Brave Women Warriors Of Greek Myth: An Amazon Roster BRAVE WOMEN WARRIORS OF GREEK MYTH: AN AMAZON ROSTER Copyright © 1997 held by author 2513 words Author's Note: Although Amazons have spread through many cultures, they originated from Greek myth. Xena also was inspired from the Greek world, so due to that, the following Amazons discussed are only from Greek myth. I also refer to Hercules as Herakles, because Herakles was his Greek name. Graphic Editor's Note: While looking for pictures that would best illustrate this particular article, I found a very interesting site dedicated to serious scholastic study of Amazons. The pictures used in this article are by kind permission of Mag. Gerhard Poellauer, and readers are invited to visit her site at: [ Mysteries of Ancient History and Archaeology ]. Brave Women Warriors Of Greek Myth: An Amazon Roster [01] The word Amazon is of unknown origin, however a folk etymology popped up which explained the word as being a deriviative of the preface "a-", meaning "without", followed by "mazos", meaning "breast".

This folk etymology was supported by the folktale that Amazons cut off one breast to facilitate archery. However, this is most likely a story designed to discourage women from taking up archery. This speculation is supported by even the most casual observation of modern day female archers who are more than capable of using the bow with all breasts intact. [02] Historically, Amazons were portrayed as beautiful women in Amazonomachies, which was an artform showing battles between the Amazons and Greeks. Amazons were trained to use all weapons and especially in single combat. They were honorable, courageous, brave and represented rebellion against sexism. Their tales spread quickly and soon stories of the Amazons were everywhere, including Africa, Asia, Europe, South America (the Amazon River was named after the female warriors), and North America in the mid-1900s with the comic book hero, Wonder Woman. The following is a list of eighty-two Amazons from Greek myth. THE AMAZONS: A LISTING Aello [03] Aello was one of Hippolyte's Amazons. She was the first to attack Herakles when he came for Hippolyte's girdle.

Unfortunately, Herakles now wore the lion skin from his first labor, making him invulnerable. Aello could not kill Herakles and was killed herself. Her name means, "Whirlwind." Ainia [04] Ainia was an Amazon who was the enemy of Achilles. Due to this, she fought with Penthesilea at Troy, against Achilles. Her name means, "Swiftness." Ainippe [05] Ainippe was one of the many Amazons who went after Herakles' captains, after Hippolyte was killed, in order to avenge their Queen's death. Her name means, "Swift Mare." Alcibie [06] Alcibie fought with Penthesilea at Troy. Alcinoe [07] Alcinoe was an Amazon under Andromache. Her name means, "Mighty Wisdom." Alcippe [08] Alcippe was one of Hippolyte's Amazons. She was the ninth and last Amazon to die by Herakles' hand in single combat. After her death, the Amazons fought in force.

Her name means, "Powerful Mare." Alkaia [09] Alkaia was one of Queen Andromache's Amazon generals. Her name means, "Mighty One." Amynomene [10] Amynomene was an Amazon serving under Orithia in the Attic War. Her name means, "Blameless Defender." Anaea [11] Anaea was an Amazon conqueror from the Thermodontine Amazons. She named a city after herself and her tomb lies there. Anaxilea [12] Anaxilea was an Amazon whose name was one of royalty. She was believed to be of royal blood. Androdameia [13] Androdameia was an Amazon who fought in the Attic War. Her name means, "Subduer of Men." Andromache [14] Andromache was an Amazon Queen. Her name means, "Man Fighter." Herakles fighting against the Amazon Andromache. Andromeda [15] Andromeda served Amazon Queen Andromache. Her name means, "Ruler of Men." Antandre [16] Antandre fought with Penthesilea at Troy.

Her name means, "Preceding Men." Antianara [17] Antianara was the Amazon Queen of the Thermodon after Penthesilea was killed at Troy. Antianeira [18] Antianeira was an Amazon in the Attic War. Dueled with Theseus in single combat. Antibrote [19] Antibrote was one of the twelve Amazons who helped Penthesilea temporarily liberate Troy. Antimache [20] Antimache served under Andromache. Her name means, "Confronting Warrior." Antimachos [21] Antimachos was an Amazon who fought in the Attic War. Antiope [22] Antiope was an Amazon Queen when Theseus attacked. When she was defeated, she married Theseus and had his son, Hippolytus (named after Queen Hippolyte). In one tale, Antiope survived the battle between the Amazons and Theseus, only to be betrayed by the Athenian king, who married another. Antiope attacked the day of the wedding with her Amazons. She had planned to massacre the guests.

It took Theseus, his companions and the invincible Herakles to kill her. Her name means, "Confronting Moon." Antiopeia [23] Antiopeia was an Amazon archer in the Attic War. Areto [24] Areto was an Amazon who went with Pantariste to kill the captains and soldiers of Herakles to avenge the murder of Hippolyte. The Amazons won the battle. Her name means, "Unspeakable." Areximacha [25] Areximacha was an Amazon under Andromache. Aristomache [26] Aristomache was an Amazon who fought Mounichos in the Attic War. Her name means, "Best of Warriors." Asteria [27] Asteria was named for the Titan mother of Hecate. She was the sixth slain by Herakles in single combat when he came for Hippolyte's girdle.

Even though the Amazons knew he was invulnerable, they still chose to fight bravely, challenging him one by one [Editor's note: Just like all the bad do in X:WP and H:TLJ, they always go at the hero one at a time!]. Her name means, "Of the Sky." An Amazon carrying an injured comrade from the battlefield. Bremusa [28] Bremusa was an Amazon who was one of Penthesilea's twelve companions at Troy, where she died. Her name means, "Raging Female." Celaneo [29] Celaneo was an Amazon under Hippolyte whose best weapon was a spear. She fought with Euryhe and Phoebe, always standing shoulder to shoulder in combat. They were killed by Herakles. Clete [30] Clete (or Cleite) was an Amazon Queen, sailing to join Penthesilea at Troy, when she was blown off course. She landed in Italy and founded the city of Clete. Her name means, "The Invoked." Clyemne [31] Clyemne was an Amazon at the Attic war who fought both Theseus and Phaleros in single combat.

Her name means, "Famous Might." Deianeira [32] Deianeira was the fifth Amazon killed by Herakles in single combat, during his ninth labor. Her name means, "Strings Together Spoils." Deinomache [33] Deinomache was an Amazon in the Attic War. Her name means, "Terrible Warrior." Derimacheia [34] Derimacheia was one of the twelve Amazon companions of Penthesilea at Troy. Derinoe [25] Derinoe was an Amazon who fought for Penthesilea at Troy. Killed Laogonus in single combat. Doris [36] Doris was an Amazon named for a sea-goddess. She was a spear-woman in the Attic War. Her name means, "Bountiful." Echephyle [37] Echephyle fought Eudorus in single combat in the Attic War. Her name means, "Chief Defender." Eriobea [38] Eriobea was an Amazon who served under Hippolyte. She was the fourth killed by Herakles in single combat.

