The archetypical female myth is present in many world cultures. The fundamental European female myth is the ancient Greek myth about the Amazons. The Amazons are female warriors, some of the most mysterious women in history, who lived on the outskirts of the then civilized world. The way of life of Amazons was opposite to the way of life of the classical ancient Greek society, which was dominated by men. This is not a single myth, but a set of myths and historical ideas about the tribes of warlike women who killed men and performed, from the point of view of ancient people, the original functions of men.
How do we know about the Amazons: ancient myths and testimonies
Homer described the Amazons as "masculine" women fighting on the side of the Trojans and defeated by Achilles. Herodotus' father of history, the Amazons, appear as "murderers" who raided Scythia. The Greek historian of the Roman time Diodor of Sicily depicts Amazons as brave warriors who burned to themselves the right breast that it did not prevent them from shooting from an archery.
Numerous references to the myth of the Amazons can be found in the works of Hippocrates, in the tragedies of Aeschylus and Euripides, in the poems of Virgil and Ovidius, in the "Geography" of Strabo, in the biographical and historical works of Pavsaniya and Plutarch. Despite the steady interest of ancient authors in female warriors, very little is known about the exact area of settlement of Amazons, as well as about their way of life. Traditionally, they are believed to have lived in northeast Asia Minor (Cappadocia, Turkey) along the Fermodont River (present-day Terme), which flows into the Black Sea. However, according to Herodotus, the legendary Amazon people lived in the area of Meotida (modern Azov Sea), up to the river Tanais (Don). Ancient authors also had Amazon lands in ancient Scythia - in the foothills of the Caucasus and the Northern Black Sea coast.
The main city of the Amazons - Themiskyra - was named after the first Amazon queen, daughter of the war goddess Ares and love goddess Aphrodite, who founded it. Under her leadership the first conquests were made and men of neighboring tribes were subordinated. According to some reports, the Amazon men were provided with women's homework, actually enslaving them, and male children were mutilated with their hands and feet so that they could not rebel in the future. According to other reports, the Amazons had met with men from neighbouring tribes, but only once a year. They kept the girls born to themselves and sent the boys to their fathers or killed them. The main occupation of the Amazons was preparation for war. They skillfully handled bows and spears, ridden well, had shields and helmets. Some authors even pointed out that it was the Amazons who introduced the cavalry and iron weapons.
The Amazon was a battle between the Greeks and the Amazons
The myth of the Amazons as the formidable rivals of men, equal to them on the battlefield and often superior in the skill of battle, is associated with many other ancient Greek legends, which makes the myth of this mysterious people one of the most popular in the ancient tradition. Thus, in the ninth feat Heracles got the belt of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, defeating the army of Amazons and capturing the most formidable warriors. One of them, Antiopa, Heracles gave as a reward to another ancient Greek hero - Theseus, thereby provoking an attack of the Amazons on Athens (according to other information, Antiopa left with Theseus at will). As Plutarch writes, Antiopa was "manly" and did not want to return to her tribe, even when the Amazons attacked Athens and became a camp near the Acropolis. In this battle, Antiop was killed, and the war ended with a truce.
One more myth about Amazons is connected with a name of Alexander Great. According to Diodor Sicilian, when Alexander conquered the territory along the Caspian Sea, Falestrida, the most courageous and beautiful queen of the Amazon tribe, arrived to him with a wish to have a child from the great conqueror. The child, born from parents who surpass other people, was to become the first in the world by valor, strength and courage. And Alexander, as Diodor reports, received the queen, and after spending 30 days with her, let her go home with rich gifts. However, the author does not inform about the further destiny of the queen and the child. Such legends can testify to the fact that the ancient commanders really met women warriors in their eastern campaigns.
"Amazon queen Talestris in the camp of Alexander the Great, Johann Georg Platzer, 18th century
There were other fictional peoples in Greek mythology, such as the Centaurs. In mythology and the art of centaurism (for example, the battle of the lapiphs with the centaurs on the Parthenon, now in the British Museum) is described in the same way as Amazonism. However, the Amazons had real prototypes - most likely, belligerent nomadic women of Iranian-speaking peoples (Scythians, Sarmatians, Sakis). The main difference between the other fictional peoples and the Amazons is that they do not have a clear historical basis. The Amazons are human beings, and it is impossible to imagine stories about meetings of real historical figures, for example, with centaurs.