An incredible discovery was made by our domestic archaeologists in 1928 - off the coast of the Black Sea, in the town of Zemo Ahvala, where the Amazons are believed to have lived, they found the buried remains of a certain “prince”. He was buried in full armor and with weapons - his double ax of impressive size rested nearby.

However, after a detailed examination of the skeleton, the researchers were shocked: the remains definitely belonged to a woman! Who was she? Queen of the Amazons? Their mistress?

1971 year. An ancient burial was discovered on the territory of present-day Ukraine. And again a woman buried with royal honors. Next to her lay the skeleton of a little girl, no less luxuriously decorated. Among other things, weapons, a lot of gold and the skeletons of two men who left this world, as scientists say, were found in their grave, clearly against their will. It is believed that in the grave there was just another queen of the Amazons with her daughter and two sacrificed slaves.

In the time interval between 1993 and 1997, excavations were carried out in Kazakhstan, in the town of Pokrovka. Ancient burials were also found there, which are at least two and a half thousand years old, and the remains of female warriors also rested there.

It was not difficult to determine the type of their occupation, since next to them lay daggers, arrowheads and other types of weapons, as if brought as a gift - ladies during their lifetime definitely knew how to fend for themselves and took this skill with them to the grave. It turns out that it also makes sense to talk about the Amazons here?

And similar finds are being discovered by researchers in various parts of the world - there is information that the Amazons could well live on the territory of modern India, Malaysia, and even in the Baltic Sea area.

Remains of women found in Bruem

One of the latest discoveries was that the Amazons, as established by British scientists, fought on the side of the Roman army, in what is now Great Britain. Proof of this are the remains of two female warriors found in a burial in Bruem, Cumbria. It is believed that they came here from Eastern Europe during their lifetime - even the ancient Greeks claimed that the great and terrible female warriors lived there.

These two representatives of their tribe, which, following the guesses of scientists, disappeared from the face of the Earth between about 220 and 300 AD, were honorably burned on funeral pyres along with their war trotters and military equipment. It is possible that these Amazons were part of the numeria - irregular Roman troops assigned to the legions that served in Britain.

Based on the results of other excavations, it can be assumed that they came from the Danubian provinces of Noricum, Pannonia and Illyria, which are now part of the territories of Austria, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia.

After examining the burials in Bruem, scientists came to the conclusion that the ashes of the dead were buried here. In the grave of one of the women, the remains of animals were found, which, apparently, were also subjected to a burning ritual. Also there were found plates carved from bone, used to decorate caskets, fragments of scabbards and details of pottery.

All these finds indicate that the woman had a fairly high status in society. At the time of her burial, she was between 20 and 40 years old. In another grave, the occupant of which was between 21 and 45, they also found scabbards and bone ornaments, as well as a silver bowl.

Amazons in Greek mythology

So all the same, does it make sense to say that female warriors really existed in this world?

The ancient Greeks believed that the Amazons, who worshiped the goddess Artemis, descended from the extraordinary and frightening union of the war god Ares, also known as Mars, with his daughter Harmonia. They claimed that their tribes settled on the river Thermodon near the city of Femixira in Asia Minor. A fair question arises: how did they continue their race?

It is said that in the spring, when the birds begin to sing and the bears begin to breed, these eccentric ladies visited the nearby settlements and entered into short-lived marriages with local men. Also, foreigners who got lost in unfamiliar lands were perfect for the role of "inseminators".

According to the law of the genre, children soon appeared from such unions, their fate was determined depending on gender: the Amazons left the girls and raised warriors from them, and the boys were usually mercilessly disposed of. As a last resort, they were handed over to their fathers and sent both as far as possible.

"Women without breasts" lived on the river Fermodont

The Greek historian Herodotus summed up their entire parenting philosophy in one sentence:

"No girl should know a man without killing the enemy."

Amazon In general, linguists believe that the word "Amazon" itself is a compound of the words "a" and "Mason", in translation it means "without a breast." There was such a custom in these tribes - in early age cauterize the girl's right breast so that it does not develop and does not interfere in the future to master the art of archery.

When asked where these “women without breasts” lived, most researchers are looking for an answer in ancient Greek myths. After studying them, scientists came to the conclusion that the Amazon tribes lived in northern Turkey, where the Terme Chay River now flows.

Apparently, this is the very mysterious river Thermodon, which the Greeks spoke about - it was there that the female warriors lived, and it was from there that they came to the aid of the Trojans. They migrated to the Fermodon River itself from the Caucasus Mountains.

Scythian warriors managed to seduce female warriors

The Scythians have a legend that once a warlike tribe came to their land, it smashed the villages and took away their cattle. Defending their settlements, the Scythians were able to kill several strangers. Jumping out of their saddles in order to scalp their enemies, they experienced an inexpressible shock - all those killed turned out to be women.

The Scythian warriors had extraordinary pride - they considered it unworthy to wage war with women. Instead, they sent a detachment of young men to patrol the area next to the enemy, to follow him without getting involved in battles. They wanted to know more about the mysterious women. The latter at first acted as aggressors - they tried to attack and unleash a battle, but the prudent young men did not accept the battle, trying to retreat more and more.

Over time, the militant ladies got used to such a neighborhood and stopped their attacks, becoming more or less supportive. Then the young people took control of the situation and seduced the thawed warriors. And they began to live in peace and harmony: they made dumplings on weekends and subsequently gave birth to children. So, at least, the origin of the Sarmatian tribe is explained.

In general, they say that this legend did not arise out of thin air. Sarmatian women really fought on a par with the stronger sex. This is proved by the results of archaeological excavations, during which Sarmatian burials are often found, where women are buried along with weapons.

Well, it is not surprising that these warlike ladies often got involved in wars with Scythian men. On the border territories of their settlements, fierce battles were going on all the time, their light foot and cavalry detachments, making their nightly raids, secretly led away livestock and slaves. However, all this could not continue indefinitely - sometimes the Scythians and Sarmatians concluded a truce and began to trade with each other, and sometimes out of boredom they united and raided neighboring countries.