Eumache [39] Eumache was an Amazon in the Attic War, who once disarmed and out of arrows, fought with a stone. Her name means, "Good Fighter." Eurybe [40] Eurybe was an Amazon who was handy with a spear. She always fought in an unbeatable pattern with Phoebe and Celaneo. Unfortunately, they were killed by Herakles, when their spears broke against the lion's skin from his first labor. They were killed with one sword stroke. Her name means, "Grand Strength." Euryleia [41] Euryleia fought in the Attic War. Her name means, "Woman Wanderer." Harmothoe [42] Harmothoe was an Amazon who was one of Penthesilea's twelve companions. Her name means, "Sharp Nail." Hipp [43] Hipp was an Amazon Queen. She worked together with another Amazon Queen (Marpesia) and founded the cities, Ephesus, Smyrna, Cyrene and Myrine. Hipp also made a temple to Artemis in Ephesus that remains one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Her name means, "Horse." The fortress of the Amazons -- in this case, probably Themiskyra. Hippolyte [44] Hippolyte was an Amazon Queen. Daughter of Otrera and Ares, God of War. Herakles' ninth labor was to take Hippolyte's war girdle (a gift from her father). When Herakles came, Hippolyte was impressed with his strength and so gave him the girdle. When Hera, Queen of the Gods and step-mother to Herakles saw this, she told Hippolyte's Amazons, that Herakles was there to abduct their Queen. The Amazons attacked Herakles, and during the battle, Hippolyte was killed. Her name means, "Of the Stampeding Horse." Hippolyte II [45] Hippolyte II was a sister of Penthesilea. While the two were hunting together, Penthesilea accidentally killed her. Penthesilea was so shocked and ashamed, that she left the Amazons, taking twelve of her Amazons with her to Troy.

Hippomache [46] Hippomache fought at the Attic War. Hippothoe [47] Hippothoe fought with Penthesilea at Troy. Her name means, "Imperious Mare." Hypsipyle [48] Hypsipyle was an Amazon under Hippolyte. She helped in the fight against Herakles' captains. Her name means, "Of the High Gate." Iphito [49] Iphito served under Hippolyte. She joined in the battle with Pantariste against Herakles' captains, Telamon, Theseus and Tiamides. Kleoptoleme [50] Kleoptoleme was an Amazon under Queen Andromache. Kreousa [51] Kreousa was an Amazon who was killed by Phylakos in single combat in the Attic War. Kydoime [52] Kydoime was an Amazon under Andromache. Laodoke [53] Laodoke fought with the Amazons in the Attic War. Lykopis [54] Lykopis was an Amazon archer under Andromache.

Her name means, "She-Wolf." Lysippe [55] Lysippe was an Amazon Queen. Settled her Amazons near the Black Sea. She was the one who established the policies that Amazons lived by. She was an intelligent woman, an excellent general and founded the city, Themiscrya. She was killed in battle as a hero to her people. Her name means, "She Who Lets Loose the Horses." Marpe [56] Marpe was the seventh Amazon to challenge and be killed by Herakles. Marpesia [57] Marpesia was an Amazon Queen, who ruled with Lampedo. They excelled at building the Amazon empire. The Caucasus Mountains were once called, "The Marpesians," after her. Marpesia was killed by a group of barbarians during an Asian attack. Her name means, "The Snatcher." Melanippe [57] Melanippe was the sister of Antiope. When Herakles came for Hippolyte's girdle, Melanippe was captured by the son of Zeus.

While a prisoner, she planned a successful mutiny, on one of Herakles' ships, that freed her and some other captive Amazons. They took the ship, killing the Greeks and tossed their bodies overboard. Unfortunately, these Amazons were trained to ride horses, not sail, and they were blown to the shores of Scythia. They stole horses and became marauders. Her name means, "Black Mare." Melousa [59] Melousa was an Amazon in the Attic War, lead by Orithia. Mimnousa [60] Mimnousa fought at the Attic War. Amazon training a horse. [61] Molpadia was an Amazon who fought for Orithia. Her name means, "Death Song." Okyale [62] Okyale was an Amazon archer who fought in the Attic war. She engaged Astyochos in single combat. Okypous [63] Okypous was an Amazon under Andromache. Orithia [64] Orithia (or Oreithyia) was a daughter of the Amazon Queen Marpesia.

When her mother was killed by Asian barbarians, her mother's position fell to her. She forged an alliance with Sagillus, King of Scythia, who sent his son with an army to help Orithia avenge her mother's death. Pantariste [65] When Herakles' captains fled, Pantariste lead the chase after them. Two Greek foot soldiers attacked her, but she killed them (killing the second by holding his throat until he suffocated). She threw her spear at Captain Tiamides, who blocked it with his shield, but the force knocked him to the ground. She then threw her labrys (a double-headed ax) and beheaded him. Penthesilea [66] Penthesilea was the daughter of Orithia and Ares. She was known for her bravery, her skill in weapons and her wisdom. During a hunt, she killed her sister, Hippolyte II. She was so filled with grief that she set out for Troy (which she liberated), but Achilles retook it. Penthesilea's Amazons fought for Troy again.

Since she was the daughter of Ares (God of War), she was able to kill many warriors at Troy, including Machaon and the great Achilles. Penthesilea fell at Troy. Her name means, "Compelling Men to Mourn." Philippis [67] Philippis was the second Amazon of nine to engage Herakles, one-on-one, after he had killed Hippolyte. She was killed. Her name means, "Woman Who Loves Horses." Phoebe [68] Phoebe was the third of the Amazon spear-women with Celaneo and Eurybe. They were killed by Herakles when the Amazons attacked him after Hippolyte's death. Pisto [69] Pisto was an Amazon under Andromache. Polemusa [70] Polemusa was one of the twelve Amazons who accompanied Penthesilea to Troy. Prothoe [71] Prothoe was the third Amazon to take on Herakles in single combat after Hippolyte's death. Herakles won, killing her.

Her name means, "First in Might." Pyrgomache [72] Pyrgomache was an Amazon who fought in the Attic War. Her name means, "Fiery Warrior." Scyleia [73] Scyleia was an Amazon under Andromache. Tecmessa [74] Tecmessa was the eighth Amazon to challenge Herakles in hand-to-hand combat. She was killed. Her name means, "She Who Judges." Teisipyte [75] Teisipyte was an Amazon who served under Andromache. Telepyleia [76] Telepyleia was an Amazon under Andromache. Her name means, "Far Sailing." An Amazon saying her prayers in fron of an altar. Thalestris [77] Thalestris was an Amazon Queen during the days of Alexander the Great. Alexander met with Thalestris, and they hunted lions together and had thirteen nights of lovemaking (thirteen is a sacred fertility number for moon worshippers, due to the number of moons in a year). She had hoped to have a mighty daughter from Alexander, but she died soon afterward without issue.

Thermodosa [78] Thermodosa was one of Penthesilea's twelve Amazon companions at Troy. Thraso [79] Thraso was an Amazon under Andromache. Her name means, "Confidence." Toxaris [80] Toxaris was an Amazon of Andromache. Her name means, "Archer." Toxis [81] Toxis was an archer under Andromache. Toxophile [82] Toxophile was an archer under Andromache. Valasca [83] Valasca (or Dlasta) was an Amazon warrior queen, who ruled for several years in tyranny. She had the right eye and thumbs of all males removed, to make them useless in battle. She wanted to start a new era for the Amazons and she was cruel in her haste, having only a small cult of willing followers. It was not until she died that, "the nation resumed its normal order." Xanthippe Greek Mythology - Ancient History - HISTORY.com Greek Mythology A+E Networks Introduction “Myth has two main functions,” the poet and scholar Robert Graves wrote in 1955.

