In the Mysts of Shadowed Mysteries...famous Women in Mythology

Amazons

Introduction
The Amazons were found in Asia Minor. They are described as a warlike group of women who ruled themselves. They were said to have decend from Ares, the god of war. They settled near the river known as Thermodon River, near the connection of it to the Black Sea. The city they built there was noted as Themiscyra. Mainly, they persued war. However, they were avid hunters, farmers, and were said to be the first humans to ride horse back.

Any men within the Amazons were servents or lower. To have children, the women went to the Gargarean men, which were nearby to them. If the woman had a male child, he would either be killed or sent back to the Gargareans.

It is interesting to note that Amazon means "breastless". This is due to the fact that female children's breasts were seared. (Either both of them were, or the right one was.) This would allow them, as adults, to be able to control items like bows much more efficiently.

Encounters with Men
The Argonauts sailed past the Amazons in order to get to Colochis. Heracles often returned to the area afterward. One of the times that he returned was due to Eurystheus. Eurystheus' daughter, Admete, wanted the girdle of Hippolyte, who was the queen of the Amazons. As one of the labors he gave to Heracles - the nineth labor - he ordered him to recieve the girdle. The girdle itself was a gift from Ares.

While on this mission, Heracles killed many Amazons. They were Aella, Alcippe, Asteria, Celaeno, Deianeira, Eriboea, Eurybia, Marpe, Phillippis, Prothoe, Pheobe, and Tecmessa. In return for the girdle, he allowed Melanippe to stay alive. During this time, he also gave Antiope to Theseus, his cousin. Some say that Theseus abducted her, and others claim that he won her from his accompaniment with Heracles on his journey.

Expansions of the Amazons
Soon after Antiope was taken away by Theseus, the Amazons invaded Attica. Antiope fought by his side, and she was killed by Molpadia. The Amazons couquered the countryside, and perhaps even more than that. Certain places cite that they went into Peloponnesus.

Eventually, a treaty was finally signed. After that, the Amazons left the area, and some say they were defeated. When this happened, Hippolyte fled and died of grief.

The Other Amazons
There was another group of women known as the Amazons. They were much like the others, except men in their society were not always slaves. Their queen, Myrina, created a grant army consisting of three thousand calvery and thirty thousand foot soldiers.

Like the other tribe of Amazons, they were extremely abitious. They first invaded Atlantians, and they destroyed the city of Cerne. After this feat, they attacked the Gorgons and became victorious once again. They killed many of them and took about three thousand of them captive. Sadly, the Gorgans were capable of escaping.

After Perseus helped the Amazons with the Gorgans, they focused their forces else where. They traveled from the Atlantic Ocean across to Egypt through heavy warfare. Along the way, they established several outpost. All of which were later overrun by Mopsus and Sipylus. When this happened, Myrina was also slain.

Dionysus then joined with the Amazons in order to overcome Titans and Cronus. After this, however, Dionysus turned on the Amazons. (It is still uncertain, however, which "Amazons" this refers to - the one I mention before or the group I am explaining now.) On the island of Samos, Dionysus killed the Amazons. There were so many bodies that the area was named Panhaema.

Bibliography
Robert E. Bell's Women of Classical Mythology - Published 1991
Encyclopedia Mythica - 1995-2002