Amazons: The Reality Behind Their Legend

Introduction

In the earlier history of women’s radical fight for equality, there was a myth that raised the awareness of both genders that nomadic tribes of barbaric warrior women called Amazons existed and were known for their skills in hunting and fighting. There has been a great deal of controversy about whether those female warriors truly existed or were just a figment of the ancient imagination. According to Mayor (2020), researchers have brought to light new evidence indicating that Amazons were indeed real. Even though it is still early to be absolutely certain about this discovery, since many scholars are opposed to this statement, one thing is undeniably true; these women managed to become an aspirational legend that contributed to women’s empowerment.

Consequently, an extensive analysis of their myth, lifestyle, and iconographic depictions could shed light on unknown aspects of these legendary warrior women, who could be described as perhaps one of the earliest forms of feminism in women’s history.

Amazons in Ancient Sources

The legendary rivals of Greece, the Amazons, have been described in many ancient sources, including Homer, Herodotus, Demosthenes, Diodorus Siculus, Plutarch, and Pausanias, as the exact opposite to the lifestyle model of Greek male-dominated society (Mayor, 2020: 350).

According to Argonautica Orphica (v. 740), the country of Amazons was located in the northern regions of Asia Minor in Themiskyra neighboring to the Thermodon river (now Terme) (Kalachanis et al., 2017: 75–96). Moreover, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus has provided a lot of information on the Amazons’ lifestyle indicating that they were more than just a myth. Herodotus and Plato, reported that “real women lived the lives of Amazons in the vast territory stretching from the Black Sea to Central Asia, known as Scythia” (Mayor, 2020: 350). According to Herodotus’ Histories (4.99–117), the Amazons did not know how to use properly the rudder or the oars. In fact, they knew nothing at all of ships and sailing in general, while on the contrary, they mastered the craft of horse-riding as they used to travel long distances on horseback or when it was necessary on foot.

In 490 BC, myths started to indicate that Amazons used to cut off their right breast for archery in order to aim and shoot with their bow more accurately. This significant statement was supported by the etymology of the Greek word “Amazon,” which is originated from the combination of the negative prefix “a” meaning “without” with the ancient Greek word “mazon” meaning “breast” (Liddell et al., 1940).

Moreover, many historical figures had come across the Amazons; a detail supporting Amazons’ existence. Cyrus the Great (Plutarch, 1919, Plutarch’s Lives: Alexander, 46) and Diodorus Siculus in his Library (1989, book 17, chap. 77. 1–3) both claimed that Alexander the Great had encountered female warriors in Eurasia describing the relationship between Alexander and the Amazon queen Thalestris.

Homer (1924) was the first to mention the Amazons in the Iliad book 6, where he recounted the exploits of Bellerophon, and book 3, where the king of Troy, Priam, looking over the trojan plains accompanied by Helen, remarked,

Oh son of Atreus, blessed, child of fortune and favour, many are these beneath your sway, these sons of the Achaeans. Once before this time I visited Phrygia of the vineyards. There I looked on the Phrygian men with their swarming horses, so many of them, the people of Otreus and godlike Mygdon, whose camp was spread at that time along the banks of Sangarios: and I myself, a helper in war, was marshalled among them on that day when the Amazon women came, men’s equals. Yet even they [the Phrygian troops] were not so many as these glancing-eyed Achaeans. (Iliad 3.182–90)

In that extract, the Amazons are mentioned as “a match for men in battle.” It is no coincidence that the most common name assigned to Hercules’ opponent in the earliest Attic Black-Figure pottery of Antimenes (approximately 525–500 BC) is Andromache, which in Greek means “Man-battler” (Mayor, 2014, cited in Porter, 2020: 12–13).

The main source for the Athenians’ battle is Plutarch’s biography of Theseus, where he explained that the Amazons invaded in the city because Theseus had taken their queen Antiope with him as his bride and afterward a hard, 1-month-long battle was conducted (Plutarch, 1914. Vit. of Theseus).