“The first is to answer the sort of awkward questions that children ask, such as ‘Who made the world? How will it end? Who was the first man? Where do souls go after death?’…The second function of myth is to justify an existing social system and account for traditional rites and customs.” In ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life. They explained everything from religious rituals to the weather, and they gave meaning to the world people saw around them. Google Greek Mythology: Sources In Greek mythology, there is no single original text like the Christian Bible or the Hindu Vedas that introduces all of the myths’ characters and stories. Instead, the earliest Greek myths were part of an oral tradition that began in the Bronze Age, and their plots and themes unfolded gradually in the written literature of the archaic and classical periods. The poet Homer’s 8th-century BC epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, for example, tell the story of the (mythical) Trojan War as a divine conflict as well as a human one. They do not, however, bother to introduce the gods and goddesses who are their main characters, since readers and listeners would already have been familiar with them.

Did You Know? Many consumer products get their names from Greek mythology. Nike sneakers are the namesake of the goddess of victory, for example, and the website Amazon.com is named after the race of mythical female warriors. Many high school, college and professional sports teams (Titans, Spartans and Trojans, for instance) also get their names from mythological sources. Around 700 BC, the poet Hesiod’s Theogony offered the first written cosmogony, or origin story, of Greek mythology. The Theogony tells the story of the universe’s journey from nothingness (Chaos, a primeval void) to being, and details an elaborate family tree of elements, gods and goddesses who evolved from Chaos and descended from Gaia (Earth), Ouranos (Sky), Pontos (Sea) and Tartaros (the Underworld). Later Greek writers and artists used and elaborated upon these sources in their own work. For instance, mythological figures and events appear in the 5th-century plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and the lyric poems of Pindar.

Writers such as the 2nd-century BC Greek mythographer Apollodorus of Athens and the 1st-century BC Roman historian Gaius Julius Hyginus compiled the ancient myths and legends for contemporary audiences. Greek Mythology: The Olympians At the center of Greek mythology is the pantheon of deities who were said to live on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. From their perch, they ruled every aspect of human life. Olympian gods and goddesses looked like men and women (though they could change themselves into animals and other things) and were–as many myths recounted–vulnerable to human foibles and passions.

The twelve main Olympians are: Zeus (Jupiter, in Roman mythology): the king of all the gods (and father to many) and god of weather, law and fate Hera (Juno): the queen of the gods and goddess of women and marriage Aphrodite (Venus): goddess of beauty and love Apollo (Apollo): god of prophesy, music and poetry and knowledge Ares (Mars): god of war Artemis (Diana): goddess of hunting, animals and childbirth Athena (Minerva): goddess of wisdom and defense Demeter (Ceres): goddess of agriculture and grain Dionysos (Bacchus): god of wine, pleasure and festivity Hephaistos (Vulcan): god of fire, metalworking and sculpture Hermes (Mercury): god of travel, hospitality and trade and Zeus’s personal messenger Poseidon (Neptune): god of the sea Other gods and goddesses sometimes included in the roster of Olympians are: Hades (Pluto): god of the underworld Hestia (Vesta): goddess of home and family Eros (Cupid): god of sex and minion to Aphrodite Greek Mythology: Heroes and Monsters Greek mythology does not just tell the stories of gods and goddesses, however

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Human heroes–such as Heracles, the adventurer who performed 12 impossible labors for King Eurystheus (and was subsequently worshipped as a god for his accomplishment); Pandora, the first woman, whose curiosity brought evil to mankind; Pygmalion, the king who fell in love with an ivory statue; Arachne, the weaver who was turned into a spider for her arrogance; handsome Trojan prince Ganymede who became the cupbearer for the gods; Midas, the king with the golden touch; and Narcissus, the young man who fell in love with his own reflection–are just as significant. Monsters and “hybrids” (human-animal forms) also feature prominently in the tales: the winged horse Pegasus, the horse-man Centaur, the lion-woman Sphinx and the bird-woman Harpies, the one-eyed giant Cyclops, automatons (metal creatures given life by Hephaistos), manticores and unicorns, Gorgons, pygmies, minotaurs, satyrs and dragons of all sorts. Many of these creatures have become almost as well known as the gods, goddesses and heroes who share their stories.

Greek Mythology: Past and Present The characters, stories, themes and lessons of Greek mythology have shaped art and literature for thousands of years. They appear in Renaissance paintings such as Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Raphael’s Triumph of Galatea and writings like Dante’s Inferno; Romantic poetry and libretti; and scores of more recent novels, plays and films. Tags Amazon | Greek mythology | Britannica.com Greek mythology Penthesilea Amazon, in Greek mythology , member of a race of women warriors. The story of the Amazons probably originated as a variant of a tale recurrent in many cultures , that of a distant land organized oppositely from one’s own. The ascribed habitat of the Amazons necessarily became more remote as Greek geographic knowledge developed. When the Black Sea region was colonized by Greeks, it was first said to be the Amazon district; but when no Amazons were found there, it was necessary to explain what became of them.

Traditionally, one of the labours required of the Greek hero Heracles (Hercules) was leading an expedition to obtain the girdle of Hippolyte, the queen of the Amazons, during which he was said to have conquered and expelled them from their district. Penthesilea led an army of Amazons to fight for Troy against the Greeks, but she was killed by Achilles , who later mourned her. The Mattei Amazon, Roman copy after an original attributed to Phidias, c. 440 bc; in the … Alinari/Art Resource, New York Subsidiary tales grew up to explain why, if the whole nation consisted of women, it did not die out in a generation. The most common explanation was that the Amazons mated with men of another people, kept the resulting female children, and sent the male children away to their fathers. In another tale, Theseus attacked the Amazons either with Heracles or independently. The Amazons in turn invaded Attica but were finally defeated, and at some point Theseus married one of them, Antiope .

In Hellenistic times the Amazons were associated with Dionysus (the god of wine), either as his allies or, more commonly, as his opponents. Achilles slaying Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, Attic black-figure amphora signed by … Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum Britannica Stories Amazon - definition of Amazon in English | Oxford Dictionaries Amazon Amazon2 noun 1A member of a legendary race of female warriors believed by the ancient Greeks to exist in Scythia or elsewhere on the edge of the known world.

Example sentences ‘Perhaps the most widely known of legendary women warriors are the Greek Amazons and the Nordic Valkyries.’ ‘What makes all this more ironic is that these exhausted women were the original Amazons, the warrior caste Alexander supposedly would not fight.’ ‘While Boadicea was a warrior woman, the Amazons were not, primarily because their existence is wholly fictitious.’ ‘Still, there seems to be a kind of secretive admiration of the Amazons by the male myth makers.’ ‘Theseus defeated the Amazons in battle and took one of their captive leaders as his wife or concubine.’ ‘Some radical historians, Bacher said, believed the tribe was descended from seafaring Scythian Amazons fleeing the encroachment of imperial Greece.’ ‘Early map-makers were happy to leave blanks for terra incognita or to stock those empty spaces with headless cannibals, giant monopeds, Amazons and dragons.’ ‘In the 5th century political symbolism was couched in mythological terms, and the battles of gods and giants, Greeks and Amazons or Trojans, and Lapiths and centaurs stood for the historical battles of the Persian Wars.’ ‘The ancient Her

odotus thought the Amazons did exist, but were extinct by the time that he lived.’ ‘The ancient Greeks believed that there had been Amazons and celebrated their victory over them.’ ‘Hippolyta is the conquered queen of Amazons who marries Theseus and returns to Athens with him.’ ‘These legendary Amazons appear in several Greek fables.’ ‘The very idea of the Amazons, of ruthless women warriors who live apart from men, excites people at a deep level.’ ‘The first theme relates to the Christian iconography of Charity, and the eighteenth-century cult of Nature, as we shall see; the second to classical mythology about virgin goddesses and warrior Amazons.’ ‘Eleanor and some of her entourage appeared before the barons dressed as Amazons, declaring their willingness to fight for Christ.’ 1.1 A very tall and strong or athletic woman.