True, sometimes they had to unite to jointly protect their territories from external attacks. So, when the Persian king Darius sent his troops to Scythia, the Sarmatians sent reinforcements to their temporary allies, consisting only of women.

Homer introduced the Amazons to the furies

They say that at one time Homer pleased the world not only with the world-famous poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey", but also with a work called "Amazon Country". However, if the Iliad and the Odyssey, being rather global creations, have survived to this day in almost their original form, then the poem that glorified the exploits of women has not survived at all. Not a single echo of it was found during excavations.

A little higher, it was said about the etymology of the word "Amazon" and its connection with the absence of the right breast in women. So, it is worth noting that this fact has not been proven in any way: in all the images that have come down to us, the Amazons have "ideally beautiful figures with both breasts, but very developed muscles." Such an explanation is given by the old as the world, pre-revolutionary encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron, in which the question of the existence of the Amazons is studied in sufficient detail.

Apparently, the Amazons did not impress Homer at all. In his legends about the Argonauts, he generally exposed them in the form of disgusting furies. In a later period, writers nevertheless began to speak warmer about these women, but their image, although it became somewhat more attractive, nevertheless turned into a fabulous and some kind of absolutely incredible. Legends about them have become something like epics about heroes or legends about fairies.

Legends about female warriors

Herodotus wrote that at the end of the Trojan War, the Amazons again went to the Scythians. And so the Sarmatian tribe appeared, in which the Amazons had equal rights with men. True, they did not like local women, or, to be more precise, they did not want to have anything to do with them at all.

It is interesting that ancient writers, mentioning the Amazons in their works, tirelessly talk about their courage and valor. For example, in the Roman Empire, it was a matter of indescribable pride for any warrior if he was told that he "fought like an Amazon."

And when in the II century AD. the half-crazed emperor Commodus decided to become a gladiator in the arena of the Colosseum, "chopping into cabbage" animals and people indiscriminately, the senators, to the approving cries of the audience, greeted him with shouts:

"You are the ruler of the world! In your glory you are like the Amazons!”

There is no doubt that the female warriors were worthy of any praise! Legends told about their incredible composure, when they, pursued by crowds of enemies, easily hit them with accurate bow shots, without even getting out of the saddle. They were even better at handling a double axe. It was he who, together with a light shield in the form of a crescent moon, became an integral attribute of the Amazon in every image.

Strabo called them crazy inventions

Note that not only the Greeks and Romans so vehemently mentioned the Amazons. There are similar legends in ancient Chinese and ancient Egyptian history. However, strangely, already one century before the beginning of a new era, people begin to doubt the real existence of these women.

For example, the famous historian and geographer Strabo devoted a huge amount of time to searching for stories and references to the Amazons, after which he compared them and called them crazy fictions and fairy tales.

“Something strange has happened to the story of the Amazons. The fact is that in all other legends, mythical and historical elements are demarcated ... As for the Amazons, the same legends have always been in use about them - both before and now - completely wonderful and incredible, ”he said.

Subsequently, many generations of historians agreed with his opinion. So, after a while, the legends about the warrior maidens turned into a very beautiful and incredible legend.

Columbus found "Dev Island"

The male mind is inquisitive and still does not leave this thought about the mysterious female warriors. The traveler Marco Polo, who lived in the Middle Ages, generally stated that he himself saw the Amazons somewhere in Asia during his next wandering. And the Spaniards and the Portuguese often repeated that the “state of the Amazons” exists and is located somewhere in South America.

Once the Indians told Christopher Columbus about an island inhabited only by women. He got excited about the idea of ​​capturing a couple in order to present them to the eyes of the Spanish queen. However, the plan failed successfully: as soon as the ships of Columbus moored to the shores of this island, a crowd of women with bows ran out of the forest.

Their appearance clearly indicated that they were not going to give up without a fight. In general, Columbus dubbed these places the Virgin Islands, "that is," the "Islands of the Virgins", and safely sailed away from sin.

The famous conquistador Francisco de Orellana discovered a huge river in South America in 1542. Then he allegedly saw the Amazons, with whom his detachment fought valiantly.

Today, this story is questioned: it is believed that either the Indian women fought side by side with their men, or the frightened Spaniards simply mistook the long-haired Indians for the warlike representatives of the fair sex. However, this meeting made such an impression on Orellana that he abandoned his original idea - to name the river after himself. Since then, this river has been proudly called the Amazon.

The ancient Greeks called the Amazons a warlike tribe, consisting exclusively of women. They went on campaigns under the leadership of their queen and created their own warlike state. To preserve the family, the Amazons entered into a relationship with men of other nations. They sent the boys who were born to their fathers, and according to another legend, they simply killed them, while they left the girls with them and raised them as Amazon warriors. They were taught agriculture, hunting and the art of war.

The origin of the word "Amazon" is not very clear - either from the Persian word "warrior", or from the Greek, translated as "without a husband", "unmarried".

Among the Greeks, another version was popular - from a ... without + mazos chest. According to ancient legends, for the convenience of archery, the Amazons burned their right breasts in childhood. However, the same Greeks in their works of art always represent the Amazons with both breasts. Yes, and the bow of the steppe peoples, as historians say, was stretched not at chest level, but at ear level.

If you believe the ancient Greek historian of the 5th century BC Herodotus, the Amazons lived in the Scythian state (modern Crimea) and on the shores of Lake Meotida - as the ancient Greeks called the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. Herodotus reported that the Sarmatians were the descendants of the Amazons and Scythians, and that their women observed ancient customs, “often hunting on horseback with their husbands; participating in the war; they wear the same clothes as the men.” Herodotus also reports that among the Sarmatians "no girl will become a wife until she kills a man in battle." After learning the Scythian language, they agreed to marry Scythian men on the condition that they would not be required to follow the customs of Scythian women. According to Herodotus, the Sarmatians fought alongside the Scythians against the Persian king Darius in the 5th century BC.

Where did the Amazons live?