Moreover, Boardman (1982: 6–12) argues that the Amazon invasion’s story must have been known at least by the 460s BC since the earliest mention of that war was Herodotus’ account of the Athenians’ speech before the battle of Plataea (Herodotus, The Histories 9.27; Aeschylus, 1926, Eum. 685–689; cited in Boardman, 1982: 6–12). Amazon graves and the places where the Amazons camped were left as relics from Athens’ battle and the day before the festival of Theseus, sacrifices used to take place at those spots (Hastrup Blinkenberg, 2016: 17–18).

Herodotus (The Histories, 4.102–3) explained that some Amazon tribes had very cruel traditions demonstrating their wrath over men, even when they had surrendered or had been defeated. For instance, an Amazon tribe named “Tauri” used to sacrifice all their captured enemies, who among them were also Greeks, to the “Virgin goddess,” who was a local deity worshipped and identified by the Greeks as the goddess of hunt; Artemis. The sacrifice’s procedure was to hit the victim on the head with a club, and throw the body down to the cliff, where the Goddess’ temple stood and after the captive’s death, they impaled his head and buried the body. Therefore, it can be assumed that those tribes had loathed males’ domination. They wanted more than just to win the battle and remain alive, they wanted to eliminate their enemies, to banish from the face of the earth anything oppressive.

Furthermore, it can be also claimed that women who knew how to fight were dangerous and equal opponents to the male soldiers of Athens. Perhaps then, the persistent problem of Greek women’s oppression and their exclusion from combat could account for males’ insecurities and fear of losing to females in a battle, or perhaps losing control over the city.

Amazons and Greeks: A Collision of Different Ideologies

The Amazon myth provides a reasonable explanation for the fact that the goddess Athena, the founder of the city of Athens, was not seen as a threat to male domination. It is a well-known fact that Athena was a virgin goddess and also a warrior; two characteristics that opposed the Athenian ideology for females and thus could have been feared. Tyrrell (1984: 125) stated that “The Amazon myth explained Athena as a warrior-virgin who was not threatening.”

Therefore, it can be assumed that Amazons provided Greeks with an image of female challenge to order (Fantham and Foley, 1995: 128), since Amazons represented an untamed feminine type due to the lack of male’s authority. According to Fantham and Foley (1995: 134), Amazons failed to reach maturity and were viewed “in an androgynous state; half female, half male.” Braund (2021) also supports this theory claiming that Amazons despite being known as daughters of god of war, Ares, they were not immortals; in fact, the majority of them died on battlefields quite young, before reaching maturity or old age.

That oppressive ancient ideology of females’ power luckily seemed to change over time, since there are records of women taking part in non-nude competitions, such as the Equestrian races, an example first set by the Spartan heroine Cynisca (Miller, 2006: 153). Hence, it can be assumed that Greeks were aware of strong females. Moreover, as Breitweiser (2012) stated, “Two myths in particular, the first concerning the tribe of female warriors, the Amazons, and the second concerning the female athlete, Atalanta, show that ancient Greeks had notions of strong females” (p. 93).

Breitweiser’s theory can be supported by the fact that, in Brauron, a sanctuary to Artemis was discovered along with pottery showing depictions of running girls (Miller, 2006: 158). That Greek sanctuary was considered to be a wrestling school for girls and women. Based upon this evidence, it could be claimed that women participated in athletics, where men were forbidden to participate or watch. Breitweiser (2012: 98) also claimed that there is a chance that female gymnastics took place on the Acropolis, too. Also, every 4 years in Olympia, Heraea were conducted, an ancient Greek festival, where young virgin women were contesting in footraces (Pausanias, 1918: V, 16.2 - 3; see also Dillon, 2002: 37–73).

But, what did it achieve to include in the Greek male-dominated myths another female-dominated myth? Perhaps, it is no coincidence that the sanctuary of Artemis in Brauron was considered to be one of the first female wrestling schools in Greece, as the virgin goddess of hunt was one of the most important deities that Amazons worshiped. Amazons had rituals and traditional war dances dedicated to the goddess of warfare Athena and goddess of the hunt Artemis, with whom they shared a special connection. According to Braund (2021), Amazons of the city of Ephesos were responsible for the creation of the Artemis cult, which later on was spread and established in ancient Greek pagan religion.

