Everybody has heard of the legendary Amazons.
People find the notion of women warriors intruiging.
These days, the notion is mixed in with the idea of women's assertiveness. A woman of particularly sturdy build, possibly masculine appearance, or just a woman whose aura projects her strong will, is likely to be thought of as an Amazon. The word is used both in admiration and in deprecation. It is mixed in, in the confused popular consciousness, with sex roles. The notion of Lesbian proclivities, particularly as an active or agressive partner, is consciously or unconsciously implied when one thinks of Amazons.