Where did the Amazons live? Amazons - unusual stories from history.

Amazons of Ancient Russia

The Amazons, legendary female warriors who burned their right breasts to make archery easier, had a passionate hatred for men and only allowed them on their bodies once a year to procreate. For a long time, scientists have argued about whether the Amazons really existed or were the product of the fantasies of ancient historians and travelers, but the latest finds from archaeologists have confirmed their reality.

Despite recent archaeological finds, little is known about the Amazons. Until recently, many historians were rather suspicious of the testimonies of female warriors of the Greek historian Herodotus, who widely drew on myths and legends as sources in his writings. According to Herodotus, there was a proud and freedom-loving tribe of female warriors, masterly wielding weapons and despising men.
In order to continue their family, the Amazons sometimes met men, but of the children they were born, they kept only girls.

Boys, according to some sources, were simply killed, according to others - they were sent to their fathers. It happened that the Amazons remained virgins until the end of their lives, because in order to know a man, according to Herodotus, it was necessary to kill at least one enemy, of course, he was a representative of the "stronger sex".
Archery was one of the main military priorities among the Amazons, they even went to a terrible operation - cauterizing their right chest, which prevented them from pulling the bowstring and aiming. Perhaps the meaning of the bow for these women warriors was to inflict maximum defeat on the enemy at a distance, but even in hand-to-hand combat, the Amazons were terrible, especially when they rushed at the enemy with a terrible squeal, swinging their battle axes. Imagine the shock of the men when, after a hail of arrows, such a screaming, shrieking and busty army fell upon him ... By the time they regained consciousness, it was often too late - the Amazons prevailed.
I doubt the Amazons looked as attractive as they are usually shown in adventure TV series: the absence of one breast, battle scars, lean muscular body, crooked legs from the "cavalry life" - all this hardly attracted men especially. Although, I do not exclude that I am mistaken, because the legendary Theseus, the winner of the Minotaur, the queen of the Amazons, Antiope, was kidnapped. Theseus considered her beautiful, well, it has long been known that at all times the criteria for beauty were quite different. This abduction ended in a big war: the Amazons, trying to recapture their queen, even conquered Attica, it took some effort to expel them from there. To this day, in Athens, you can see bas-reliefs on the northern side of the Parthenon depicting scenes of the battle with the Amazons.
The Amazons are mentioned in Homer's Iliad, and the poet Pausanias (2nd century) even claimed that female warriors came to the aid of the Trojans, but were defeated by the Greeks. According to some sources, the kingdom of the Amazons with the capital Themiscira was located in Asia Minor near the river Fermodont, and the ancient Greek historian Diodorus of Siculus placed the Amazons on the borders of the inhabited world. It is curious that, according to his data, the Amazons still lived with men who did all the housework instead of women: taking care of the children, preparing food ... These housewives did not participate in military campaigns. According to Plutarch, the Amazons lived in the Black Sea region.
Many have written about the Amazons, but known sources still do not allow us to accurately determine the location of their kingdom. Maybe this is due to the constant migration of female warriors? Now this assumption finds some confirmation in the finds of archaeologists. Burials of women with military weapons were found even on the territory of Kazakhstan. It is believed that they belonged to the tribe of the Sarmatian nomads and could well be the sought-after legendary Amazons. The Amazons most likely belonged to the Sarmatian and Scythian nomadic tribes. They probably did not lead a sedentary lifestyle and constantly roamed, perhaps sometimes over great distances due to the threat of enemies or drought. This explains such a discrepancy in determining the place of the kingdom of warlike women.

The surviving islets of matriarchy

Historians consider the Amazons to be surviving islands of matriarchy at dawn human history... The practical absence of historical information about them was explained in a rather peculiar way by one of the feminist scholars: “Men made every effort to destroy any reminders of the former kingdom of women. Ancient historians amicably passed over this era in silence. The only thing that can be asserted with certainty: there was a stage in the history of mankind when a woman assumed the functions of a leader and protector. "
Let me disagree with this opinion. On the contrary, exotic female warriors have always been interested in men and the discovery of some kind of Amazons in any part of the world has always been reflected in the accounts of travelers. So, even Christopher Columbus, during his travels, having learned from the Indians about some island where only women live, fired up the idea of opening the kingdom of the Amazons. He even named the group of islands the Virgin Islands (Dev Islands). Marco Polo also described the island he discovered near South India with a purely female population.
It is curious that the conquistadors also tried to find in South America amazons. One of the participants in the campaign, Francisco de Orellana, even described a battle that took place between the Spaniards and female warriors armed with bows and arrows. According to him, they were tall and white-skinned, with long hair braided in braids. Was it a fantasy of the warriors or this battle actually happened, who knows? Until now, from time to time there are reports of the discovery of tribes of women in the little-explored areas of the Amazon basin. It is difficult to say yet if they are newspaper ducks or if they have any grain of truth.
More specific data also testify to the martial art of women, to the fact that the Amazons could very well exist. It is known, for example, that the last king of Dahomey had a guard of 4 thousand black female warriors, fierce and merciless. Almost Amazons existed in Bohemia as early as the 8th century, their residence was the "Castle of the Virgins" on Mount Vidolve.
They robbed the surrounding peasants and made men their slaves. The leader of this female freeman was the beautiful Vlasta. Together with her fellow warriors, she died in battle when the men finally decided to put things in order.

