AMAZONS in Greek mythology

In Greek mythology there is a group of warrior women known as Amazons, whose appearances in Greek myths have made many people unsure if they existed or were only real in the legends of the Greeks. Therefore, in this lesson from a Teacher we offer you a summary of the amazon in greek mythology.

The Amazon in Greek mythology they were an ancient people made up of exclusively by women which were devoted almost entirely to war. The sources do not speak of them as Greek, but as their adversaries, although it seems clear that they were part of the Greek polis.

Amazons are known in Greek myths for face the best heroes, being one of the few towns capable of facing these rivals. Among the main heroes who faced the Amazons we can find Heracles and Achilles, two of the greatest heroes of Greek beliefs.

The Greek sources tend to place the Amazons in the area of ​​Scythia, that is to say, in the northernmost area of ​​the Greek area. Other sources place Amazonian cities as far apart as Asia Minor, in Turkey, in the Caucasus, and even in what we now know as Iran.

The Amazons were considered by the Greeks as a royal group and there are many writings that speak of their presence near the Black Sea, but it is currently considered that these were not a royal town. It is said that it was common In the towns of the steppes, women were part of the army and this would be the origin of these legends.

In the Greek mythology it is said that the amazons were daughters of the god Ares, being therefore very attached to the war and the nymph harmony. Even with that, the Amazons were not people close to the gods and preferred to live their lives without them intervening in it.

It is said that the Amazons had inhabited the Terma area and that, over the years, they had formed a important city under the command of Queen Hippolyta. Over the years, the Amazons migrated and formed important cities in other parts of the world, such as Ephesus and Paphos.

People say that no man could dwell with the amazons, but that, once a year, some men were sent to the lands of the Amazons so that they could have offspring. The daughters born remained with the Amazons, while the males were expelled or directly killed.

Throughout Greek mythology there are many apparitions of the amazons in the myths, participating in some of the most relevant moments of the myths. Some of these moments were labor of heracles in which she had to steal the belt of the Amazon queen Hippolyta, the participation of the warriors in the important War of Troy, or the military expedition to the island of snakes, where the Amazons had to face the ghost of Achilles.

To continue this lesson on the Amazons in Greek mythology, we must talk about the main queens that the Amazons had, being some of them very important for the Greek myths.

The main amazon queens were the following:

• antianira: An Amazon queen known for saying that men should be mutilated because cripples were better at making love.
• antiope: An Amazon queen kidnapped by the hero Theseus, which caused the Amazons to invade the region of Attica.
• hippolyta: Daughter of Ares, bearer of the magic belt of the Amazons, and protagonist of one of the 12 works of Heracles, which consisted of the hero stealing the belt.
• lampedo: An Amazon who was considered to have contacts with gods such as Ares or Artemis.
• lysippe: Founder of the city of Temiscira, she is considered the cause of many of the main traditions that the Amazons had.
• marpesiaHer: She was one of the rulers who collaborated to create the important city of Ephesus.
• mirina: An important Amazon who is said to have been able to defeat the Atlanteans, the gorgons and take over the region of Libya.
• Oritia: A queen known for her important military role, which made her highly respected by other peoples, and feared by many others.
• Penthesilea: Queen of the Amazons during the Trojan War, where she was killed by Achilles. Some texts from her speak of her as the creator of the hatchet.
• talestris: It is said that she was a queen who took 100 women to have children with Alexander the Great, with whom it is said that she also had offspring.