Amazons lived in Scythia, which was a large territory located in today’s Ukraine and Southern Russia to Kazakhstan and Mongolia, forming many nomadic tribes there. Their nation flourished mostly between 700 BC and 500 AD mastering the art of war (Mayor, 2016: 56–59). Unlike Spartan women, Scythian Amazons were trained from an early age in combat skills and had battle experience. They used to carry a shield. They also wore armor, boots, and trousers resembling the Greek soldiers known as hoplites. They were capable of using any known weapon of that time, including axes, knives, swords, spears, bows, and arrows and were also glorious horse-riders.

Moreover, it is very important to refer to Plato’s comparison between Amazon true warriors and the women of Sparta, who were excluded from war training and battles. Plato stated that if Spartiate women wanted to be independent and be called strong, they should be actually trained the way Amazons did and participate in wars instead of staying in their homes pretending and not actually being “equals to men.”

Plato (1967–1968) stated that,

[Like the Amazons] or any other missile, nor could they take spear and shield, after the fashion of the Goddess, so as to be able nobly to resist the wasting of their native land, and to strike terror—if nothing more—into the enemy at the sight of them marshalled in battle-array? If they lived in this manner, they certainly would not dare to adopt the fashion of the Sauromatides, whose women would seem like men beside them. So, in regard to this matter, let who will commend your Laconian lawgivers. (Laws, 7.806b)

Contrary to the Athenian and Spartan ideologies, in Scythia, equalizing women to men was necessary. Amazons were nomadic tribes living a hard life as they were always on the move and needing to fight and defend themselves against other hostile tribes. Due to this, every member of the tribe including women was a stakeholder; thus, everyone had to contribute to survival.

Scientific Proof of Amazons’ Existence

Archeologists have brought to light new evidence indicating that the Amazons’ existence can be scientifically proved since a discovery of one thousand Scythian graves (kurgans) with skeletons, golden artifacts, clothing, armor, and weapons was made. Before the DNA testing method was used, archeologists considered that every skeleton buried with weapons and armor was a male warrior. But today’s advanced technology has revealed that approximately one-third of the Scythian fighters were women, since three hundred graves of women buried with spears, swords, and arrows have been reported from the Bronze age until the second century AD (Mayor, 2016: 56).

Women’s burials were honored the same way as men’s by sacrificing horses and having great feasts for the mourners. Like men, female warriors were also accompanied by their armor, tools, and weapons. The youngest female warrior who was found dead, was only 10–14 years old, demonstrating that these tribes were trained from an early age in battles called Amazonomachies (Mayor, 2016: 56–57).

Most of the Scythian women seem to have died of fatal wounds from battlefields such as arrowheads, which were found in bones, smashed ribs, and shattered skulls from axes. The discovery of several frozen mummies in Altai also proved that Scythian women were tattooed similarly to men supporting the equalization of both genders from a feminist perspective.

Amazons and Atalanta’s Myth

Another myth known to the Greeks as similar to the Amazons’ legend was that of Atalanta, supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment. Barringer (1996: 68) claimed that Atalanta was a complex mythical Greek female figure, possibly from a work by the poet Stesichorus between 570 and 560 BC. Barringer explained that Stesichorus was known for his innovative treatment of traditional myths, and his influence on both tragedy and vase-painting of sixth century BC.

Porter (2020) supported the notion that “Classical art experts struggle to explain why Atalanta, a Greek heroine, was shown wearing Scythian-style outfits like those worn by Amazons and why, unlike any other female figure in Greek myth, she was portrayed as a wrestler” (p. 31).

The Greek myth of Atalanta appeared for the first time in an Attic vase-painting in 560 BC and later was widely used in palaestrae (which in Greek means “wrestling-grounds”) hanging around with male wrestlers. Mayor (2014, cited in Porter: 31) supported the idea that Atalanta’s depictions of wrestling with Peleus bear a great deal of resemblance to an Abkhazian folktale, in which Gunda “the Beautiful,” a strong warrior woman, vowed she would marry only the man who would defeat her in wrestling (Mayor, 2014, cited in Porter, 2020: 31).

Thus, the figure of Atalanta could originate from Scythia. “[Her] wedding challenge was shocking in a Greek context, . . . vigorous young women setting athletic contests for potential suitors is a ubiquitous theme in Caucasian, Persian, and steppe nomad traditions” (Mayor, 2014 cited in Porter, 2020: 31). Consequently, it is assumed that the Greeks knew about a place where Atalanta could fit perfectly among powerful women and that place was the Amazon lands.