Roman historians also write about the Amazons. Caesar reminded the Senate of the conquest by the Amazons of significant areas in Asia. The Amazons made a successful raid against the Asia Minor countries of Lycia and Cilicia, as mentioned by the historian Strabo. Philostratus places the Amazons in Tavria. Ammian - east of Tanais (Don) in the neighborhood of the Alans. And Procopius says that they live in the Caucasus. More original is the Roman historian Diodorus Siculus, who sees in the Amazons the descendants of the Atlanteans and writes that they live in western Libya. But Strabo demonstrates skepticism about their historicity. But later, some Church Fathers speak of the Amazons as a very real people.

There is evidence that the Amazons lived in Pontus (now this historical region is the territory of Turkey, or rather, its Black Sea coast). There they formed an independent state, one of whose rulers was Hippolyta, whose name translates as "free, unbridled mare." Perhaps this designation of the Amazons was considered a compliment.

The Amazons are said to have founded many cities, among them Smyrna, Ephesus, Sinop and Paphos.

Where they fought and the first mentions

Amazons first appear in Greek art of the archaic period in subjects associated with several Greek legends. They invaded Lycia but were defeated by Bellerophon. The tomb of Mirin is mentioned in Homer's Iliad; according to the ancient Greek historian Diodorus, Queen Mirin led the Amazons until the victorious end of the war against Libya. They attacked the Phrygians, who were helped by Priam. One of the tasks entrusted to Hercules by Eurystheus was to obtain the magical girdle of the Amazonian queen Hippolyta. Another queen of the Amazons, Penthesilia, participated in Trojan War. In general, the Amazonian warriors were so often depicted in battle with the Greek warriors that this popular plot even received its name in classical art - “Amazonomachy”. The battles between the Athenians and the Amazons are immortalized in the marble bas-reliefs from the Parthenon and the sculptures of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.

Some biographers of Alexander the Great mention the Amazon queen Falestris, who visited the famous conqueror and even became his mother. However, this story is considered a legend by other biographers of Alexander, including the historian Plutarch. In his work, he mentions the moment when the commander-in-chief of the fleet of Alexander, Onesikrit, read this story to the king of Thrace, Lysimachus, who participated in the campaigns with Alexander. The king, having heard the story of the meeting of the Amazon and Alexander, only smiled and said: “And where was I then?”

Armament

And in the works of ancient Greek art, the battles between the Amazons and the Greeks appear on a par with the battles of the Greeks and centaurs. Belief in their existence, however, was cultivated by national poetry and art. The occupation of the Amazons was hunting and war; their weapons are bow, spear, axe, crescent-shaped shield and helmet, in early art the same as that of the Greek goddess Athena, and in later representations as Artemis. On vases of the same late period, for some reason, their dress looks like a Persian one. They were usually depicted on horseback, but sometimes on foot.

In the era of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Amazons are also not forgotten and are even credited with the invention of the battle ax.

Amazons in the history of the world

During the Age of Discovery, a river in the Americas was named after the Amazons. It happened in 1542 when the traveler Francisco de Orellana reached the Amazon River.

The historians of the New Age took such friendly testimonies of ancient authors seriously and tried to understand where and when such a tribe of warlike women could live. Their most obvious habitats are the Scythian state and Sarmatia, according to the "History" of Herodotus.

But some authors still prefer to look for the legendary Amazons in Asia Minor or even on the island of Crete. Even in the Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1911, it was written with considerable doubt: “While the Amazons are quite a mythical people, some see the historical basis in reports about them.”

The assumption that the legends about the Amazons have a real basis is based on the results of archaeological research. In particular, the study of Sarmatian burials, the inventory of the graves of Sarmatians, in which weapons are found, suggests that the women of Sarmatia really participated in the battles.

Archaeological evidence seems to confirm the existence of female warriors, as well as the active role of Sarmatian women in military campaigns and social life society. The burials of armed women among the Sarmatians include approximately 25% of total number graves with weapons.

P.S.

Perhaps the reason for such an unusual for the ancient world high role of women in Sarmatian society is explained by the requirements of the harsh life of the nomadic people: men often went to distant lands on a campaign or hunting, and women in their absence should have been able to protect their hearth, children, herds animals and nomads. Modern archeology also has studied graves of Scythian warrior maidens buried under mounds in the region of the Altai Mountains and Sarmatia.

Thus, modern science seems to have solved the riddle that troubled the ancient and medieval historians, who reported warlike women before whom the ancient kingdoms trembled.

Have you ever wondered, "Who are the Amazons: women - myth or truth?"

There is no consensus among historians. It is not known what contributed to the birth of female warriors.

Self-sufficient, fearless, strong and independent. Maybe the excessive oppression of men caused hatred for them? Willingness to fight and kill?

These women left a noticeable mark in the history of mankind, full of secrets, myths and mysteries.

There are different versions about their habitat.

According to one, this is a nomadic tribe. According to another version, they owned a kingdom on the shores of the Black, Caspian and Mediterranean seas. But one thing is known for certain: this tribe consisted only of female representatives.

They lived separately. Men were used only for procreation, for conception. Born girls were left, boys were rarely given to their father, and more often they were killed.

They were magnificent riders, excellently wielding a sword, bow, spear and a short battle ax (labrys).

Girls were taught from childhood

Girls were taught this from childhood: to fight and kill mercilessly. War was the meaning of their lives.
Any commander considered it an honor to participate in hostilities in alliance with them. Not many have received this honor. The Amazons agreed to joint actions only if their tribe was in danger.

They were famous for their militancy and steadfastness, they fought on a par with men.

Alexander the Great wrote:

“…that they are taller than ordinary women. They are distinguished by beauty, health and ingenuity ... "

Legends of the Amazons

Legends about women warriors were also among the Indian tribes of South America.

they lived on the banks of the river and possessed untold riches. This aroused the interest of the greedy Spanish conquistadors. And in 1544 they went in search of this mysterious tribe. Francisco de Orellana led the voyage. Subsequently, he described military clashes with the Amazons. These are white-skinned, tall, stately women.

Despite the presence of firearms, the Spaniards failed to capture any of them. This confirms that they possessed invincible courage and excellent combat training.

