Bring Back the Amazons!

Move aside Bezos...

Dear Classical Wisdom Member,

If you are looking for style inspirations for your next pair of leggings, then look no further.

The Amazons literally have you covered:

Epic: Women who aren’t afraid of patterns

While currently a somewhat obscure myth that survived the ravages of time only to emerge in popular culture as the various sultry or athletic versions of Wonder Woman, the Amazons were a deeply important legend to the ancients.

In fact, they were the preferred motifs for vases! And there was a whole book (now lost) dedicated to them in the Homeric epics… oh and remember that time Achilles fell in love with an Amazon?

With so much classical lore and fanfare, it’s actually surprising (or maybe more so tragic) that the name of this one proud, fearsome tribe now results in online shopping.

And yes, for those of you wondering, Brazil’s most famous river (and Bezos’ company’s namesake) the Amazon, is actually classically inspired. Yes dear reader, the rumors are true. The name Rio Amazonas was reportedly given after native warriors assailed a 16th-century expedition led by Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana. The attack was led by women, reminding de Orellana of Greek mythology’s women warriors…

So who exactly were these incredible women that inspired so much? Were they real or imagined? And what interesting insights can be gleaned by studying these nomadic, female fighters?

Members, please enjoy our special in-depth article dedicated to bringing back the majestic myth of the Amazons… and let Mr. Bezos take a backseat for once.

All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom

P.S. Not a member? No time like the present to immerse yourself in the Classics! Level up your love of learning and gain access to our in-depth articles, ebooks, podcasts and more:

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The Return of the Amazons

by Mary Naples

On the vast steppes of Eurasia, in an area the Greeks referred to as Scythia, lay the remains of a young woman approximately twenty to thirty years of age, dating back to the fourth century BCE. Although the common feminine accoutrements, such as mirrors and jewelry, were buried alongside her, there were some unpredictable items around her as well. Two iron lances mark the entrance to her burial mound, along with an enormous armed leather belt, bronze-tipped arrows and various other instruments of war.

Moreover, her deathblow came in the form of a battle-ax smashed through her skull demonstrating without a doubt that this woman was a warrior.

But as brave and daring as this young woman may have been, she was not an outlier. Thousands of burial mounds such as this one can be found from Bulgaria to Mongolia. Before the onset of DNA testing, these gravesites were believed to be those of male warriors. But we now know that in some areas fully thirty-seven percent of all the burial mounds excavated are those of female warriors, complete with battle scars and surrounded by their tools of combat.

In a time when women were seldom seen and almost never heard, could these plucky Scythian women be the famed Amazons for which Greek writers of antiquity were so fond of reporting?

Steeped in Greek culture, the Amazons were a notorious force to be reckoned with for heroes and gods alike. From Homer and Herodotus to Strabo and Plutarch, their stories were part and parcel of the Greek tradition. So interweaved in Greek mythology that Amazons were a popular theme in Greek art, with their images and statuary adorning public, private and sacred spaces. In vase art the Amazons were second only in popularity to Heracles himself. Artifacts show that dolls with the Amazon’s distinctive headgear have been found in the graves of young girls in Greece and the surrounding area.

But the question that has long vexed scholars throughout the ages is were they real or imagined?