THE AMAZONS -THE BREASTLESS
WARRIORS
© Georgios Paraskevopoulos
The topics I will post will be on the most known Amazons and their legends. I have a complete list on all mentioned in Greek legends. I have needed books Homer's Iliad, Hercacles labours and Theseus labours in origianl language and in my posts I will use those books as sourses to refer to.
Click above for a unusual Hellenic Review
The Amazons were warrior women, who are
described in Homer's Iliad as "antianeirai", meaning: those who go to
war against men. They were also described by Herodotus as
"androktones", killers of males. It is believed they resided in
Pontus (Northern Black Sea), Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). There are
differing views as to how many nations of Amazons there were. The most famous
came from Pontus, with Themiscyra as their capital, and it is said that it was
this community who built Ephesus on the central west coast of Asia Minor.
History records Ephesus as being built circa 1050 BCE. by Ionian
Greeks.
The name Amazon is believed to descend from the
word "amazoi" which in Greek means "breast less", deriving
from the legend that says they removed their young girls right breast, as to
facilitate the drawing of the bow, as the bow and arrows were their main
weapon. They also used sword, double sided axe and carried a distinctive
crescent shaped shield. Most of their fighting was done from horseback. Some
say the breast was removed by cutting, others that it was burnt off while the
child was young, and one legend says they removed the breast themselves.
There is also another account that in
prehistoric times the island Lemnos was only inhabited by women. This island
was called gynaikokratumene, which means "reigned by women". In the
Greek myth about the Argonauts a group of men comes to this island on their way
to the land of Colchis (in the East of the Black Sea). According to this
account this island was only inhabited by women, a queen named Hypsipyle ruled
over this women's state. It is interesting that the women of Lemnos received
the Greeks kindly. These women of Lemnos lived as self-confident Amazons on
this island, their aim of life was not focused on fighting against men.
Kindly Regards
Georgios