ancient sources, Mousa reportedly poisoned Phraates IV and ruled briefly with her son. Queen Boran of the Sasanian Empire rose to power after her father’s military defeat by the Byzantine Empire. Without a male heir (her brother had died of the plague, and her nephew was deposed), Boran was chosen to lead the empire. She only reigned for about a year (AD 630-31) before being overthrown. Swipe to see a gold coin with the bust of Boran. An...