The myth of Atalanta and the Amazons represent the Greek fascination for a specific type of woman; the erotic, the desirable but yet deadly female archetype, which can be associated with many other Greek myths and also other Eastern traditions referring to Phrygian and Scythian archers in the early sixth century BC (Barringer, 2003: 558, 2004: 13).

Barringer, opposing Mayor’s thesis, claimed that Amazons were nothing more than just a myth. Moreover, Barringer (2004: 13) concluded that, in reality, those wrestling women, being under normal circumstances lighter weight in comparison to their male opponents and also 5–15 years younger than the suitors, could not possibly win the wrestling match. Hence, in a wrestling match with them, Mayor’s theory fails to explain how it would have been possible for them to win the match. Either way, no one can deny that Atalanta represented the untamed need of freedom for young Greek women, the nature of marriage for young people of both genders, and the high feminine and feminist principles.

Love Among Amazons

Romance in the Amazon tribes was possible, even though, it is widely known that they preferred to be sexually independent. As Herodotus mentioned in Histories (4.110–17), some Scythian warriors fell in love with a band of Amazons and proposed marriage, but the women refused as they preferred to stay independent.

Herodotus (1920) wrote that,

Our business is with riding and the bow and javelin—we know nothing of women’s work. We must be free to hunt and make war . . . We and they therefore could never agree . . . Nay, if you desire to keep us for wives and to have the name of just men, go to your parents and let them give you the allotted share of their possessions, and after that let us go and dwell by ourselves. The young men agreed and did this. (The Histories, 4.114)

Consequently, the lovers, after agreeing on these terms, created a new tribe, raising girls and boys equally teaching them to hunt, ride, and fight. It must also be underlined that Herodotus claimed that the Amazons spoke of “just men,” meaning that they did have ideals and knew their rights, supporting equality of women and men, protecting their freedom and also protesting against male domination as perhaps one of the earliest types of true feminism and ecofeminism.

Most of the Amazons, though, had independence in their sexual life, seeking mostly pleasure along with reproductive purposes. According to Herodotus (Histories, 4.113–117), at midday, Amazons used to roam alone or in pairs seeking the company of men, even from foreign tribes speaking different languages. They used hand signs and body language in order to communicate, and when they found someone available and willing to lie with them, then they had intercourse.

Another well-known ancient Persian romance was inspired by Queen Zarina of “Saka tribe.” During the Median Empire (625–550 BC), she conquered many of her enemies. In one battle, she was knocked down from her horse but her life was spared by her enemy Mede commander Stryngaeus due to her bravery and passion for war. On a later occasion, however, he was captured by the “Saka tribe” only to be freed by queen Zarina as a return favor for sparing her life. Some scholars though indicate that the commander returned declaring undying love to his former enemy, while the famous Persian love story claimed that both of them spared each other’s life and thus, their friendship and passionate love was more than possible (Mayor, 2016: 56–59).

Amazons in Greek Mythology and Iconographic Art

Rich iconographic depictions have been found in Greece from the Bronze age, especially in the Aegean. Mycenaeans and Minoans showed a huge interest in mythologic and fantastic theme depictions such as The Amazons (Blakolmer, 2010: 23–24, 41–42, 2012: 60–61; Petropoulos, 2018: 214–215). In the early seventh century BC, Greek artists started to accept and adopt the influences of the Orientalizing art using mythological depictions of fantastic creatures such as Chimera and Amazons, thus establishing Oriental art in Greece.

During the Mycenaean period, there were mythologic traditions and religious symbolisms with monsters and other fantastic creatures in Greece, but with the destruction of Mycenae, the iconographic depictions of those themes disappeared (Blakolmer, 2010: 23–24, 41–42, 2012: 60–61; Petropoulos, 2018: 214–215). However, those mythological traditions were kept orally alive and passed on from generation to generation until their re-appearance in Greece through the iconographic depictions of such creatures on Oriental vases in early seventh century BC, which could also explain why Hesiod and the other Greeks had accepted them so easily; since they were already known to them from older times (Petropoulos, 2018: 214).