The Amazons lived in Russia!

Perhaps you shouldn't look for a country of women warriors on the distant shores of the Amazon and in hot Africa, it was in Russia. On the map of Charles V, dating from the 16th century, between the Volga and the Don (the region of the Sea of Azov, Tatarstan, below the Volga-Don railroad) it is written "AMAXONYM", this is the land of the Amazons.
And here is what the historian Mavro Orbini (16-17 centuries) writes in a very curious chapter "On the Amazons - Glorious Slavic Warriors", placed in one of his books: "The bravery of the wives of this people is attached to the lordship of the glory of the Slavic clan. And most of all - AMAZON, who were the wives of the Sarmatians of the Slavs; their dwellings were by the Volga River. " According to the historian, the "Amazons" went through the whole of Asia Minor, "they took Armenia, Galatia, Syria, Cilicia, and Pass under the yoke," took part in the Trojan War "and remained firm in their sovereignty even until the time of Alexander the Great."
There is a mention of the Amazons in the Russian "Tale of Bygone Years", only here they are called "Mazovians". This old Russian text also talks about the fact that the Amazons do not constantly live with men, but only meet for the purpose of having offspring, and the boys are killed and only girls are raised. Here is this passage: "And the people of Mazovia do not have a husband ... but they will be the same in the summer by a spring day, and they will be reckoned with the surrounding ... If a child is born, they will destroy, if it is a maiden sex, then they will revive and diligently eat it."
Of course, you can cite as many different written references to the Amazons as you like, but if you really want to, they can all be explained by the myth of women warriors wandering from people to people. It is not surprising that the story of Herodotus about the Amazons was ridiculed by the ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabo (64/63 BC - 23/24 AD), he wrote: “Who would believe that once there could be an army of women created without the participation of men, and so well-coordinated that she raided the lands of neighboring peoples. To say this is the same as to say that in those days husbands played the role of wives, and wives played the role of husbands ... ”.
Such skepticism can be eradicated only with completely material evidence, and, fortunately, there is! I think that the remains of the Amazons were found in the mounds for a long time, but some of the mounds were plundered in antiquity, in others the skeletons were significantly damaged, there were not always specialists who could distinguish the highly fragmented female remains from the male ones. Moreover, weapons were found in the mounds, which immediately suggested a male burial.
The Amazons were both among the Scythians and among the Sarmatians. Their burials were found on the territory of Russia and Ukraine. Perhaps one of the first burials of Amazons was discovered during the opening of a mound in the Voronezh region in the early 90s of the 20th century. It was a burial of the Scythian period, it contained a female skeleton, next to which lay darts and a quiver with arrows. The archaeologists also found beads in the grave. At first, scientists, of course, did not believe in the discovery of the Amazon's burial; they suggested that a man and a woman were originally buried in the mound. In their opinion, the male skeleton could have been thrown away or transferred during the looting of the burial ground. However, in this case, fragments of a male skeleton would most likely have remained in the burial, but Moscow anthropologists could not find them, it turned out that it was the woman who was buried in the mound, and the weapon belonged to her.
In 1995, scientists found in Krasnodar Territory two more burials of Amazons, next to the skeletons lay quivers with arrows, daggers for hand-to-hand combat. One of the buried, according to anthropologists, was a 14-year-old girl, her leg bones betrayed a skillful rider in her - they were twisted due to constant riding.
In 1998, archaeologists found six amazon burials at once in the Voronezh region (Ostrogorsky district). The newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” wrote about this discovery: “As established by the specialists of the institute, these were women 20-25 years old (the average life expectancy of a person at that time was 30-40 years), average height and modern physique. In their graves, in addition to weapons, they found gold earrings, details of a spindle, a bone comb with a cheetah and in almost every tomb - a bronze or silver mirror. "
In the 90s of the 20th century, archaeologists excavated burial mounds in the Volga region, and in 2005 an international expedition worked in this area. Although men were buried in many mounds, there were also female burials, and they contained good-quality weapons and valuable, including gold, funeral gifts. Examination of the female remains showed that they rode a lot during their lifetime. As a result of archaeological excavations, it turned out that of all the burial mounds studied in the lower reaches of the Volga River, a fifth belonged to female warriors.
And by 2006, burial mounds of Amazons were discovered by archaeologists on the Don as well. Doctor of Historical Sciences V. Gulyaev said the following about these findings: “Our expedition established (thanks to the constant presence of anthropologists) that armed young women from noble families were buried in six of the 59 investigated kurgans near the villages of Ternovoye and Kolbino. Next to them is the usual set of weapons: a pair of darts, a spear, a bow and arrows with bronze and iron tips. Then dear Jewelry of Greek production and items of purely feminine use - bronze mirrors, earrings, beads, spinning wheels made of clay and lead. "
Now it is quite possible to say that in 30 km from Rostov-on-Don, not far from the ruins of the ancient city of Tanais, the burials of a whole detachment of Amazons have been found. In one of these burials, the skeleton of a young girl was discovered, next to which lay a shield and a short sword. The girl's leg bones were twisted, indicating constant horseback riding. And many similar burials have been found here. Valery Chesnok, senior researcher at the Tanais Archaeological Museum-Reserve, is sure that the Amazons lived on the territory modern Russia, because on ancient maps the Don River was often called the Amazon River.
It is curious that, according to historical standards, female warriors existed in Russia quite recently, just a few centuries ago. It is known that in 1641, during the famous Azov sitting in the battle with the Turks, in addition to the male warriors, Cossack riders also participated. They perfectly shot from a bow and inflicted significant damage on the Turks.
In Russia, women warriors were called "polonitsa" (in some sources - "polyanitsa"), they became heroes of Russian epics and fairy tales, but historical information about them you have to collect literally bit by bit. However, in the light of the latest finds in the Volga region and on the Don, scientists clearly have to revise our