Example sentences The Amazons, the One-Breasted Women - Greeka.com Discover the myth of the Amazons The culture of the Amazons The myth says that they lived in the city of Themiscyra, off the river Thermodon in Asia Minor, and they were a race of mighty warrior women. Their society was governed strictly and exclusively by women, providing a fascinating contrast to the male-dominated society of the ancient times. Men were not allowed to become members in their society, unless it was for the specific purpose of mating or for slavery. Perhaps, this is why Homer describes them in the Iliad as "women who go to war like men" and Heredotus uses the term "Androktones" for them, which means "killers of men". They indeed lived like soldiers and their life purpose was to make wars against men. From childhood, the girls were taught the nuances of warfare. The bow and arrow, the librys (a kind of double-edged axe) and a shield in the shape of a crescent were their weapons. The Amazons showed unsurpassed skill and excellence as horse-tamers and riders.

Peculiar, but perhaps justified from the Amazons perspective, was the removal of a girl's right breast. While still a girl, the right breast would be cauterized using a searing hot bronze tool. It was thought to be a necessary evil, to mutilate and remove all possible hindrances to using a spear or drawing an arrow. This practice may has attributed them the name Amazons from the Classical Greek word "Amazoi", which translates to either breast-less, full-breasted or not-touching men. "Full-breasted" appears to be a paradox, but that is precisely how the Amazons have been depicted, whether in sculptures or paintings. These women were more in tune with warfare than with feminism. An Amazon was not allowed to get married, because they thought it to be a kind to slavery to a man. However, to carry on their race, they would very often mate with men from nearby societies or with handsome prisoners of war. Once their purpose was fulfilled, the prisoners would be used as slaves or killed. A male offspring suffered a fate akin to his father. If a boy was born, their mothers would kill him or sent him away.

Sometimes he was kept alive to grow up and be used for sexual pleasure or as a provider of human seed. In the contrary, when a girl was born, she was taken care of, nourished and raised essentially as a warrior, but nevertheless, as a fine woman. The modern popular imagination has settled them in isolate forestall regions, where they could protect themselves from men invasions and has dressed the Amazons with leather clothes that cover a few parts of the body. However, in the ancient ceramic vessels, they were depicted wearing long dresses that reach the knee. The moon, since time immemorial, has been the symbol of everything that is feminine and beautiful. The Amazons were not just beautiful women who led an untamed life. They also used to worship the moon. Their name may have resulted from contact with the ancient Circassians who were known to worship the moon too. The word Amazon in the ancient Circassian language meant "moon-mother" or "mother of the forest". The relationships of Amazons with famous heroes The Greek mythology has a number of well-known myths related to the life of the Amazons and their interaction with men and the rest of the world.

Here we are mentioning a few of them to get a view of their life, culture and beliefs. Theseus and Antiope - Another myth says that on his way to the land of the Amazons in search of Hippolyta's girdle, Hercules was accompanied by his friend Theseus. Theseus was the King of Attica and was seduced by Antiope, one of Hippolyta's sisters, whom he abducted and carried back to Athens. Though she detested him at first, she eventually fell in love with and married him. To them was born a boy whom Antiope named Hippolytus, in memory of her sister. She was the only Amazon to have abandoned the Amazon tribe to get married. Many years passed, and one day, the Amazons attacked Athens in the hope of rescuing the abducted Antiope. Although it was considered impregnable, the fortress of Theseus was infiltrated by Molpadia. She found Antiope and wanted to take her back, but Antiope didn't intend to leave her husband. In a fit of rage, Molpadia ran her spear through Antiope.

The battled went in favor of the Greeks and Molpadia herself was killed by the enraged Theseus. This legendary battle between the Amazons and the Greeks was later portrayed in relieves and known as Amazonomachy, depicting the triumph of a civilized race over those considered barbarians. Hercules and Hippolyta - This is perhaps the most well-known myth regarding the Amazons. Hercules, the mightiest warrior in Greek mythology, is known for his twelve tasks. The ninth of these tasks was that he had to bring to king Eurystheas of Tyrins, the Girdle of the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta. Queen Hippolyta was very pride for her golden girdle, gifted by her father Ares, the God of War. When Hercules approached her, she willingly consented to give him the girdle. However, Hera, distinguished into an Amazon herself, approached the women and told them that Hercules was there to steal the girdle, so that before he could leave, they declared war on him. Hercules, believing Hippolyta to be the one to set him up, killed her and then found himself engaged in a massive battle with the Amazons.

When the battle was over, only Hercules was alive. With the girdle of Hippolyta safely in hand, Hercules returned to Tiryns to continue his labours. Achilles and Penthesilea - Penthesilea was the greatest warrior woman amongst the Amazons. An extremely skilled warrior, she was also renowned for her wisdom. One day, while she was hunting, she accidentally killed her sister, Hippolyta II. Bereaved at her loss and in search of redemption, she left her tribe and joined the Trojan War. Accompanied by twelve brave women, she joined the war on the side of the Trojans and together, they killed many of the Greeks. Fate however, had other plans, for Penthesilea ultimately came face to face with the invincible Achilles. No matter how she tried, she couldn't win him. Achilles triumphed and when he removed his enemy's helmet, the sight that greeted his eyes brought him to his knees in dismay: he had killed a woman. However, such was Penthesilea's beauty that Achilles' grief was overcome by waves of lust and finally Achilles desecrated her lifeless body.

Many years after the Trojan War, the Amazons mounted an expedition in search of Achilles' ashes, to avenge their dead Queen Penthesilea. Their quest took them to the mouth of the river Danube and the island of Leuke, where the sea-nymph Thetis, mother of Achilles, had scattered the ashes. The Amazons did not get very far because an apparition blocked their way; it was the ghost of Achilles. The terror-stricken horses ran amok and threw their riders to the ground. The Amazons were forced to retreat in shame. Thalestris and Alexander the Great - Another myth refers to the relationship of an Amazon Queen and Alexander the Great, the famous Macedonian king. Around 320 BC, there was none to challenge the brilliance of Alexander and the greatest conqueror to have ever walked the earth. Thalestris, queen of Amazons, had convinced herself that a union with Alexander would result in a daughter, who would grow up to be the greatest warrior woman ever born. 300 women followed Thalestris to where Alexander was encamped. Hearing her plan, Alexander agreed and the two spent 13 days together.

The Amazons were moon-worshippers and considered 13 an auspicious number. Thalestris, with Alexander and her 300 warrior-women, along with Alexander's army, spent their days hunting and making love. The Amazons soon returned to Themiscyra and eagerly awaited news from Alexander, but none came. This relationship had an unfortunate end and Thalestris died without an heiress. The sexuality of the Amazons: Passion and Warfare The Amazons were not known to be favorably disposed towards the institution of marriage. Nevertheless, they did engage in sexual activities to justify the continuity of their race, whether with men of neighboring clans, prisoners-of-war or random men they would meet. Taking a cue from their wild and untamed existence, Amazon sexuality was animal-like: under the cover of darkness, isolated and nihilistic, that is without taking any pleasure of the act. They may have seen passion and warfare as reflective of each other, warring with passion and loving with a passion that bordered on almost-aggressive.