First historical references

The first mentions of them are found in ancient Roman and ancient Greek literature of the 4th BC. Their existence is confirmed by archaeological excavations on all continents. They find female remains with traces of stabbing and chopping blows, with arrowheads sticking out of the bones and buried like warriors, along with weapons.

Ancient mosaics, bas-reliefs, vessels and ancient vases depicting battles involving women are kept all over the world.

Modern Amazons live with men. Do not wage wars (arms) with them! However, more and more smart, self-sufficient, independent women appear in men's professions, who can easily cope with men's affairs. This is especially clear in European society. And it is observed even in Muslim countries.

Women's military units are now being created.

Men or women?

Science has proven that the representatives of the "weaker sex" compared to the "stronger sex"

• easier to endure stressful and critical situations,
• learn new information faster and longer
• better tolerate pain and less sensitive to it,
• adapt to everything new and change faster.

The indomitable spirit of the Amazons lives in almost everyone. Is it good or bad? Could the fair sex be the future?

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Myths and legends about wild Amazons - women who formed a separate tribe, lived according to the rules of matriarchy and fought with men, have existed since ancient...

By Masterweb

23.04.2018 21:00

Myths and legends about wild Amazons - women who formed a separate tribe, lived according to the rules of matriarchy and fought with men, have existed since ancient times. Archaeological excavations confirm this fact, however, disputes about the reliability of the existence of a militant society, consisting exclusively of representatives of the weaker sex, do not subside.

Myths and legends

According to ancient Greek mythology, the kingdom of the Amazons, warrior women, existed for some time on the territory of Libya, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. For what reason they lived separately from men, it was not clear, but for a long time they managed on their own. Some sources tell about a nomadic tribe of women, others about the existence of a kingdom headed by an Amazon queen.

Their main occupations were: hunting for the purpose of obtaining food, wars with neighboring tribes for enrichment. According to ancient legends, the origin of the Amazon was from the union of the god Ares (or Mars) and his daughter Harmony, and the warriors themselves worshiped the goddess Artemis, a virgin huntress.

One of the exploits of Hercules was the task, during which he had to take away the magic belt from the warlike girls, which was intended for ransom for the return of the daughter of Queen Antiope.

Tribes of Amazon Women: Life and Reproduction

According to the opinion expressed in the 5th c. BC. the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, such a state of matriarchy existed on the shores of Lake. Meotides (modern territory of Crimea). They built several cities, among them Smyrna, Sinop, Ephesus and Paphos.

The main occupation of the Amazons was participation in wars and raids on neighbors, and they wielded a bow, a double battle ax (labrys), and a short sword with great skill. The warriors made their own helmet and armor.

But in order to have children, for the purpose of reproduction, the tribe of Amazon women annually in the springtime declared a truce and arranged meetings with men from the border lands, who were then paid off after 9 months with born baby boys.

But according to another version, a sadder fate awaited male newborns: they were either drowned in the river or maimed to be used as slaves in the future. Newborn girls were left in the tribe and raised as future warriors who were supposed to own everything. available weapons. They were also trained in hunting and farming skills.

So that in the future, when drawing a bow in battle, their right breast would not interfere with them, they burned it out in childhood. According to one version, the name of the tribe comes from a mazos, i.e. "breastless", according to another - from ha-mazan, which is translated from Iranian as "warriors", according to the third - from masso, meaning "inviolable".

War with Dionysus

The combat victories of the Amazon tribe glorified them so much that even the god Dionysus decided to make an alliance with them so that they would help him fight the titans. After the victory, he treacherously started a war with them and defeated them.

The few surviving women were able to hide in the temple of Artemis, then to go to Asia Minor. There they settled on the Fermodont River, creating a vast empire. Participating in several wars, Amazon women captured Syria and reached the island of Crimea. Many of them took part in the siege of the famous Troy, during which the ancient Greek hero Achilles killed their queen.

During the battles with the Greeks, the enemy was able to capture several girls and, having loaded them onto a ship, wanted to take them to their homeland for demonstration. However, on the way, the female warriors attacked the ship and killed everyone. But due to the lack of navigation skills, the Amazons could only sail with the wind, and eventually they were washed ashore on the shores of Ancient Scythia.

The formation of the Sarmatian tribe

Having settled in a new place, the warriors began to rob the settlements and take away the cattle, killing the locals. The Scythian warriors were very proud, because they considered waging war with female warriors unworthy of employment. They acted differently: they gathered their best warriors and sent them to capture wild women in order to then receive good offspring from them. Good luck awaited them, after which a new people of Savramats or Sarmatians, with a heroic physique, was born.

The life of the tribe of Amazon women took place actively in military campaigns and hunting, and they dressed in men's clothes. And local men were assigned to household duties: cooking, cleaning, etc. The Sarmatians had an interesting tradition: girls could only marry after killing any representative of the strong half, but they usually found victims in neighboring tribes.

Homer and Herodotus on the Amazons

According to historians, the great ancient thinker Homer, who created the famous works "Iliad" and "Odyssey", also wrote about the country of Amazonia. However, this poem has not survived. Greek myths are confirmed by ancient amphoras and bas-reliefs decorated with drawings of Amazon women (photo below). Only in all the images, beautiful warriors have both breasts and sufficiently developed muscles. Also, the Amazons are mentioned in the legend of the Argonauts, but there Homer shows them as disgusting furies.

According to Herodotus, after participating in the Trojan War, the Amazons came to the Scythians and formed the Sarmatian tribe, in which women and men had equal rights. Legends attribute to them not only excellent possession of weapons, but also the ability to stay in the saddle and incredible composure. Scythians and Sarmatians, according to Herodotus, fought together in the 5th century. BC e. against King Darius.

The Roman historian Deodorus was of the opinion that the Amazon women were descendants of the ancient Atlanteans and lived in the territory of Western Libya.

Data from archaeologists

Many finds by historians in different parts of the world confirm the ancient legends about the existence of Amazon women not only in Greece, but also in other countries and continents.

So, in 1928, on the shores of the Black Sea in the settlement of Zemo Akhvala, the burial of an ancient ruler in armor and with weapons was discovered. After research, he turned out to be a woman, after which many made an assumption about the discovery of the queen of the Amazons.