Sounds like a pretty fairy tale, doesn't it? But nevertheless, if there are myths and legends that have passed through the centuries about such women, if famous scientists of antiquity mention them (and modern scientists do not dispute the possibility of the existence of Amazons), then, probably, there is some truth in this.

What does "amazon" mean?

According to some sources, "Amazon" means "a mazos" - chestless. Teenage girls from the tribe burned their right breasts with hot coals so that they would not interfere in battle. But this source can be questioned, because not a single image of the Amazons that has come down to us shows breastless women. Other sources claim that this name comes from the Iranian word "ha-mazan" - warriors. Another option - from the word "a masso" - inviolable (for men).

Kingdom of the amazons

Where did they come from and where did they live? And here scientists differ in opinion. Some say that the Amazons were nomads, others that they had their own kingdom on the coast. Mediterranean Sea(or in the Crimea). Third sources claim that a tribe of militant women came from Asia Minor (somewhere from the foot of the Caucasus) or from the coast of the Sea of Azov.

There is also such a myth: the Amazons were so good in battle that the god Dionysus asked them for help to overthrow the titans. After defeating them, Dionysus ... defeated the Amazons. Few managed to hide from the insidious and vengeful god in the temple of Artemis. Then they went to conquer Asia, fought in the Crimea, conquered Syria, built the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, and others. On the river Fermodon, the Amazons were captured by the Greeks and wanted to be transported by sea to their homeland. But the warriors did not want to submit - they killed the crew of the ship, and soon, by the will of the winds, the ship with the Amazons nailed to the Scythian lands. The Scythians wished to get offspring from such miracle women, and sent a detachment of beautiful young men to subdue them. This is how a new nationality appeared - the Savramats.

Amazons in mythology

V Greek mythology these warrior maidens were descended from the god of war Ares and the naiad Harmony. Lysippa is considered the first Amazon. The goddess Artemis was called their patroness of the Amazon, and they revered her in every possible way. During the Trojan War, the Amazons fought on the side of the Trojans, and the famous Greek hero Achilles was forced to kill their queen. Bellerfont and Theseus also fought with the Amazons. And Hercules' ninth feat was the task - to take away the magic belt from the leader of the warlike maidens. It was supposed to be the ransom for the kidnapping of Hippolyta, the daughter of Queen Antiope.

According to legend, the Amazons were superb with a bow, a small double-sided battle ax (labrys), a short sword and a light shield. The Amazon made their own armor and helmets.

Images of Amazons in the visual arts

Myths about the Amazons have spawned many works of art in painting and sculpture depicting warrior maidens. It is a popular subject in 7th century BC antique art. and in painting already in our time (the era of baroque and classicism). Plots of battles with the Amazons are present in the paintings of J. Palma the Elder, J. Tintoretto, G. Reni, etc.

Amazons as characters in literature and cinema

The Amazons and their exploits inspired such poets and playwrights of Europe as R. Granier ("Hippolyta"), Tirso de Molina ("Amazons in India"), Lope de Vega ("Amazons"), G. Kleist ("Penfesileia") and others In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Amazons are fantasy characters.

Many, I think, are familiar with the popular in the 90s of the last century series about a warrior woman and her companion Gabrielle "Xena - Warrior Princess".