Sex was merely a medium, wholly dispensable unless the consequence was to the advantage of the warrior-women, that advantage being the birth of a girl child, who was fiercely guarded and raised as warriors and successors. When a boy was born, they killed him, blinded him or if the boy was lucky enough, it was sent away to live with his father. Herodotus however claimed that the Amazons and ancient Scythians shared an intimate relationship. A Scythian man would make amorous advances towards an Amazon only when she was alone. Once it became evident that she was not averse to his approach, they would engage in sexual intercourse. This is indicative that the craving for sexual contact would overcome their hate for men. In this approach, the Amazons were tamed, bringing in an aspect of wanting and loving at their aggressive nature. Strabo's account simply stated that any Amazon would take on any man and vice-versa. Plutarch's thought of Amazon sexuality tends towards a woman’s basic instincts, that of naturally desiring to be with and being submissive to a man.

In overall, the three narratives vie in establishing the Amazons as promiscuous and hubristic or simply, as women with natural, earthly desires. Moreover, stories of Greek heroes in contact with the Amazons do at times bring about a shadow of depravity. Hercules' task of obtaining Hippolyta's girdle may be interpreted as removal of the last vestige of denial by a woman. Theseus' abduction of Antiope and her initial dislike but consequent love for him and the birth of their child, could possibly suggest sexual predation. Penthesilea's death and violation of her lifeless body at the hands of Achilles is testament to an Amazons incomparable beauty and strong sexuality. It would not be amiss to surmise that such acts were the implementations of sexual fantasies, by which men gave vent to their willing to dominate over women. In essence, it could have also been ancient Greek vainglory and portrayal of women as the weaker, subjugated race. The Amazons would avoid sexual encounters while they served in the army or in times of war. It was an unwritten law for them to excel in warfare and prove themselves worthy before mating.

Apparently, a virgin warrior meant that she was as yet unexposed to the desires of the flesh and therefore would not give in to a man's advances. It may be speculated that their pent up anger when they served in the army, before being able to fulfill their sexual needs, contributed to the aggression they displayed as warriors. On the other hand, retaining their virginity while in the army may have been a form of self-denial, which made them feel less inclined towards feminine desires and put them on an equal footing with men. Marriage for the Amazons would only teach the women to become subservient and that is why they were thinking of marriage as a form of slavery: slavery to your husband, your husband's family and your children. The Gods of the Amazons The Gods that the Amazons used to worship were related to their beliefs and ideals. God Ares was certainly male but yet he was honoured by the Amazons as the God of War, since their life was devoted to fighting. Artemis, the female Goddess of War, was also honoured as the goddess of the hunt, childbirth and nature.

In fact, Artemis may have been a more cultivated representation of an Amazon type of women, as she was believed to be virgin and fierce. Cybele was also another protector of the Amazons as she used to be worshipped as the Goddess of the moon, the symbol of the Amazons, and fertility. Myth or Reality? The origins of the Amazons are still unknown and whether they existed at all or not is under a heavy shroud of doubt. They may have lived in Libya, the Anatolian Peninsula of modern day Turkey or in the Black Sea region. The Amazons may have been a purely fictitious race, concocted by the male dominated society of ancient Greece to further boost their inflated ego. This is explainable from the fact that there was never any mention of the Amazons having won a single battle or being victorious. Conversely, the Amazons may have been real women warriors who actually fought alongside men. This may have earned themselves a highly esteemed reputation and a position of power in society. However, it would be unfair to discredit the Amazons as an invention of convenience.

An interesting connection to the Amazons can be found in the Altai Mountains of Siberia, which had for centuries kept safe its secrets until excavations began in the mid 1990s. The archaeologists unearthed the burial grounds of an ancient race of people known as Pazyryk. The Kurgans, as the log-barrows they were interred in were known, have revealed several mummified remains of mostly women. One such Kurgan contained the well preserved remains of a woman who had been interred with her resplendent feathered headgear, intricate body art and sacrosanct artifacts. She has since been called the "Siberian Ice Maiden". The mummy has been dated back to 5 BC, precisely the time Herodotus spoke of the Amazons. Several other kurgans were excavated and revealed mummified women displaying scars and wounds perhaps inflicted in battles. Most remains are bow-legged, an indication of years of riding on horseback. Bizarre but true are the remains of horses found at these Kurgans, some sacrificed and propped up on stakes, others interred with the dead.

Closer research has revealed remarkable similarities amongst the Pazyryk and the ancient Scythians. In his commentary, Herodotus stated that the Amazons were a genus of Scythians that had journeyed to Themiscyra and thrived there from the 8th to the 5th century BC. Hence, the warrior-women of the Pazyryk may well have been the Amazons, who were also skilled equestrians, horse-tamers, horse-riders or fighters on horseback. Of particular interest also, is the ancient Greek city of Myrina on the island of Lemnos, Eastern Aegean. It is suggestive that this Bronze Age city may have been named in honor of the Amazon Queen Myrina, during whose reign the Amazons battled the Gorgons creature. Significantly, there is a church dedicated to Panagia Gorgona on Lemnos. Alternatively, certain facts may well negate the possibility of their existence. The city of Ephesus on the west coast of Asia Minor, modern day Turkey, was apparently built by the Amazon, Hippo. It is a historically known fact that the city was built by Ionian Greeks in 1,050 BC.

The well-known Herculean task of obtaining Hippolyta's girdle and the subsequent annihilation of the Amazons at his hands may have been devised, to conveniently explain why there weren't any Amazons in Themiscyra when the Greeks arrived there. The tale of Thalestris and Alexander the Great is also not without uncertainty. The Greek historical writer, Onesicritus, has recorded the story to be true. However, years later when King Lysimachus, who was a general in Alexander's army, heard the story, he said that he had never heard of this story, although he was with Alexander during the whole expedition, from Greece to India. Another medically relevant factor that contradicts the practice of breast removal practiced by the Amazons is that the actual act of cauterizing, cutting off or forcibly removing the breast would have caused immense hemorrhage and would have resulted in the death of the woman. This puts an end to the theoretical interpretation of the word Amazon as meaning "without-breast". What further goes against this theory is that the Amazons have always been depicted with both breasts, sometimes with the left covered. Therefore, we cannot result in certainty whether this race really existed or not.

What we can say for sure is that this ancient race reminds us of the modern feministic movement and sexual deliberation. The beliefs and practices of the feminists reflect on the ideas of the Amazons, just a milder point of view. The bottom of both theories, however, is common: women would like to take revenge of their degrading situation in a society dominated by men and the suppression they have been suffering for centuries. This idea seems to be as old as the creation of society and only in the recent decades have the women managed to obtain some rights and be declared equal to men. However, have in mind that this happens only in western societies. There are communities around the world where women still live with this feeling of suppression and suffer under the domination of men. Maybe these women have never heard of the mighty Amazons... Share it! Amazons Amazons - Art Gallery - Their marriage-law (Amazons) lays it down that no girl shall wed till she has killed a man in battle. Sometimes it happens that a woman dies unmarried at an advanced age, having never been able in her whole lifetime to fulfil the condition.

