The Amazons were a village of only women descendants of Ares, god of war and nymph Harmonia. They were sometimes to the north, others to the Caucasus plains, and others to the plains of the left bank of the Danube. In his government no man intervenes, and as chief they have a queen. The presence of men was permitted as long as they performed serfdom. In order to perpetuate the race, they united with strangers, but kept only the girls. If they were born men, it is counted in some versions, that they mutilated them leaving them blind and lame. Other sources indicate that they were killed. By decree, all the girls cut a breast, to facilitate the use of the bow and the handling of the spear. From this custom comes its name 'Amazons' from the Greek 'amazwn' which means 'those who have no sine'.
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| The amazons |
They were a very warlike people, so their main goddess was Artemis the hunter. Because of this, they were credited with the founding of Ephesus and the construction of the Great Temple of Artemis.
Of this town, there are many legends where great heroes had to face them. For example, Bellerophon who fought against them by mandate of Yóbates. One of the best known is when Heracles (Hercules) fulfills the mission assigned to him by Eurystheus, and goes to the banks of the Termodonte to take possession of the belt of Hipólita, Queen of the Amazons. She consented to deliver the belt to Heracles, but the jealous Hera (wife of the god Zeuz) provoked a rebellion among the Amazons, and Heracles had to kill Hippolyta. Theseus who accompanied Heracles in his mission, took Antiope, one of the Amazons. They, annoyed by this audacity and to avenge the rapture, made war against Athens, but were defeated by the Athenians who were led by Theseus.
Another legendary feat that involves them, is the help they gave to the Trojans during the Trojan War. Penthesilea, Queen Amazon, sent a support group to Priam, Trojan king. Achilles killed Penthesilea, who, before dying, made him fall madly in love with her, which inflicted great suffering on him.