In 1971, a burial place of a woman with a girl, who were luxuriously dressed and richly decorated, was found on the territory of Ukraine. The grave contained gold, weapons, as well as the skeletons of 2 men who obviously did not die from an illness. According to scientists, the remains belonged to another queen with her daughter and slaves who were sacrificed.

In the 1990s during excavations in Kazakhstan, similar ancient burials of female warriors were discovered, the period of which totaled more than 2.5 thousand years.

Another sensation in the world of science was the latest discovery in Britain, when the remains of female warriors were found in Bruem (Cumbria). They obviously came here from Europe. According to English scientists, women fought in the ranks of the Roman army. According to them, tribes of Amazonian women lived in Eastern Europe in the period 220-300 AD. e. After death, they were solemnly burned at the stake along with equipment and war horses. Their origin comes from the territory of the current states of Austria, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia.

America: Tribal Life of the Amazon Women

Stories of wild female warriors also tell of their discovery by Christopher Columbus after the discovery of the American continent. Having heard the stories of local Indians about a female militant tribe, the great navigator tried to capture them on one of the islands, but could not do it. In memory of this incident, the name was given to the Virgin Islands (translated as "Islands of the Virgins").

Spanish conquistador Fr. de Orellana in 1542 landed on the banks of a huge river in South America, where he met a tribe of wild Amazon women. In the battle with them, the Europeans were defeated. Some scientists suggest that the error occurred due to the long hair of the local Indians. However, it was in memory of this incident that the proud name of the most majestic river of the American continent, the Amazon, was given.

African Amazons

This unique phenomenon in world history - a tribe of Dahomey female terminators - lived on the African continent south of the Sahara in the territory of the modern state of Benin. They called themselves N'Nonmiton or "our mothers".

African Amazons, female warriors, belonged to the elite troops that defended their ruler in the kingdom of Dahomey, for which the European colonialists called them Dahomey. Such a tribe was formed in the 17th century. for hunting elephants.

The King of Dahomey, admiring their skill and success, appointed them as his bodyguards. The N'Nonmiton army existed for 2 centuries, in the 19th century. the female military corps consisted of 6 thousand soldiers.

The selection into the ranks of female warriors took place among 8-year-old girls who were taught to be strong and ruthless, and also able to withstand any pain. They were armed with machetes and Dutch muskets. After many years of training, the African Amazons became "war machines" capable of successfully fighting, and chopping off the heads of the defeated.

During their service in the army, they could not marry and bear children and remained chaste, considered to be married to the king. When a man encroached on a woman warrior, he was killed.

The British mission in West Africa was founded in 1863, when the scientist R. Barton arrived in Dahomey, who was going to make peace with the local authorities. For the first time, he was able to describe the life of the Dahomey tribe of Amazon women (photo below). According to him, for some warriors, this provided an opportunity to gain influence and wealth. The English explorer S. Alpern wrote a long treatise on the life of the Amazons.

At the end of the 19th century the territory was occupied by the French colonizers, a soldier from which was often found dead in the morning with his head cut off. The second Franco-Dahomean War ended with the capitulation of the king's army and most of the Amazons were killed. Her last representative, a woman named Navi, who by that time was over 100 years old, died in 1979.

Modern wild female tribes

Until now, in the impenetrable jungle of the Amazon River, there are territories where life is very different from modern civilization. From time immemorial, people have lived in the eastern part of Brazil, cut off from the outside world, retaining their customs and skills.

Scientists regularly find here not only new species of animals and plants, but also settlements of wild tribes, which now, according to FUNAI researchers, number more than 70. They hunt, fish, pick fruits and berries, while they absolutely do not want to contact with civilized world for fear of contracting unknown diseases. After all, even the common flu is fatal for them.

Women of the wild tribes of the Amazon usually do all the women's work, take care of everyday life and raising children. Sometimes they gather berries or fruits in the forest. However, there are also aggressive tribes in which women, along with men, hunt or participate in raids on neighbors, armed with clubs and spears, poisoned by the poison of local plants or snakes.

There is also wild tribe Kuna on the island of San Blas near the territory of Brazil, who moved from the mainland and lives according to the rules of matriarchy. Traditions have been preserved and are maintained by the inhabitants of the settlement severely and unshakably. At the age of 14, girls are already considered sexually mature and must choose their own groom. The man usually moves to the bride's house. The main income of the tribe on the island comes from the collection and export of coconuts (about 25 million pieces annually), they also grow sugar cane, bananas, cocoa and oranges. But for fresh water they go to the mainland.

Amazons in art and cinema

In art Ancient Greece and Rome, warriors occupy an important place; their images can be found on ceramics, in sculpture and architecture. So, the battle of the Athenians and the Amazons is captured in the marble bas-relief of the Parthenon, as well as in the sculptures from the mausoleum from Halicarnassus.

Favorite occupations of female warriors are hunting and war, and weapons are bow, spear, axe. To protect themselves from the enemy, they put on a helmet, and took in their hands a shield shaped like a crescent. As can be seen in the above photos, ancient masters depicted Amazon women on horseback or in foot combat, in battle with a centaur or warriors.

During the Renaissance, they resurrected again in the works of the era of classicism and baroque in poetry, in paintings and sculptures. The plots of battles with ancient warriors are presented in the works of J. Palma, J. Tintoretto, G. Rennie and other artists. Rubens' painting "The Battle of the Greeks with the Amazons" shows them in a bloody equestrian battle with men. And copies from the originals of the sculpture "The Wounded Amazon" are famous all over the world and are kept in the museums of the Vatican and the USA.

The life and exploits of the Amazons became an inspiration for writers and poets: Tirso de Molina, Lope de Vega, R. Granier and G. Kleist. In the 20th and 21st centuries, they moved into popular culture: cinema, cartoons and fantasy comics.

Modern cinema is a confirmation of the popularity of the theme of Amazon women. Beautiful and courageous female warriors are presented in the films: "The Amazons of Rome" (1961), "Pana - Queen of the Amazons" (1964), "Goddesses of War" (1973), "Legendary Amazons" (2011), "Women Warriors" ( 2017), etc.

