In Greek mythology, Amazons were a warlike tribe of women descended
from the god of war, Ares and the naiad Harmonia.
They originated from
the area around the Caucasus Range and settled on the bank of the
Thermodon River in Pontus, Asia Minor and founded the town of
Themiscyra on the coast of the Euxine (modern Terme, on the Black Sea
coast of Turkey). For the continuation of the Amazon race, the women mated with the
neighboring Gargarean men for a short period each year. Male children
born from these unions were either sent to the Gargareans or killed.
Another version of the myth tells of a number of men kept for mating
purposes, but had the status of slaves, and were allowed to perform
only those tasks executed in other countries by women. Legend also say
the legs and arms of these men were mutilated to prevent their
challenging the Amazons' power.
Women entirely ruled their society, and two queens, one for defense
and one for domestic affairs, shared the sovereign rule. Whether men
were or were not included in the Amazon state, only women bore arms,
not only defending their own country, but making conquest expeditions
into neighboring territories. They fought both on foot and on
horseback, carrying crescent shields and wielding spears, bows and
battle axes. In some myths, it is said female children had their right
breast seared in order to draw a bow and throw javelins more
effeciently as adults.
War, hunting, agriculture and training girl Amazons were their
principal pursuits. It was said they were the first humans to ride on
horseback. The Amazons were especially devoted to the goddess of
hunting, Artemis.
Stories about the Amazons belong to the earliest Greek sagas. Homer
mentions them in a way which shows that they were familiar to his
audience. When in historical times the Greeks became familiar with the
Thermodon region and found no Amazons there, they supposed either
Heracles (Hercules) had destroyed them all, or they had been driven
away. Thus in later legends, the Amazons were moved further and
further away from their original homeland, but they were always
located on the fringe of the world as it was then known to the Greeks.
They were said to be of Scythian origin from Colchis (south of the
Caucasus) and there was also supposed to be a race of Amazons in
Africa. They were, in any case, always foreign to the Greek homeland,
and to the Greeks, like all foreigners, they were viewed as
barbarians.
