Amazons … Who hasn't heard of them? Beautiful female warriors who bravely fought and often defeated troops of men. There are many legends about the incredible exploits of the Amazons. But recently, archaeological finds have been made, which allowed scientists to assume that the Amazon tribe actually existed …
We have always been attracted by everything unknown and inexplicable, so such statements fueled people's interest in this riddle, prompting them to find an answer. So are the Amazon warriors myth or reality? We bring to your attention amazing facts that will allow you to find out the truth about the Amazons, shed light on their lives, and, possibly, will allow you to unravel previously unknown mysteries of human history.
There are many myths and legends about the Amazons, their images are captured in the works of ancient masters: in frescoes, bas-reliefs, sculptures and paintings. Who are the Amazons?
Presumably, the word "Amazon" comes from the ancient Iranian "ha-mazan" - a woman warrior.
It was a tribe in which there were no men, only women, and all, as if by selection, strong, beautiful and healthy. They did not recognize the power of men and did not consider them the stronger sex, more than once in battles proving the veracity of such a conclusion. The Amazons worshiped the goddess Artemis.
However, men, albeit rarely, but they were needed. Once a year, the Amazons had a period when they forgot about battles and rivalries with men, and started intrigues with them, not for pleasure, but for procreation. Candidates for this role were tried to choose healthy and young, so that the children born would inherit all the best qualities of both mother and father.
There is one "but" here: after all, the Amazon tribe consisted only of the fair sex, and not only girls, but also boys were born to them. Where did they go? Opinions differ here: some researchers argue that the fathers took the born boys, while others say that the Amazons killed them.
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Be that as it may, but children born of powerful men and women grew up and multiplied the number of heroes living on Earth.
The ancient historian Herodotus told about how the Amazons, whose fame went around the world, were once taken prisoner by foreigners and taken to distant countries. But the virgins were able to defeat their captors, break free and meet the Scythians … Fights ensued, during which wise men decided that it was not worth fighting with the beauties they liked, it was better to love them … As a result, many marriage alliances were concluded, strong kids were born, and the new tribe, consisting of Amazons and Scythians, grew and grew stronger.
Some ancient historians have argued that the Amazons mutilated themselves in childhood by cutting off or burning their right breasts. This was done ostensibly so that the chest did not interfere with archery. However, to this day, many bas-reliefs and frescoes have survived, depicting the Amazons, on which no traces of injury are visible.
According to Greek mythology, the Amazons had their own state, headed by Queen Hippolyta. She had a magic belt, which the daughter of Eurystheus really wanted to get, whom Hercules served (such the gods gave him punishment for the crimes committed earlier). One day Hercules received an order to take the belt from the queen, for which he invaded the kingdom of the Amazons and took Hippolyta prisoner. The ending of this story is different in different legends. According to one, Hercules killed the reluctant queen and removed her magic belt. According to another, Hercules instructed to get the belt of Theseus, who for four months tried to enter the kingdom of the Amazons, which he nevertheless succeeded. Then he captured Hippolyta, and the Amazons went to Athens to save her, but they were defeated and Hippolyta was killed.
Under the leadership of another queen, the Amazons fought against the Greeks, allied with King Priam. Also, the legends mention the meeting of the Amazons with Alexander the Great.
There are references to these warlike women in Russian legends and chronicles.
It is clear that creative people could not ignore the virgins so popular in antiquity. Poems and poems were written about the Amazons, and artists and sculptors tried to capture them in paintings, frescoes, bas-reliefs and vases.
Historians considered all these stories to be legends, until archaeologists found evidence suggesting the possibility of the real existence of the Amazons. In the habitats of the Scythians, many female burials were found, interesting in that all the female remains lying in them had damage that could only be obtained in battles. Moreover, next to the skeletons lay weapons: bows, swords and daggers. This gave reason to think that the graves found belonged to the Amazons. True, none of the graves on women had armor in which soldiers were buried.
Moreover, similar archaeological finds have been made in different parts of our planet, which also confirms the theory of the existence of the Amazons who conquered new regions or settled in them after getting married.
So were the Amazons really? On the one hand, the characters in legends and myths have always been fictional, but on the other hand, there is a lot of historical evidence of the Amazons' encounters with real people. So there are more questions than answers. Let's hope that soon we can still get answers to them and the secrets of the Amazons will be revealed.