The latest film, released in 2017, is called "Wonder Woman" and tells about a heroine named Diana, the queen of the Amazons, who is endowed with fantastic strength, speed and endurance. She freely communicates with animals, and wears special bracelets for protection, but she considers men changeable and deceitful.

Among modern women, you can also meet "Amazons" who are smart, educated and dream of conquering the world. They can manage a large corporation and raise children at the same time, and they treat men condescendingly, allowing themselves to be loved.

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The Amazons (according to Greek mythology and historiography) are a people consisting of only female warriors. It is assumed that the Amazons lived on the shores of the Euxinthian Pontus (Black Sea). They created an independent kingdom ruled by a queen, often referred to as Hippolyta (an indomitable wild mare). According to legend, the Amazons founded several cities, including Smyrna, Ephesus, Sinop and Paphos. According to the playwright Aeschylus, in ancient times they lived in Scythia, near Lake Meot (Sea of ​​Azov), but later moved to Themiscyra on the Fermodon River (Therme River in modern Turkey). In Hellenistic and ancient Roman historiography there are various references to Amazon raids in Asia Minor. The Amazons were identified with various historical peoples of the Late Antique period. In modern times, the Amazons began to be called generally any warriors and warlike women. The most famous Amazonian queens are Penthesilea (swift), who participated in the Trojan War and her sister Hippolyta, whose magic belt became the goal of one of the exploits of Hercules. The Amazons were considered excellent riders who spent most of their time on horseback. According to Lysias, the Amazons were the first to shoe horses. The historian Herodotus considered the Sarmatians to be the descendants of the Amazons and Scythians; Sarmatians observed many traditions of the Amazons: "hunted on horseback along with their husbands, participated in hostilities and wore men's clothes." Moreover, according to Herodotus, "a girl cannot marry until she has killed a man in battle." Herodotus describes a group of Amazons sailing along the Meotian Lake (Sea of ​​Azov) to the region of the rocky part of Scythia (the current South-Eastern coast of Crimea). After learning the Scythian language, they agreed to marry Scythians, on the condition that they would not have to follow the customs of Scythian women. According to Herodotus, these tribes migrated to the northeast, settled in the lower reaches of the Tanais (Don) and became the ancestors of the Sarmatians. Herodotus states that the Sarmatians fought alongside the Scythians against the Persians of Darius the Great in the 5th century BC. In ancient Greek, the word Amazon comes from "masos" (breastless), which is associated with their tradition of cutting off the right breast of girls so that they can draw a bow and throw a spear without interference. In classical art, however, this is almost not reflected - there the Amazons are represented with both breasts, although the right one is sometimes covered. Hippocrates described the Amazons as follows: "They do not have a right breast ... at an early age, their mothers amputate the girls' right breasts using a special tool made of hardened copper. Thus, the growth of the mammary gland was prevented, and due to this, the strength of the shoulder and right arm was increased. "Some experts believe that in the time of the Amazons, people could not possess necessary knowledge to prevent the inevitable massive bleeding and dangerous infection. Others believe that after the amputation, cauterization was carried out with special instruments. The Amazons are also mentioned in ancient Roman historiography. Caesar recalled the conquests of a large area of ​​Asia Minor carried out by Semiramis and the Amazons. The successful Amazon raids on Lysia and Silisia are contrasted with the effective resistance of the Lydian cavalry against the conquerors (Strabo, Nicholas of Damasen). Gnaeus Pompey Trogius paid special attention to the Amazons. He spoke about the history of the Amazons, descended from two Scythian princes - Ilinos and Skolopetos. Diodorus tells of the victory of Hercules over the Amazons at Themisir. Philostratus believed that the Amazons lived in the Taurus Mountains. Ammianus believed that they lived to the east of Tanais (Don) and neighbored the Alans. Procopius places the Amazons in the Caucasus. Although Strabo expressed skepticism about their historiography, the Amazons appear in historical writings until the late antique period. Several Church Fathers spoke of the Amazons as a real people. Solinius refers to the evidence of Pliny. According to Aurelius, the captured Gothic woman was identified as an Amazon (Claudian). The annals of Justinius were very authoritative, they were used by Orosius, whose works were read in medieval Europe . Medieval authors continued the tradition of placing the Amazons in the north - Adam of Bremen placed them on the shores of the Baltic Sea, and Poaul Deacon placed them in the center of Germany. Some versions of the ancient Greek myth about the Amazons claimed that men were forbidden to appear in the Land of the Amazons, but once a year the Amazons visited the neighboring Gargaren tribe to conceive children from them. Boys born as a result of these visits were either killed, or sent to their fathers, or left alone in the open field. The girls stayed with their mothers, they were taught agriculture, hunting and military craft. In the Iliad, the Amazons are called "antianeurs" ("fighting like men"). The Amazons also appear in the legends about the campaign of the Argonauts, who, on their way to Colchis, ended up on the island of Lemnos, inhabited only by women and ruled by Queen Hypsipyla. The Argonauts called this island "Ginaikokratumen", which in ancient Greek approximately meant "the kingdom of women". Apollonius of Rhodes wrote that the Amazons greeted Jason and his comrades in battle formation - "Hipsipila was in the armor of her father and drove the wagon, terrifying with her charm." The young queen told them that before that Lemnos had been conquered and all the men had been killed. The Amazons invited the Argonauts to replace their dead husbands. The Argonauts did not understand, however, that the men were killed by their own compatriots. Fortunately, the Argonauts did not stay on the island for long. As they sailed across the Hellespont to the Euxinthe Pontus, they were advised to "get out of the way quickly, for Themisira and her Amazons are armed and ready for war." Amazons appear in the art of the archaic period of ancient Greece as illustrations of several legends. They conquer Lysia, but are defeated by the hero Bellefon, who was sent by Iobath, the king of Lysia, hoping that he would die in the fight against the Amazons (Iliad). The Iliad mentions the gravestone of Queen Myrina, in a later interpretation - the Queen of the Amazons, who led them to the conquest of Libya and most of the country of the Gorgons. The Amazons attacked