Herodotus, Histories Amazon Capitolini MC1091 In Greek mythology , the Amazons ( Αμαζόνες ) were either an ancient legendary nation of female warriors or a contemporary land of women at the outer edges of the world. The legends appear to have a nugget of factual basis in warrior women among the Scythians, but classical Greeks never ceased to be astounded at such unheard-of role-reversals. In early modern usage, the word was often used to refer to strong and independent women, in contrast to conventional stereotypes of women as weak and passive (see "damsel in distress"), but now "amazon" in such contexts has self-ironic overtones. (compare "Valkyrie".) Etymology The name Ἀμαζὼν is probably derived from an Iranian ethnonym, *ha-mazan-, originally meaning "warriors". A connected word is probably the Hesychius gloss ἁμαζακάραν· πολεμεῖν ("to make war", containing the Indo-Iranian root kar- "make" also in kar-ma).

The Greek variant of the name was connected by popular etymology to privative a + mafos, "without breast", connected with an aetiological tradition that Amazons had their right breast cut off or burnt out, in order that they might be able to use the bow more freely; there is no indication of this practice in works of art, in which the Amazons are always represented with both breasts, although the right is frequently covered. Other suggested derivations were: a- (intensive) + mafos, breast, "full-breasted"; a (privative) and masso, touch, "not touching men"; maza, a Circassian word said to signify "moon", has suggested their connection with the worship of a moon-goddess, perhaps the Asiatic representative of Artemis. Amazons of Greek mythology Heracles and Amazons, Louvre F218 Amazons were said to have lived in Pontus near the shore of the Euxine Sea, where they formed an independent kingdom under the government of a queen, often named Hippolyta ("she lets her horses loose"). According to Herodotus (Historiesiv.

110–117) the Amazon capital was Themiscyra on the banks of the river Thermodon. From this centre they made numerous warlike excursions — to Scythia, Thrace, the coasts of Asia Minor and the islands of the Aegean Sea, even penetrating to Arabia, Syria and Egypt . They were supposed to have founded many towns, amongst them Smyrna, Ephesus, Sinope, Paphos. According to another account, they originally came to the Thermodon from the Palus Maeotis ("Lake Maeotis", the Sea of Azov). No men were permitted to reside in Amazon country; but once a year, in order to prevent their race from dying out, they visited the Gargareans, a neighbouring tribe. The male children who were the result of these visits were either put to death or sent back to their fathers; the females were kept and brought up by their mothers, and trained in agricultural pursuits, hunting, and the art of war (Strabo xi. p. 503). In the Iliad, the Amazons were referred to as Antianeira ("those who fight like men").

Herodotus called them Androktones ("killers of men"). The Amazons appear in connection with several Greek legends. They invaded Lycia, but were defeated by Bellerophon , who was sent out against them by Iobates, the king of that country, in the hope that he might meet his death at their hands (Iliad, vi. 186). According to Diodorus, Queen Myrine led them to victory against the Atlanteans, Libya and much of Gorgon. They attacked the Phrygians, who were assisted by Priam , then a young man (Iliad, iii. 189). Although in his later years, towards the end of the Trojan War, his old opponents took his side again against the Greeks under their queen Penthesilea , who was slain by Achilles (Quint. Smyr. i.; Justin ii. 4; Virgil, Aen. i. 490). Heracles and Telamon?

against the Amazons, Douris, Brussels, Musees Royaux, A718 One of the tasks imposed upon Heracles by Eurystheus was to obtain possession of the girdle of the Amazonian queen Hippolyte (Apollodorus ii. 5). He was accompanied by his friend Theseus, who carried off the princess Antiope , sister of Hippolyte, an incident which led to a retaliatory invasion of Attica, in which Antiope perished fighting by the side of Theseus. In some versions, however, Theseus marries Hippolyte and in others, he marries Antiope and she does not die. The battle between the Athenians and Amazonians is often commemorated in an entire genre of art, amazonomachy, marble carvings such as from the Parthenon. Amazonenschlacht (Battle of the Amazons) , Anselm Feuerbach The Amazons are also said to have undertaken an expedition against the island of Leuke, at the mouth of the Danube, where the ashes of Achilles had been deposited by Thetis .

The ghost of the dead hero appeared and so terrified the horses, that they threw and trampled upon the invaders, who were forced to retire. They are heard of in the time of Alexander the Great, when their queen Thalestris visited him and became a mother by him, and Pompey is said to have found them in the army of Mithradates. Scythian origins Before modern archaeology uncovered some of the Scythian burials of warrior-maidens entombed under kurgans in the Altai region of Siberia, giving concrete form at last to the Greek tales of mounted Amazons, the origin of the story of the Amazons has been the subject of speculation among classics scholars. In the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica speculation ranged along the following lines. While some regard the Amazons as a purely mythical people, others assume an historical foundation for them. The deities worshipped by them were Ares (who is consistently assigned to them as a god of war, and as a god of Thracian and generally northern origin) and Artemis , not the usual Greek goddess of that name, but an Asiatic deity in some respects her equivalent.

It is conjectured that the Amazons were originally the temple-servants and priestesses (hierodulae) of this goddess; and that the removal of the breast corresponded with the self-mutilation of the god Attis and the galli, Roman priests of Cybele. Another theory is that, as the knowledge of geography extended, travellers brought back reports of tribes ruled entirely by women, who carried out the duties which elsewhere were regarded as peculiar to man, in whom alone the rights of nobility and inheritance were vested, and who had the supreme control of affairs. Hence arose the belief in the Amazons as a nation of female warriors, organized and governed entirely by women. According to J. Vurtheim (De Ajacis origine, 1907), the Amazons were of Greek origin: "all the Amazons were Dianas, as Diana herself was an Amazon".

It has been suggested that the fact of the conquest of the Amazons being assigned to the two famous heroes of Greek mythology, Heracles and Theseus – who in the tasks assigned to them were generally opposed to monsters and beings impossible in themselves, but possible as illustrations of permanent danger and damage – shows that they were mythical illustrations of the dangers which beset the Greeks on the coasts of Asia Minor; rather perhaps, it may be intended to represent the conflict between the Greek culture of the colonies on the Black Sea and the barbarism of the native inhabitants. Herodotus reported that the Sarmatians/Sauromatians were descendants of Amazons and Scythians. Their Scythian/Saka/Cimmerian/Gomerian/Celtic origins are further proved by their origins from Thermodon's Scythians who invaded there coming from around the Sea of Azov and their use of the bow-and-arrow as their primary weapon as well as fighting on horseback. Medieval and Renaissance authors credit the Amazons with the invention of the battle-axe.

This is probably related to the Sagaris, an axe-like weapon associated with both Amazons and Scythian tribes by Greek authors (see also Aleksandrovo kurgan). Paulus Hector Mair expresses astonishment that such a "manly weapon" should have been invented by a "tribe of women", but he accepts the attribution out of respect for his authority, Johannes Aventinus. Amazon, Herculaneum In works of art, combats between Amazons and Greeks are placed on the same level as and often associated with combats of Greeks and centaurs. The belief in their existence, however, having been once accepted and introduced into the national poetry and art, it became necessary to surround them as far as possible with the appearance of not unnatural beings. Their occupation was hunting and war; their arms the bow, spear, axe, a half shield, nearly in the shape of a crescent, called pelta, and in early art a helmet, the model before the Greek mind having apparently been the goddess Athena.