"Amazon" company

This phenomenon took place in April 1787. In Crimea, they were waiting for the arrival of Empress Catherine II. By order of Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, a company of women (100 people) was created for this event. The Empress once heard from the prince about an unprecedented miracle - Greek warriors. Potemkin decided to surprise Catherine, and he succeeded. The Empress was sincerely delighted, and showered Potemkin with honors.

The creation of the "Amazon" company in the Crimea was undertaken by the Prime Major of the Balaklava Greek Regiment by the name of Chaponi (Greek by origin). He handed over the command of the company to his young wife, 19 years old, Elena Ivanovna Sarandova. The company consisted of the wives and daughters of the noble Balaklava Greeks. Women were taught to march and greet Catherine II. We have received information about that visit of the Empress, described in "Notes on the Amazonian Company" by G. Dusi. From these memories, we learn that when we saw the company "at the parade" - in green velvet jackets and crimson skirts, in white turbans with ostrich feathers (the "senior officers" even had guns with three rounds), Empress Catherine was very happy and said To Elena Sarandova: "I congratulate you, Amazon Captain, - your company is in good order, - I am very pleased with it." Soon after the Empress's departure, the company was disbanded. This fun cost her over 100,000 rubles.

Warlike virgins of our time

I think that all women sometimes had a feeling when they wanted to conquer and enslave the whole world. Each one feels remarkable strength, she can handle everything. Modern Amazons walk the streets, travel, run large corporations, and raise children. They are strong, self-sufficient, intelligent and educated. They win hearts and condescend to smile at the one who will like it. They know their worth, and they know that everything is in their hands.

P.S. Legends about the warring tribes of women exist among many peoples of the world. These are either legends about the tribes that actually existed, or common ancient myths, overgrown with new details. And I personally have a big suspicion that, firstly, the Amazons were not so bloodthirsty (the Greeks could spread false information about them), and secondly, they could also be not as elegant as in the images that have come down to us from antiquity, or created in our time. Huge physical exercise in battle and early training (from 10-12 years old) made their bodies more muscular, and less "formy". Think of today's professional athletes.

In ancient times, the Amazon was called a tribe of militant self-sufficient women who conquered the land, fought with men, took some prisoners (for procreation), but in everyday life they did without them. Sounds like a pretty fairy tale, doesn't it? But nevertheless, if there are myths and legends that have passed through the centuries about such women, if famous scientists of antiquity mention them (and modern scientists do not dispute the possibility of the existence of Amazons), then, probably, there is some truth in this.

What does "amazon" mean?

Kingdom of the amazons

Where did they come from and where did they live? And here scientists differ in opinion. Some say that the Amazons were nomads, others that they had their own kingdom on the Mediterranean coast (or in the Crimea). Third sources claim that a tribe of militant women came from Asia Minor (somewhere from the foot of the Caucasus) or from the coast of the Sea of Azov.

Amazons in mythology

In Greek mythology, these warrior maidens were descended from the god of war Ares and the naiad Harmony. Lysippa is considered the first Amazon. The goddess Artemis was called their patroness of the Amazon, and they revered her in every possible way. During the Trojan War, the Amazons fought on the side of the Trojans, and the famous Greek hero Achilles was forced to kill their queen. Bellerfont and Theseus also fought with the Amazons. And Hercules' ninth feat was the task - to take away the magic belt from the leader of the warlike maidens. It was supposed to be the ransom for the kidnapping of Hippolyta, the daughter of Queen Antiope.

According to legend, the Amazons were superb with a bow, a small double-sided battle ax (labrys), a short sword and a light shield. The Amazon made their own armor and helmets.

Images of Amazons in the visual arts

Amazons as characters in literature and cinema

Many, I think, are familiar with the popular in the 90s of the last century series about a warrior woman and her companion Gabrielle "Xena - Warrior Princess".

"Amazon" company

Warlike virgins of our time

P.S. Legends about the warring tribes of women exist among many peoples of the world. These are either legends about the tribes that actually existed, or common ancient myths, overgrown with new details. And I personally have a big suspicion that, firstly, the Amazons were not so bloodthirsty (the Greeks could spread false information about them), and secondly, they could also be not as elegant as in the images that have come down to us from antiquity, or created in our time. Huge physical activity in battles and early training (from 10-12 years old) made their bodies more muscular, and less "formy". Think of today's professional athletes.

Not so long ago, one of the employees of the company where I run my labor activity, being present at the attempt to prove to the chief the correctness of the actions I had taken, he called me an Amazon. Strange, but somewhere on a subconscious level I wanted to be offended. Why? I have no idea, because all I knew about the Amazons was that they were a militant female tribe. Is there anything to be offended at?

I called a friend who, in her free time from friendship with me, is a staff member of the scientific library, and I ask to copy the information on this matter available in encyclopedias, dictionaries and reference books. In the evening, not hiding her surprise, she handed me a rather voluminous stack of copied sheets. Hooray! Thanks to chance and innate curiosity, the next knowledge gap will be closed.

