The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-03-19
MONDAY MARCH
FEMININE FIGHTERS. 2
ADns0ns, II IL Believed, Fi0urlsheA
Even In PrehistOric Times.

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Even In Prehist0ric Times.
The Idea of women warriors Is as old
as the Oldest epic. They must have had
some actual existence in prehistoric
Greece, AZ traditions Of them are found
In all ancient art, as well as in the writ
ings of Homer. Hercules is said to have
met them and to have carried away the
jeweled girdle of their slain queen, Hip
polyte, which trophy had been gift Of
the war god Mars.
Legend relates that the Grecian ANA
IONS, having emancipated themselves
from masculine rule, formed an independ-
ent colony on the northeast coast Of the
Black sea. Their organization was pure
ly military, and daily drill was practiced.
They became stanch warriors without
losing any of their feminine qualities of
diplomacy and guile. Early in their his
tory they were overcome and borne off
by superior force Of Grecians. The wo-
men affected subsection and docility and
were permitted the freedom of the ships.
Suddenly the amazon captain gave the
signal, and they fell upon the Grecians
and slew them to man.
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unable to return to their native shores,
but drifted to the land of the Scythians.
They landed and overcame the inhabt-
ants. who were enchanted by the strange
invaders and Immediately proposed
truce and marriage.
According to Herodotus, the courtship
was somewhat delayed by the inability
of the Scythians to speak the language
Of the amazons. The difficulty was over
come by the quicker witted women who
soon mastered the Scythian tongue or
enough Of it at any rate to accept the
wholesale proposal on condition that
they were not TO do weaving, cooking or
other household duties. The men con-
scented to the conditions and lived there
after under subsection to the feminine
rule.
The amazon girls were not permitted
to marry until they had slain enemies in
battle and had brought back trophies Of
victory. Motherhood was reserved as an
honor to be bestowed on those who cspe-
cialy distinguished themselves. Only
female children. as rule, We're reared.
The nmazcns subdued the greater part
of Asia Minor and built a number of
famous towns, among them Smyrna,
Ephesus, Magnesia and Themiscyra.
After opposing Pram of Troy for many
years they joined his forces in the Trojqn
war against Greece.
In the early part of the eighteenth CEN
fury the king of Dahomey found his king
dom almost depleted of fighting men, and,
being q man of resource he resolved to
see what training and discipline would
do for the suppriluous women of the
country--womcn Of muscle and endurance
and unidentified bravery.
In 112S the trstwomen regiments were
formed. Their duties at first were more
or less mcnial but in time they developed
such superior fighting qualities that they
became the flower of the DaLomcyan ar
my. Every three years tho young girls
were required to appear before royalty,
who selected the likeiest to recruit his
regiments. A few of them the king mar
ricd, and they held a high place in the ar
my. Others were married to male SOL
dcrs, but the majority were welded to
the fetch and remained ceIibatcs on pain
of death. They were divided into three
ranks-the elephant huntressrs the blum
derbuss women aud the razor women,
whose object was to pursue and decapi-
tate the leader Of the opposing forces.
They Wore uniforms Of blue and white
striped cotton. with short. wide trousers.
Like their Grrcian sisters, they reared
only the female children. the males being
handed over to foster mothers. A large
percentage Of the women being cclibates
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