In later art they approach the model of Artemis, wearing a thin dress, girt high for speed; while on the later painted vases their dress is often peculiarly Persian – that is, close-fitting trousers and a high cap called the kidaris. They were usually on horseback but sometimes on foot. The battle between Theseus and the Amazons is a favourite subject on the friezes of temples (e.g. the reliefs from the frieze of the temple of Apollo at Bassae , now in the British Museum), vases and sarcophagus reliefs; at Athens it was represented on the shield of the statue of Athena Parthenos , on wall-paintings in the Theseum and in the Poikile Stoa. Many of the sculptors of antiquity, including Pheidias , Polyclitus , Cresilas and Phradmon, executed statues of Amazons; and there are many existing reproductions of these. Combat of the Amazons, Michelena Amazon-like cultures in history Armed women have often acted as royal bodyguards throughout history.

Chandragupta Maurya (322–298 BC), the first emperor to develop a centralized state in India, had a personal guard composed of giant Greek women. Female royal guards re-appear 2000 years later in the history of India as guards for the Nizams of Deccan and Hyderabad. And on the island of Sri Lanka, the Kandy royal family had a royal guard of female archers. In Europe, Celtic and Germanic tribes often had women fighting with their husbands. Tacitus tells us that Boadicea had more women than men in her army. In Scandinavia, women who did not yet have the responsibility for raising a family could take up arms and live like warriors. They were called shieldmaidens and many of them figure in Norse mythology. One of the most famous shieldmaidens was Hervor and she figures in the cycle of the magic sword Tyrfing. The Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus relates that when the Swedish king Sigurd Ring and the Danish king Harald Wartooth met at the Battle of Bråvalla, 300 shieldmaidens fought on the Danish side led by Visna.

Saxo relates that the shieldmaidens fought with small shields and long swords. A legend which may be based on the Greek Amazons appears in the history of Bohemia. As the story goes, a large band of women, lead by a certain Vlasta, carried on war against the duke of Bohemia, and enslaved or put to death all men who fell into their hands; eventually, they were mercilessly defeated by the duke. In the 16th century the Spanish explorer Orellana asserted that he had come into conflict with fighting women in South America on the river Maranon, which was named after them the Amazon or river of the Amazons, although others derive its name from the Indian amassona (boat-destroyer), applied to the tidal phenomenon known as the "bore". Dahomey Amazons holding muskets. The horns are indicators of rank The Dahomey Amazons were a 6000 strong military unit of Dahomey (now Benin) in West Africa who were active from the 16th to the late 19th century. There were largely successful in their battles with neighboring kingdoms, and were finally defeated by the French.

Libya has a long history of Amazon women, which probably pre-dates the Greek Amazons. Even today, Gadaffi is guarded by female soldiers. Other African ethnic groups who used fighting women were the Igbo and Fulani, who integrated the women into their armies. In the kingdom of Siam in the 19th century, the king had a personal battalion of 400 spear-wielding women. They were chosen from the most beautiful women of the country, and were said to be excellent spear-throwers, though they were regarded as too valuable to be sent to war. Other peoples who had female fighters include the Arabs, Australian Aborigines, Berbers, China, Kurds, Filipinos, Maori, Micronesians, Papua New Guinea and Rajputs. Around 400 women took part as soldiers in the American Civil War. For notable cases of women who have become soldiers, reference may be made to Mary Anne Talbot and Hannah Snell.

Resting Amazons, Theodor Baierl (1881–-1932): Modern depiction of Amazons It has been noted that until the 20th century, Amazons were typically depicted in literature as an alien adversary that threatened the masculinity of heroes. As such, the typical goal of the heroes has been to defeat and humiliate them as a way of reasserting male superiority. In the 20th century, Amazons were depicted with increasing sympathy. Today, the typical depiction of the characters is as an isolated community of powerful and beautiful warriors whom the male heroes are challenged to earn their respect to become valuable allies. Amazonis Planitia, a region on the planet Mars named after the Amazons (the position relative to Mount Olympus is shown). Links Amazon on a Horse (390-380 BC) from the Epidaurus Asklepios Temple (Austrian Site) Secrets of the Dead: Amazon Warrior Women (PBS) ( ) - includes information on genetic and archaeological study of recent finds of skeletons in tombs Amazon Nation ( ) The Amazons existed.

But, their history has been long lost, or else so corrupted by later peoples who would rather we forgot them they are barely recognizable. This is a version of a book in progress, so you may notice differences if you were to compare it to a printed version. [1] ( The Amazons existed. They were originally warrior women of Scythians. Greeks later added them to their mythology even sometimes deitifying some of them. The Amazon Connection ( - A guide to online resources about Amazons, aiming to cover the entire spectrum of meaning that has been attributed to the term Amazon. Amazons International ( - A newsletter dedicated to the image of the Amazon or female hero in fiction and in fact, in art and literature, in the physiques and feats of female athletes, and in gender-related and sexual orientations. Rare Names from Mythology Acheron: One of several Rivers of Underworld. Achilles: Greek warrior; slew Hector at Troy; slain by Paris, who wounded him in his vulnerable heel. Actaeon: Hunter; surprised Artemis bathing; changed by her to stag; and killed by his dogs.

Admetus: King of Thessaly; his wife, Alcestis, offered to die in his place. Adonis: Beautiful youth loved by Aphrodite. Aeacus: One of three judges of dead in Hades; son of Zeus. Aeï¿½tes: King of Colchis; father of Medea; keeper of Golden Fleece. Aegeus: Father of Theseus; believing Theseus killed in Crete, he drowned himself; Aegean Sea named for him. Aegisthus: Son of Thyestes; slew Atreus; with Clytemnestra, his paramour, slew Agamemnon; slain by Orestes. Aegyptus: Brother of Danaus; his sons, except Lynceus, slain by Danaides. Aeneas: Trojan; son of Anchises and Aphrodite; after fall of Troy, led his followers eventually to Italy; loved and deserted Dido. Aeolus: One of several Winds Aesculapius: See Asclepius. Aeson: King of Ioclus; father of Jason; overthrown by his brother Pelias; restored to youth by Medea.

Aether: Personification of sky. Aethra: Mother of Theseus. Agamemnon: King of Mycenae; son of Atreus; brother of Menelaus; leader of Greeks against Troy; slain on his return home by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. Aglaia: One of several Graces . Ajax: Greek warrior; killed himself at Troy because Achilles's armor was awarded to Odysseus. Alcestis: Wife of Admetus; offered to die in his place but saved from death by Hercules. Alcmene: Wife of Amphitryon; mother by Zeus of Hercules. Alcyone: One of several Pleiades. Alecto: One of several Furies. Alectryon: Youth changed by Ares into cock. Alethia: Greek Name meaning Wisdom Alexis: Greek Warrior and Poet Althaea: Wife of Oeneus; mother of Meleager. Amazons: Female warriors in Asia Minor; supported Troy against Greeks. Amor: The Roman Equivalent of Eros. Amphion: Musician; husband of Niobe; charmed stones to build fortifications for Thebes.