The first source, made the hair on the head to move. It turns out that the name of the tribe does not come from their habitat, since the Amazons lived on the Black Sea coast, but from the custom of burning one breast. The Amazons believed that it prevented the weapon from laying down correctly, which made shooting less accurate. Thus, "Amazons" in translation from ancient Greek means - chestless.

No, of course, my breast size is not that big, but it is unlikely that this particular feature was meant by my colleague. Most likely, he saw in me a belligerent woman, but oh well, in fact, it doesn't matter anymore, since the question itself turned out to be more than fascinating.

According to myths, the Amazons originate from the god of war, Ares and Harmony. The cult of the militant tribe is Arethmida, known for her cruelty. The Amazons, due to their belligerence, also did not have meekness and good disposition, so they chose the appropriate goddess for themselves.

Amazons are typical representatives of matriarchy. The Amazon tribe consisted only of women, they needed men only for procreation, and if an Amazon had a boy, he was either killed or given to his father, but this happened much less often. From the early age girls were taught horseback riding, archery and javelin throwing. Since almost all the time the tribe was in hostile relationship with one or another people and fought battles, then the girls, not knowing another life, considered war quite common.

The Amazons not only instilled fear in men, some of the strongest representatives of the stronger sex were not averse to getting married, but marriage was not part of the plans of these "ladies" and was more the exception than the rule. Queen Antiope, abducted by Theseus, became such an exception. Subsequently, with her help, the attack of warlike women on Attica was repelled.

Such heroes as Hercules, Theseus, Achilles were fortunate enough to experience the art of fighting the Amazons. However, the aggressive disposition of the Amazons manifests itself only when they act together. Alone, the Amazons treat men quite condescendingly. In support of this, one can recall the myth of how Hercules, sent to the Amazons behind the belt of their queen, was received by Hypolita quite favorably. She had already agreed to give him the belt, but at that moment other representatives of the tribe intervened, and a battle took place, as a result of which Hippolyta, who took the side of her fellow tribesmen, was killed by Hercules.

Female tribes similar to the Amazons are mentioned in the legends of other peoples. For example, the story of the appearance of the great Iskander, the first Kyrgyz ruler, says that for a long time, there was a city whose inhabitants were women. Men, on the other hand, were in it as slaves, were a means of procreation. They were selected from born boys... Only one of a hundred chosen by the blind old woman could survive. The rest were killed. But one day, the queen managed to deceive her son alive, who later became the ruler.

No, after all, no matter how explosive I am, I am not very fit for the role of an Amazon. Since men play an important role in my life, father, brother, husband, son occupy far from distant corners in my heart.

Amazons - who are they?

Franz von Stuck. Amazon and Centaur. 1901

Amazons - who are they?

The concept of "Amazon" could theoretically be formed from the Iranian "ha-mazan" (warriors). If in the similar-sounding Greek phrase "a mazos" the particle "a" is considered amplifying, then this phrase would be approximately translated as "full-breasted."

There are many other variants of the origin of the word "amazon". For example, "a masso" (from "masso" - to touch, touch) could mean "not touching" (to men). By the way, in the North Caucasian languages the word "maza" - "moon" has been preserved, which may be an echo of that distant time when the inhabitants of this region deified the Moon - the goddess of the hunt, corresponding to the Greek Artemis.

For the ancient Greeks, the Amazons were no less real than any other inhabitants of the "northern lands".

They are believed to be the daughters of the war god Ares and the nymph Harmony; at the same time, it is specified that Ares was not a Greek, but a Thracian god, a country located in the east of the Balkan Peninsula. Strabo, an ancient Greek geographer and traveler, proposed three ethnonyms associated by him with the Amazons: Helazon, Alazon and Amazon (Geography, XI, 5,1-4, XII, 3,21-24). Strabo himself, whose childhood was spent on the banks of the Black sea (in the Amazae), inclined to the ethnonym Amazon.

Herodotus in his "History" reports that the capital of the Amazons was called Themiscira, and it stood on the banks of the Fermodon River (south of the Black Sea, modern Turkey). There is a version according to which the Amazons came to Greece from the Meotian Lake, that is, from the Sea of Azov. From there they made military campaigns throughout Asia Minor, even reaching Syria and Egypt. According to legends, the Amazons founded cities such as Ephesus, Smyrna (now Turkish Izmir), Sinop and Paphos.

The kingdom of the Amazons with the capital Themiskra was founded by Queen Lysippa, who also became the first Amazon. She laid down the basic laws and rules for the life of the Amazons, she conquered new lands for her new kingdom.

Three famous southern Amazonian queens Marpessa, Lampado and Hippo seized lands in South Asia and Syria, founded the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna (Izmir), Fiba, Sinopa. It was during this campaign that the Amazons captured Troy, where the future king was still a child at that time. Then the Amazons left with a lot of booty, leaving small garrisons in the conquered cities. These garrisons were expelled by an alliance of barbarian tribes, as a result of which in one of the battles the Amazons lost Queen Marpessa (according to Paul Orosius, the Amazons again invaded Asia together with the Cimmerians in 723 BC).