Amazons are mostly known from the Greek myths through the fact that many Greek heroes in order to prove their worth had to kill an Amazon queen. Iobates ordered Bellerophon to combat the Amazons and kill them (Apollodorus, 1921: 2.3). Those heroic Amazon killing actions significantly inspired Greek iconographic art. Some outstanding examples were Hercules, Theseus, and Achilles’ battling with Amazons (e.g. Hippolyte, Antiope, and Penthesilea) depicted in early Attic red figure and late black figure vases (Hastrup Blinkenberg, 2016: 14–18).

Amazons are presented as monsters in Greek mythology almost impossible to kill as they were excellent warriors, but it is worth mentioning that in iconographic depictions and vase paintings, they are always presented being killed by a Greek hero and never the opposite, as a way to stimulate male dominance proving that civilization and patriarchy wins over nature and matriarchy, which are closely related to each other due to their common reproductive nature out of ecofeminist and spiritual feminist perspective (Braund, 2021).

Iconographic depictions of Amazon killing themes have a sexual aesthetic. Amazons’ sculptures were mostly presented half naked with their breasts exposed. Male fascination related Amazons to love and death, as they are presented being sexy, and yet deadly dangerous (Braund, 2021). To explain his statement, Braund provides the example of Achilles, who fell in love with his enemy, the Amazon queen Penthesilea, at the moment of her death.

According to Braund (2021), Amazons were figments of male imagination. Their myth had sexual purposes along with sexist and political use through the depiction of women as inferior to men. Alexander the Great was the only Greek hero, who did not have to prove his worth by slaying an Amazon Queen. He chose to have intercourse with her, not out of love, but as an alternative way of submitting women as inferior to his dominance.

Amazons were also closely related to nature. Therefore, they were always depicted in bright and light colors without too much armor, being exposed to danger, as they were unprotected. They seem to be innocent, vulnerable, pure, and fragile, having fallen on their knees at the moment of their death, while their killers are always presented in dark colors, dressed fully with all the necessary armor being completely protected. The Amazon killers seem to be superior, older, and with larger body structure than their female opponents (Braund, 2021). Amazons might be strong, fierce, and independent, but they are still women, who also have a feminine and vulnerable side, which was a well-hidden aspect of their character.

The Amazon feminist iconography is a huge theme with a vast number of preserved archeological and artistic examples. It is worth mentioning that the first recognizable Amazon depiction in Greek art is believed to be from the seventh century BC, while the majority of Amazon iconography is found to be on Attic black and red figure vases since more than 800 vases depict at least one Amazon figure if not many more (Hastrup Blinkenberg, 2016: 15–16).

The Amazons’ theme was also used widely in architectural sculpture in the late Archaic period. According to Hastrup Blinkenberg (2016: 16–19), Amazonomachiae occurred on buildings such as the Treasury of the Athenians in Delphi, the Temple of Apollo in Eretria, the Parthenon and the Hephaestion in Athens, the Temple of Apollo in Bassae, and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Amazonomachy was also used in long friezes and in a large number of metopes.

Unfortunately, the Classical Amazonomachiae from the Parthenon’s metopes are very badly preserved or have not been preserved at all like, for instance, the famous Stoa Poikile’s paintings (Pausanias, 1918: 1.15). But in 2007, mosaics of extraordinary beauty were found in Turkey (Urfa) depicting four powerful Amazon queens: Melanippe, Hippolyte, Penthesilea, and Antiope (Mayor, 2020: 1–2).

Phidias’ Athena Parthenos is considered to be one of the finest examples of Amazonomachy and Theseus’ battle for Athens. The preserved copies of the Amazonomachy from the shield demonstrate the fact that the Ephesian Amazons from the Amazon Monument of Ephesus and the Amazons from Athena’s shield are closely related as their clothing and their attitude matches. The Ephesian Amazons’ depiction with the characteristic gorytos (which is a combination of bow and arrow case) is known by the “Scythian archers,” who seem to be in a very close relation to the Goddess of the hunt, Artemis (Devambez, 1976: 270–274).