Amphitrite: Sea goddess; wife of Poseidon. Amphitryon: Husband of Alcmene. Ancile: Sacred shield that fell from heavens; palladium of Rome. Andra: A Greek Name meaning Strong and Courageous. Andraemon: Husband of Dryope. Andromeda: Daughter of Cepheus; chained to cliff for monster to devour; rescued by Perseus. Anteia: Wife of Proetus; tried to induce Bellerophon to elope with her. Anteros: God who avenged unrequited love. Antigone: Daughter of Oedipus; accompanied him to Colonus; performed burial rite for Polynices and hanged herself. Antinoï¿½s: Leader of suitors of Penelope; slain by Odysseus. Aphrodite (Venus): Goddess of love and beauty; daughter of Zeus and Dione; mother of Eros. Apollo: God of beauty, poetry, music; later identified with Helios as Phoebus Apollo; son of Zeus and Leto. Aquilo: One of several Winds. Arachne: Maiden who challenged Athena to weaving contest; changed to spider.

Ares (Mars): God of war; son of Zeus and Hera. Argo: Ship in which Jason and followers sailed to Colchis for Golden Fleece. Argus: Monster with hundred eyes; slain by Hermes; his eyes placed by Hera into peacock's tail. Ariadne: Daughter of Minos; aided Theseus in slaying Minotaur; deserted by him on island of Naxos and married to Dionysus. Arion: Musician; thrown overboard by pirates but saved by dolphin. Artemis (Diana): Goddess of moon; huntress; twin sister of Apollo. Asclepius (Aesculapius): Mortal son of Apollo; slain by Zeus for raising dead; later deified as god of medicine. Also known as Asklepios. Astarte: Phoenician goddess of love; variously identified with Aphrodite, Selene, and Artemis. Asterope: The Roman Equivalent of Sterope. Astraea: Goddess of Justice; daughter of Zeus and Themis. Atalanta: Princess who challenged her suitors to a foot race; Hippomenes won race and married her.

Athena (Minerva): Goddess of wisdom; known poetically as Pallas Athene; sprang fully armed from head of Zeus. Atlas: Titan; held world on his shoulders as punishment for warring against Zeus; son of Iapetus. Atreus: King of Mycenae; father of Menelaus and Agamemnon; brother of Thyestes, three of whose sons he slew and served to him at banquet; slain by Aegisthus. Atropos: One of several Fates. Aurora: Roman Equivalent of Eos. Auster: One of several Winds. Avernus: Infernal regions; name derived from small vaporous lake near Vesuvius which was fabled to kill birds and vegetation. Bacchus: Roman Equivalent of Dionysus. Bellerophon: Corinthian hero; killed Chimera with aid of Pegasus; tried to reach Olympus on Pegasus and was thrown to his death. Bellona: Roman goddess of war. Boreas: One of several Winds. Briareus: Monster of hundred hands; son of Uranus and Gaea.

Briseis: Captive maiden given to Achilles; taken by Agamemnon in exchange for loss of Chryseis, which caused Achilles to cease fighting, until death of Patroclus. Cadmus: Brother of Europa; planter of dragon seeds from which first Thebans sprang. Calliope: One of several Muses. Calypso: Sea nymph; kept Odysseus on her island Ogygia for seven years. Cassandra: Daughter of Priam; prophetess who was never believed; slain with Agamemnon. Castalia: In Greek Mythology the most powerful Oracle was the oracle of Delphi. People would come from all around with question, seeking answers. The oracle's source of inspiration sprang fourth from a fountain and the fountain was called Castalia. Celaeno: One of several Pleiades. Centaurs: Beings half man and half horse; lived in mountains of Thessaly. Cephalus: Hunter; accidentally killed his wife Procris with his spear. Cepheus: King of Ethiopia; father of Andromeda. Cerberus: Three-headed dog guarding entrance to Hades. Ceres: Roman Equivalent of Demeter.

Goddess of Harvest Chaos: Formless void; personified as first of gods. Charon: Boatman on Styx who carried souls of dead to Hades; son of Erebus. Charybdis: Female monster; personification of whirlpool. Chimera: Female monster with head of lion, body of goat, tail of serpent; killed by Bellerophon. Chiron: Most famous of centaurs. Chronos: Personification of time. Chryseis: Captive maiden given to Agamemnon; his refusal to accept ransom from her father Chryses caused Apollo to send plague on Greeks besieging Troy. Circe: Sorceress; daughter of Helios; changed Odysseus's men into swine. Clio: One of several Muses. Clotho: One of several Fates. Clytemnestra: Wife of Agamemnon, whom she slew with aid of her paramour, Aegisthus; slain by her son Orestes. Cocytus: One of several Rivers of Underworld. Creon: Father of Jocasta; forbade burial of Polynices; ordered burial alive of Antigone.

Creï¿½sa: Princess of Corinth, for whom Jason deserted Medea; slain by Medea, who sent her poisoned robe; also known as Glaï¿½ke. Creusa: Wife of Aeneas; died fleeing Troy. Cronus (Saturn): Titan; god of harvests; son of Uranus and Gaea; dethroned by his son Zeus. Cupid: Roman Equivalent of Eros. Cybele: Anatolian nature goddess; adopted by Greeks and identified with Rhea. Cyclopes: Race of one-eyed giants (singular: Cyclops). Daedalus: Athenian artificer; father of Icarus; builder of Labyrinth in Crete; devised wings attached with wax for him and Icarus to escape Crete. Danae: Princess of Argos; mother of Perseus by Zeus, who appeared to her in form of golden shower. Danaï¿½des: Daughters of Danaï¿½s; at his command, all except Hypermnestra slew their husbands, the sons of Aegyptus.

Danaï¿½s: Brother of Aegyptus; father of Danaï¿½des; slain by Lynceus. Daphne: Nymph; pursued by Apollo; changed to laurel tree. Decuma: One of several Fates. Deino: One of several Graeae. Demeter (Ceres): Goddess of agriculture; mother of Persephone. Diana: Roman Equivalent of Artemis. Dido: Founder and queen of Carthage; stabbed herself when deserted by Aeneas. Diomedes: Greek hero; with Odysseus, entered Troy and carried off Palladium, sacred statue of Athena. Diomedes: Owner of man-eating horses, which Hercules, as ninth labor, carried off. Dione: Titan goddess; mother by Zeus of Aphrodite. Dionysus (Bacchus): God of wine; son of Zeus and Semele. Dioscuri: Twins Castor and Pollux; sons of Leda by Zeus. Dis: Roman Equivalent of Pluto. Dryads: Wood nymphs. Amazon river | Define Amazon river at Dictionary.com noun 1.

a river in South America, rising in the Peruvian Andes and flowing east through N Brazil to the Atlantic: in volume, the largest river in the world; navigable for 3700 km (2300 miles). Length: over 6440 km (4000 miles). Area of basin: over 5 827 500 sq km (2 250 000 sq miles) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for amazon river Expand Amazon n.

late 14c., from Greek Amazon (mostly in plural Amazones) "one of a race of female warriors in Scythia," probably from an unknown non-Indo-European word, possibly from an Iranian compound *ha-maz-an- "(one) fighting together" [Watkins], but in folk etymology long derived from a- "without" + mazos "breasts," hence the story that the Amazons cut or burned off one breast so they could draw bowstrings more efficiently. The river in South America (originally called by the Spanish Rio Santa Maria de la Mar Dulce) rechristened by Francisco de Orellana, 1541, after an encounter with female warriors of the Tapuyas (or, as some say, beardless, long-haired male tribesmen; still others hold that the name is a corruption of a native word in Tupi or Guarani meaning "wave"). Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Question: What river was named after a race of female warriors from Greek mythology?
Answer: Amazon