Did Amazon Women Really Exist?
They are mentioned time and again by the ancient Greeks in both their history and mythology. Herodotus writes they were the descendants of Scythian men and shipwrecked Greek women. Other writers came along and embellished the story, describing formidable warriors who cut off one breast to be better archers (not possible by the way — they would have bled to death.)
They lived in women-only communities, taking lovers once a year solely for the purpose of procreation. These ferocious, independent, goddess-worshipping women were called the Amazons.
Amazons were reviled and revered, admired and yet feared. Some of the most memorable Amazons from antiquity include Antiope, who the hero Theseus won during a raid and made his concubine (you can imagine how well that went over), Pentheselia, who met Achilles in battle during the Trojan War, and Myrina, Queen of the African Amazons.
But the Greeks didn’t have a monopoly on the name “Amazon,” it was also used through the ages to describe warrior women in general, including a group living on the Amazon River in South America. The idea of bellicose all-female communities has captivated many cultures throughout history, including our own today.
Wonder Woman, Xena, Lara Croft, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all embody the Amazon archetype. These are all strong, independent women…