Diodorus Siculus believed that the Amazons lived on the Tanais River (modern Don). She was named so in honor of the Amazon's son Lysippa, who fell in love with his mother and threw himself into the river to avoid criminal incest.

The Amazons especially revered Artemis the hunter and went to her retinue, hunted with her and with the nymphs. Also, the Amazons were patronized by the goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus. The Amazons even held their own Olympic Games, only for women, and they were dedicated to Hera, and not to Zeus, like the Greeks.

The army ruled over the entire life of the Amazons, both military and peaceful. She was relatively small - no more than a quarter of the tribe, while the "soldier girls" had many responsibilities: they had to constantly get food, protect the tribe from enemies, maintain their combat readiness - and they continued the race. Thus, the strongest link, due to overload, turned out to be the most vulnerable. Therefore - the most cruel.

The Amazons abducted their marriage partners from hostile or neighboring tribes and used them in a businesslike manner. The only difference is that grooms were obtained instead of brides, and not for creating a family, but for a short "procedure". After that, the captives, like the boys being born, were ruthlessly killed, apparently not feeling either love or hatred for them.

The killings were necessary: they ensured the stability of the tribe. After all, it was almost impossible to provide all women with husbands. And keeping several "stallions" among the many women who had gone through the school of life in the saddle and in the war was dangerous: they could become either contenders for power, or the cause of constant fights. And since the queen of the steppe Amazons became the strongest, the problem was solved accordingly.

However, gradually, the warrior maidens began to use peaceful methods of resolving disputes. As a rule, in the spring, the Amazons converged on neutral territory with men from neighboring tribes for a month, and after the due date they gave their newborn boys to the happy fathers, leaving the girls in the tribe. The book of Diodorus of Siculus describes how the queen of the Amazons, Phalestra, came to Alexander the Great and said: “I have come to give you a son, and if a daughter is born, take her for yourself, because there is no woman above me in strength and courage and there is no man more glorious than you. ". It does not matter whether it is a myth or a real event, in any case, a “proprietary” approach is visible.

To reproduce offspring, the Amazons entered into contact with men of other nations. They sent the boys who were born to their fathers (according to another legend, they simply killed or castrated), they kept the girls and raised new Amazons from them.

Diodorus of Siculus reports that the Amazons used to mutilate male children immediately after their birth: they twisted their arms and legs in order to make them unable to fight in the future against their "mothers." This motif echoes the Chechen myth of Pkhyarmat ("Blacksmith of the Country"), which tells that the Goddess of the Hearth Ts'ik'ur-nana, the wife of the God of Flame and mother of Pkhyarmat, treated her sons in the same way that Amazons treated newborn boys. She had many sons whom she loved. But it happened that she severely punished them for disobedience, except for the youngest - Phyarmat, to whom she was especially attached. One of her sons once committed a serious offense. The angry mother wanted to twist his arms and legs (küjgash-kogash tshüra daxa). Phyarmat, who rushed to the rescue of his brother, came running when his mother had already twisted one of his legs (xa tshьra ma diakxineh). He managed to beg her to release the unfortunate man, who has since remained lame (xonushxa).

In the Iliad, Homer called the Amazons "antianeirs" (those who fight like men). Herodotus called them "androctones" (murderers of men).

The battle of the inhabitants of Athens with the Amazons gave rise to a separate genre of ancient Greek art - the so-called "Amazonomachy", that is, the tradition of depicting warlike Amazons on the battlefield (drawings on terracotta, marble carvings).

As time goes on, there are fewer and fewer references to Amazons. During the life of Alexander the Great, there were rumors that once the queen of the Amazons, Thalestris, with three hundred tribesmen arrived at the camp of the great commander. Allegedly, Talestris wanted to offer all this considerable "harem" to Alexander in order to receive from the eminent ruler as many offspring girls as strong and smart as their father were.

The Roman general Gnei Pompey wrote about the Amazons who fought as part of the enemy troops, and Virgil in his poem "Aeneid" clearly copied the Volsky (Volski - the people who opposed Rome) warrior Camilla from the ancient Amazons.