The Amazons depicted on the shield are dressed mostly in short chitons covering one breast and shoulder. This image of the Amazon is widely seen in Classical and later depictions, and it is equally unrealistic with the depiction of Greek heroes fighting naked, except for the use of their sword and shield. This display of human body seems to have no other reason than the identification of the fighter’s gender (e.g. female/male), because if the Amazons had been depicted wearing their jackets and trousers (e.g. Scythians), then their femininity would be difficult to detect by the public (Hastrup Blinkenberg, 2016: 18–20).

The Amazon Monument of Ephesus has been veiled in mystery, and through the years many researchers have given their own assumptions and interpretations of its purpose of construction. One of those theories stressed by Fleischer and Wünsche suggested that this monument had a connection with asylum at the Artemis’ Sanctuary at Ephesus (Fleischer, 2002; Wünsche, 2008: 143–144). Fleischer (2002) also suggested that the theme of the frieze from the Hadrianeum at Ephesus depicted the Amazons as they found asylum in the Artemis’ Sanctuary, while trying to escape from Hercules.

Another interpretation of the monument’s origins considers the Amazons as the founders of either the city of Ephesus, the Sanctuary of Artemis, or even perhaps both of them (Bammer, 1984: 74). A Mycenaean grave indicates some Greek presence in the late Bronze Age, but the exact nature of this cannot yet be determined. The oldest levels found under the archaic Artemision belonged to the proto-geometric period, while most of the archeological findings are from the late geometric period.

The Ephesian Amazons are mythic creatures and not real historic characters. Boardman (2002: 65) explained that Greeks of the Classical period tried to explain their world and their past, in which writing had not been established yet, and all stories were orally spoken, through myth. The Ephesian people saw the Amazons as part of their history. Recently, it has been suggested that the “Ephesian Amazon” myth was created in order to preserve the memory of the city’s independence (Mee, 2008: 372–374) through strong female warriors, who clashed with the Athenian male-dominated ideology of keeping women’s position restricted in the household and inferior to men (Mac Sweeney, 2013: 154–155).

To conclude, the Ephesian Amazon Monument might be interpreted in many different ways: as a way to remember the early history of the city of Ephesus, one of the most important cities in Asia Minor, either to remember the annual Amazon rituals probably carried out in Artemis’ name, or to acknowledge the Ephesus equalization and connection with the early history of Athens, where the Amazon battle played a significant role in the Classical period. Either of those cases, the Amazon Monument was created as a statement of independence and pride in the name of Ephesus’ city.

However, it should be mentioned that the Amazons’ myth was not an ancient trend that died. Their myth never stopped influencing the arts. Amazons have opened new radical feministic ways to women’s empowerment. Wonder Woman (O’Neil, 1973) is a distinctive example of the modern fantastic Amazons’ creation, since this cinematic character became a radical female superhero, a feministic role model in the use of women’s empowerment that opened the way to the creation of more modern female action characters. Redington and Harney (2016: back cover) also stated that these heroines are “powerful and progressive pop icons,” which are still gaining in popularity.

In today’s popular culture, their empowering and untamed type of character continues to inspire the creation of multiple fantasy and adventure video games (e.g. Smite, animations like Disney’s Brave (Andrews, 2012), television such as the legendary tv-series Xena: The Warrior Princess (Raimi, Schulian, Stewart, 1995–2001) and the Daenerys Targaryen’s tribe in the Game of Thrones series (Benioff, Weiss, 2011–2019), and cinematic films such as the Hobbit trilogy (Jackson, 2012–2014), the Hunger games saga (Ross and Lawrence, 2012–2015), The Huntsman: The Winter’s War (Nicolas-Troyan, 2016), Your Highness (Green, 2011), and Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins, 2017), some of the most indicative and most outstanding examples of the Greek feministic female warrior archetype).

Conclusion

The independent and radical nature of the Amazon spirit changed the way men used to see female gender in ancient Greece and in the ancient world, in general, questioning male domination by risking and sacrificing their lives for their feministic fight. Amazons were aspiring women taking control and setting an example that was followed by other women, such as Spartans. Their untamed bravery was honored even by their Greek enemies.

The myth of the Amazons (if not their actual existence) is undeniable evidence that ancient humankind had indeed a notion of strong females, proving at the same time that women’s fight for equality goes way back in time, long before the well-known waves of feminism. Concluding, whether they were mythic or historical figures might remain a mystery, but Amazons’ legend would continue living and influencing women through culture, arts, and mythology.