the Phrygians, who were in league with Priam, then the young king of Troy (Iliad). Years later, during the Trojan War, the Amazons took his side and fought against the Greeks under the leadership of Queen Penthesilea (Krinth of Smyrna), who was killed by Achilles. This is stated in the Ethiopian, an oral epic poem, a continuation of the Iliad (also Quintus of Smyrna, Justin, Virgil. Aeneid). One of the feats that Hercules had to accomplish on the instructions of Eurystheus was to capture the belt of the Amazonian queen Hippolyta (Apollodorus). Hercules was accompanied by his friend Theseus, who captured Hippolyta's sister Antiope. This incident led to the Amazon invasion of Attica; in this war, Antiope fought on the side of Theseus and fell in battle. According to another version, Theseus married Hippolyta, according to the third - to Antiope (and she did not die). The battle of the Athenians with the Amazons constituted a whole genre of ancient art - Amazonomachy, a typical example of which are the bas-reliefs in the Athenian Parthenon and the sculptures in the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. According to one of the many legends, the Amazons undertook a campaign to the island "Serpent (Leuke) at the mouth of the Danube, where Thetis buried the ashes of Achilles. The spirit of the fallen hero appeared before the warriors and so frightened the horses that they began to throw off and trample the riders and forced the Amazons to retreat. Ancient Roman the military leader Pompey claimed to have seen Amazons in the army of King Mithridates.The Amazons were much talked about during the time of Alexander the Great, some biographers of the great king mentioned the Amazon queen Thalestra visiting him and becoming his second mother.However, other biographers of Alexander disputed this, including respected Plutarch. In his Biographies, he mentions the moment when one of Alexander's military leaders, Onecicritus, tells about this episode with the Amazons to the king of Thrace, Lysimachus. The king, who participated in that campaign, smiled and asked: "Where was I then?" Ancient Roman writer Virgil in the Aeneid described a female warrior of the ancient Italian people Volsci, sk copying her image from the legends of the Amazons. According to ancient sources (Plutarch, Pausonius), tombstones of the Amazons were found in all parts of the ancient Greek world. They were found in Negara, Athens, Hebron, Chalcis, Thesalla, Cynoscephalae and other places. Statues of the Amazons were also found throughout Greece. Plutarch says. that both in Athens and in Chalkis there were mausoleums of the Amazons, or Amazoneum, which testified to the cult of the Amazons. In Athens, there was an annual ritual of sacrifice to the Amazons. Once a year, the girls of Ephesus took part in ritual dances with weapons and shields, depicting Hippolyta and her Amazons in front of a wooden statue of Artemis. The Amazons were the subject of discussions of the authors of the Renaissance, and with the beginning of the great discoveries they were "placed" further and further. In 1542, Francisco de Orellana sailed to the mouth of a large South American river and named it the Amazon, because he met warlike women on the banks of the river. The Amazons are also mentioned in the writings of Christopher Columbus and Walter Raleigh Medieval and Renaissance writers credited the Amazons with inventing the battle axe. This apparently refers to the "sagaris", an ax-like weapon, which the Greek authors attributed to the Amazons and Scythians (excavations at the Alexander barrow in Bulgaria testify to this). A 16th-century martial arts expert, Paulus Hector Mair, was surprised that such a "male weapon" was invented by a "tribe of women", but acknowledged the authority of the contemporary historian Johannes Aventinus, who claimed this. Ariosto's poem "Furious Roland" (Orlando furioso) tells of a country of warriors ruled by Queen Orontea. This epic poem describes the kingdom of women, reminiscent of the Greek myth of the Amazons - women abandoned by unfaithful husbands rallied into a people whose male population was reduced to a minimum to prevent them from seizing power again.The classicist Peter Walcot debunked the mythology of the Amazons as follows: "Wherever the Greeks stationed the Amazons - somewhere on the Black Sea, in the far north, in Libya, it was always outside the civilized world, . Amazons exist only outside of normal human experience. "However, in the scientific community there are various hypotheses about the mention of the Amazons in Greek historiography - most of them obviously point to Scythia and Sarmatia, which is consistent with the evidence of Herodotus, but some authors prefer to compare the culture of the Amazons with the culture of Asia Minor and even Crete.Suggestions that the stories about the Amazons contain a grain of historical truth have been strengthened by recent archaeological excavations that indicate that some Sarmatian women took part in battles.These findings have led some scholars to suggest that myths about the Amazons arose on the basis of real women warriors, although this view is still not supported by most scholars of the classical school.Sarmatian women played an active role in military operations and in social life.During recent excavations of a Sarmatian burial mound, a mass grave of warriors, a fourth of which are women buried like men with their bows. These and other archaeological excavations definitely speak in favor of the existence of female warriors in antiquity. One of the proofs of the existence of female warriors among the ancient Scythians is the image of a warrior in a Scythian costume on an Attic vase dated 420 BC. Russian archaeologist Vera Kovalevskaya pointed to the fact that while the Scythian men went to war, nomadic women had to be able to protect themselves, their families, livestock and pastures. For example, during the long twenty-eight-year distant campaign of the Scythians into the depths of Asia, when they achieved dominance over its vast parts, most of the Scythian men were absent. During this time, women not only had to protect themselves, but also to procreate. These circumstances could give rise to the idea of ​​the Amazons - to combine once a year with the men of a neighboring tribe. This may have been the actual basis of Herodotus' conclusions. Classical scholars discussed the phenomenon of Amazons and warrior women long before archaeologists discovered Scythian burials of warrior maidens in the Altai mounds and similar Sarmatian burials, confirming the tales of Amazon riders. In 1911, the Encyclopedia Britannica wrote the following: "While some believe the Amazons are pure mythology, others suggest that there are historical justifications for their real existence. They worshiped such deities as Ares (the god of war and the main the god of the Thracians and other northern tribes) and Artemis (the Asian modification of this deity is different from the Greek goddess).There is an assumption that the Amazons were originally servants in temples and priests of the goddesses, and the removal of the breast was an act of