References to the Amazons in different sources

The Amazons settled in Themiscrea on the Fermodon River (probably Terme Cay in modern Turkey).
The Amazons were the first to shoe horses and use iron.
Fox. Funeral oration, 4

Battle of the Amazons with Bellerophon (legendary Greek hero, owner of the famous winged horse Pegasus, given to him by Athena).
Apollodorus. Chronicle of Greek History, Book 1, 2.3
Homer. Iliad, 6.219
Pindar. Olympic, 13.91 and 130
Plutarch. Moral, 17.248
The Argonauts sail past the Amazon lands on their way to Colchis.
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Pindar. Pythias
Apollonius of Rhodes. Argonautics<

The battle of the Amazons with the Phrygian kings Migdon, Otraus and Priam (who later became the king of Troy).
The battle of the Amazons with the detachment of Hercules-Theseus for the belt of Hippolyta. Antiope (or Hippolyta, depending on the legend) was kidnapped and married to King Theseus of Greece.
The storming of Athens by the Amazons to recover the belt of Hippolyta. Some sources tell of a truce and a treaty between the Amazons and King Theseus.
Plutarch. Life of Theseus (Plutarch is based on data from early historians Claydem and Gelanicus, whose works have not survived)
Isocrates. Panathenaic, 192, 194 (in Panegyric, 68, he claims that they were defeated and were all killed or expelled)
Fox. Funeral oration, 6

The Amazons fought on the side of the Trojans against the Greek aggression (~ 1080 BC). Penthesileia led a detachment of Amazons, who all perished.
Homer. Iliad 3.239; 6.186-223 (brief mention - the Iliad narrative ends with Hector's death)
Arctinius of Miletus. Etiopius (continues the story of the Trojan War from the place where the Iliad ended)
Procl. Review of Ethiopia; Gedia and Homeriad in the Classical Library, 1967, p. 507
Quintius Smirnsky. Homeron or Post-Homerica, 1.20-46

The Amazons took part in the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta (431-404 AD)
Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War
Alexander the Great met with the queen of the Amazons, Phalestria. (~ 352-323 BC). He tried to marry her in Hyrcania (an ancient province in northern Persia).
Strabo. Geography, 2.5.4-5 (denied)
Quintus Smirnsky. History, 6.5.29
Diodorus. Sikul, 17.77.1

The Amazons fought the Greeks in Themiscria. Apparently, the last war of the Amazons with the Greeks. After the defeat of the Amazons in Themiscria, they were taken prisoner and loaded onto Greek ships. The Amazons successfully broke away from the Greeks and sailed where the wind would lead until they reached Lake Maotis (Sea of Azov), where, in the end, they married the Sarmatians and fought on their side. They formed a new Sarmatian culture.
Herodotus. History of the Greco-Persian Wars, 4.110

Legends of the Amazons

Where did the Amazon legends come from? What are these - vague memories of those archaic times when people lived under matriarchy, or really existing "female" peoples of the ancient era?

Many theories have been put forward on this score.

The origin of the myths about the Amazons is very ancient, rooted in the Minoan civilization. Interestingly, the favorite weapon of the Amazons was the double Minoan hatchet labrys, and that the goddess Artemis is the patroness of the Amazons. The cult of Artemis migrated from Crete to mainland Greece and continued its existence in Greek culture.

The Amazons, according to one such theory, may have been the daughters of Ares and the servants of Artemis, suggesting that a closed community of temple servants could have been their prototype. In this context, the mythical moxibustion of the chest can be interpreted as ritual mutilation.

Legendary stories about the Amazons directly connect them with two heroes - Hercules and Theseus. It is likely that the formidable Amazons symbolized the dangers that the Greek colonists had to face on the Black Sea coast.

The image of the Amazon in history

In early examples of Greek painting, the Amazons wore a helmet and long tunics, showing a resemblance to the warlike goddess Athena. Later, their clothes became more refined and light, high belted (for easier running) - that is, copying the style of the goddess of the hunt Artemis. The Greek origin of the Amazons is also confirmed by the fact that in battle they usually used a small crescent-shaped "pelt" shield.

The most recent depictions of Amazons show them dressed in the Persian manner - in tight-fitting trousers and a high pointed headdress, "kidaris".

Plutarch wrote that the Amazons wore a short, knee-length dress, an ivy-leaf shield, and a helmet that was fastened under the chin with straps. A conical Phrygian cap made of felt was often pulled over the helmet with earpieces that went down to the shoulders, a butt plate and strings. It was the only "wardrobe item" that the Amazons adorned with embroidery or pearls.

Weapon of the Amazons

The main weapon of the Amazons was considered "sagaris" - the Scythian name for an ax with a double blade, known to the Greeks as "pelectus" or "labrys". The latter was widespread on the island of Crete in the Bronze Age (3 millennium BC), symbolizing the feminine principle.

In addition to the battle ax, the Amazons actively used bows and arrows and small spears - a typical "Scythian set". They rarely fought on foot - the striking force of their army was cavalry, which also cannot fail to suggest the Scythian tribes.

The abode of the legendary Amazons

At the expense of the homeland of the Amazons, a wide variety of versions are put forward, the homeland of the legendary warriors could be the same Greece, or the Black Sea region, the Caucasus mountains, Turkey, the Don steppes, and even North Africa. In general, the Amazons could even be divided into different tribes that lived in different lands.

Where the Amazons live is not exactly known. They call the lands from the Black Sea coast of Turkey to the south of Russia, Libya and even Atlantis. Perhaps the admiring stories of noble travelers about the steppe women and other more believable stories supplemented the myth of the Amazons that already existed in Ancient Greece. However, fearless women could personify in myths unknown dangers, and maybe even barbarism in general, which the ancient Greeks faced, who dared to go to new lands, such as the Black Sea coast. It is curious that, according to the ancient Greeks, the Amazons always lived on the very edge of the ecumene, where civilization ends. With the expansion of their understanding of the world, the homeland of the Amazons moved further and further again. This is probably why the geographic data associated with them are so contradictory.

So, in the oldest written sources, the story of the Amazons begins with the fact that they lived east of Ancient Greece in Asia Minor (Turkey) and were probably the founders of the cities of Ephesus and Smyrna on the east coast. Under Herodotus (5th century BC), they moved to the south of Russia, and by the time of the writing of the "Historical Library" by Diodorus of Siculus, in the 1st century. BC e., Western Libya was already considered the birthplace of the Amazons.

Dionysius, who lived in Alexandria in the middle of the II century. BC NS. reported that the most ancient Amazonian kingdom was located in North Africa, in Libya, which disappeared many generations before the Trojan War. The capital of this kingdom was located at the northeastern part of Lake Shergi (Atlas Mountains of Algeria). To the south of the capital, near the southeastern shore of this lake, there were rock tombs and palace-cult structures of the Amazons. In Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, there were many tribes of women distinguished for their militancy and courage. For example, Gorgon women practiced military affairs and carried out military service for a certain time, while men were engaged in housekeeping and raising children. Many lands were conquered under the leadership of Queen Mirina. The tribesmen of Mirina, who died in the battles, are buried in three huge mounds, which are still called "the mounds of the Amazons."

The historian A. B. Snisarenko believes that the tribe's habitat practically coincides with the contours of the Turkish vilayets Amasia (perhaps this toponym is related to the etymology of the tribe's name) and Samsun. From here the Amazons undertook their expeditions to Asia. They built Ephesus, Smyrna and other cities.

Considering the supposed homeland of the Amazons - the Don steppes and the coast of the Sea of Azov, the Asian theory of their origin looks the most likely. The Greeks who settled in the Black Sea region constantly encountered warlike and semi-savage nomads. Herodotus directly stated that the Sarmatians are the descendants of the Amazons and Scythians.

It happened that women living in the mountains also became Amazons. But only for a while: when their men went to distant pastures or on hikes. Sometimes such absences lasted for years. Mountain Amazons were prepared for independent life in advance. They taught them military affairs, built for them impregnable dwellings-fortresses, the famous kyz-kala - "girl's towers". Until now, the customs of some Caucasian peoples prescribe women and men to live in strict isolation from each other. Even spouses, according to an ancient rule, should meet in secret, under cover of night. Perhaps the custom of taking food in different rooms has the same origin.

Archeology

Until recently, scientists considered the Amazons to be fictional fiction, emphasizing the unusualness of the steppe barbarians in the eyes of the Greeks.

However, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the situation changed. First, in the north of Turkey, in the province of Samsun, large female burials were found, and then on Taman, Kuban archaeologists dug up the graves of an entire tribe. Only women were buried there. Unbelievable, but true - weapons lay next to their bodies: bows, quivers and daggers, and an arrowhead stuck out of the skull of one of the deceased.

These findings proved that, if not entirely female tribes lived in the northern Black Sea region, then at least they retained the ancient everyday life, when a woman played the main role in society. However, it is unlikely that these "Amazons" formed the closed communities that the Greeks talked about. Cruelty towards men was also probably exaggerated - it is common for people of different types of cultures to create such legends about a land where life is fundamentally different from their own.

Either way, these tribal alliances were few and far between. The old traditions of matriarchy, miraculously preserved until the new era, could not resist the campaigns of Alexander the Great, the mixing of cultures and the great migration of peoples in the 4-7th century. It was then that the Amazons ceased to exist.

Further. The English archaeologist Casson has discovered the graves of female warriors in Chaeronea and Megara. Let us quote Pausanias, the author who wrote the first and still the most detailed guide to the sights of Hellas: “When the Amazons went to war against the Athenians because of Antiope and were defeated by Theseus, most of them were destined to die in battle; Hippolyta, sister of Antiope and at that time the chief of women, with a few of them fled to Megara; in the consciousness that she caused such misfortune to the army, she became discouraged, especially in this state of affairs, and even more so, seeing the impossibility of returning home to Themiscura, so she died of grief, and when she died, she was buried here; in appearance, her monument is similar to the shield of an Amazon. " Apparently, an English archaeologist found the grave of Hippolyta or her warriors. Which once again confirms that Greek myths are not myths at all in the modern sense of the word, but a poetic depiction of real events in the history of Ancient Greece.