self-martyrdom, similar to castration in male followers of the Phrygian goddess Sibella.According to another theory, travelers who visited distant lands reported tribes ruled by women, in which women performed roles in habitual communities characteristic of men.In these tribes, the inheritance of nobility belonged to women.Thus, it was believed that the Amazons are a nation of female warriors ruled by an exclusive but by women. According to J. Wirtheim (1907), the Amazons belong to one of the Greek tribes. The fact that the conquest of the Amazons was led by two of the greatest mythical heroes of Greek mythology, Hercules and Theseus, is supposed to indicate that the Greeks considered the coasts of Asia Minor dangerous for the inhabitants of distant Greek colonies, and the natives of those places - wild. At a time when studies of the Minoan culture of Crete were still in their infancy, Lewis Richard Farnell and John Myres considered the possible origins of the Minoan civilization, pointing to analogies between it and the civilization of the Amazons.According to Myrs, there is evidence that these cultures are very similar, and that Amazons could have arisen precisely in the Minoan culture. In the works of ancient art, the battles of the Greeks with the Amazons were often associated with the battles of the Greeks with the centaurs. The belief in the existence of both, which was present in ancient Greek literature and art, suggested the depiction of Amazons and centaurs as creatures not very unnatural. The main occupations of the Amazons were hunting and war; they were armed with bows and arrows, spears, battle axes and crescent-shaped shields (pelt). In the early depictions of the Amazons, they were wearing helmets and resembled images of the goddess of war, Athena, a model of a female warrior. In later images, the Amazons began to resemble the goddess of hunting Artemis, who was dressed in thin material and girded high. In later depictions on vases, the Amazons' clothing is reminiscent of Persian clothing - tight-fitting pants and a cap (kidaris). The Amazons were depicted both on horseback and on foot. Amazons on ancient Greek vases wore one earring. The battle of Theseus with the Amazons is a favorite subject of frescoes in pagan temples (for example, frescoes in the temple of Apollo in Bassai, now stored in the British Museum), drawings on vases and bas-reliefs on sarcophagi. In the Athenian Parthenon, this story is depicted on the shield of the statue of Athena, on the wall paintings in the Tezeum and in the Stoa Poikila. In ancient Greece, there was a certain standard for the sculptural image of the Amazon. The plot of the Amazons, and in particular, the plot of their struggle with men (Amazonomachy) was extremely popular - both in the ancient world and in subsequent centuries. It is curious how various artists depict the battles of the Greeks with the Amazons. Numerous Greek stelae, bas-reliefs and vessels show very concretely how the struggle was fought - it is shown as a dynamic, real, ferocious and deadly battle. There are no signs of relaxation for the "weaker sex", the male warriors did not disdain even to grab the enemies by the hair. Painters of later times brought a lot of eroticism to the battles of the Amazons. For example, on the static battle canvas of Anselm Feuerbach, the battle is generally more like an orgy. Penthesilea The most famous Amazon is Queen Penthesilea (Penthesilea), who participated in the Trojan War. According to legend, Penthesilea is the daughter of Ares and Otrera, her sister Hippolyta possessed a magical belt, which became the object of one of the exploits of Hercules. Penthesilea was a brave and strong warrior who wielded various types of weapons. Despite her position as queen-in-chief, she bravely fought shoulder to shoulder with other Amazons. According to ancient Greek mythology, Penthesilea and her Amazons came to the aid of the besieged Troy and its king Priam after the death of Hector. According to Quintus of Smyrna, Penthesilea accidentally killed her sister Hippolyta with a spear while hunting deer. This accident so saddened Penthesilea that she was looking for an excuse to die, but as an Amazon warrior she could do it with honor only in battle. Therefore, she was easily persuaded to join the Trojan War on the side of the defenders of Troy. In battle, she killed many Greeks with her own hand, including Machaon and Gift, but was killed by the mighty Achilles. Achilles mourned the untimely death of the brave beauty, falling in love with her after death. Thersites gouged out the eyes of the deceased with a spear and accused Achilles of passion, contrary to human nature. Achilles turned around and struck Thersites so that, knocking out all his teeth, he killed him. Later legends developed the motive of the erotic relationship between Achilles and Penthesilea; from their marriage, according to legend, there was a son Kaistr. The exploits of Penthesilea near Troy were sung by Arktin in the epic poem "Ethiopides". Probably the most romantic account of the story of Achilles and Penthesilea is found in the tragedy Penthesilea by the German playwright Heinrich von Kleist. Leading an Amazon army against the Greeks, Penthesilea hunts for Achilles. According to the laws of the Amazon, warriors must fight with men in order to capture captives in battle, ensuring the continuation of the Amazon family. But Penthesilea breaks another law that prohibits the Amazons from choosing male opponents in battle. Her campaign against the Greeks is successful, but she longs to fight Achilles, as her mother foretold her that she would capture him. Ignoring the High Priestess's warnings, Penthesilea continues to pursue Achilles. Finally, she managed to fight him, but in the battle she is defeated and loses consciousness, she is picked up by the Amazons and taken to their camp, where Achilles follows. When Penthesilea comes to her senses and sees Achilles, she has the illusion that her mother's prophecy has come true. Achilles, who has fallen in love with Penthesilea, hopes to kidnap her and challenges her to a duel in order to surrender. He goes against her unarmed. Penthesilea perceives his actions as a mockery and, in a blind rage, sets the dogs on him, helping them to tear Achilles' body to pieces. When it dawns on her what she has done, Penthesilea defies traditions and gods, throws aside the sword and repentantly accepts death by sheer willpower, hoping to reunite with Achilles in the Kingdom of the Dead ... Thanks to the poetic genius of the ancient Greeks, the story of the semi-legendary Amazons and, in particular, Penthesilea, survived the centuries. The history of the Amazons teaches that a woman is not always a weak defenseless creature dependent on men, she can be independent, strong and courageous. But the tragic death of Penthesilea at the hands of Achilles warns against striving for primitive equality - in most cases, a woman should not and is not able to defeat men in direct confrontation - this is a lesson for extreme feminists. At the same time, Achilles' belated love for the woman he killed warns men against actually fighting women.