The Amazons were a group or race of female warriors in Ancient Greek mythology. Most of them are only briefly named in one or two sources, either as companions of

Penthesilea Penthesilea ( el, Πενθεσίλεια, Penthesíleia) was an Amazonian queen in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe. She assisted Troy in the Trojan War, during which she w ...

at the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ha ...

, or as being killed by

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adopt ...

during his 12 labours.

Mythology

Labour of Heracles

Many stories about

and his 12 labours mention different Amazons being killed by him. These include Alcippe, Asteria,

Celaeno In Greek mythology, Celaeno (; grc, Κελαινώ ''Kelaino'', lit. 'the dark one', also Celeno or Kelaino, sometimes isspelledCalaeno) referred to several different figures. * Celaeno, one of the Pleiades. She was said to be mother of Lycus a ...

Deianira Deianira, Deïanira, or Deianeira (; Ancient Greek: Δηϊάνειρα, ''Dēiáneira'', or , ''Dēáneira'', ), also known as Dejanira, is a Calydonian princess in Greek mythology whose name translates as "man-destroyer" or "destroyer of her h ...

, Eriboea and

Tecmessa The name Tecmessa ( grc, Τέκμησσα, Tékmēssa) refers to the following characters in Greek mythology: * Tecmessa, daughter of Teleutas, King of Phrygia, or Teuthras, King of Teuthrania in Mysia, or Tethras or Teuthas. During the Trojan ...

. Others, like Aella and Pantariste, fought Heracles but weren't killed.

Trojan War

John Tzetzes John Tzetzes ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Τζέτζης, Iōánnēs Tzétzēs; c. 1110, Constantinople – 1180, Constantinople) was a Byzantine poet and grammarian who is known to have lived at Constantinople in the 12th century. He was able to pr ...

gives in his ''Posthomerica'' a list of Amazons who went with queen Penthesilea to the Trojan War and were killed in battle: Anchimache, Andro, Androdaixa, Antianeira, Aspidocharme, Chalcaor, Cnemis, Enchesimargos, Eurylophe, Gortyessa, Iodoce, Ioxeia, Oistrophe, Pharetre, Thorece, Toxoanassa, and Toxophone. Tzetzes, John, ''Posthomerica'' 179-182 (translated by Ana Untila)

Quintus Smyrnaeus Quintus Smyrnaeus (also Quintus of Smyrna; el, Κόϊντος Σμυρναῖος, ''Kointos Smyrnaios'') was a Greek epic poet whose ''Posthomerica'', following "after Homer", continues the narration of the Trojan War. The dates of Quintus Smyr ...

, in his ''

Posthomerica The ''Posthomerica'' ( grc-gre, τὰ μεθ᾿ Ὅμηρον, translit. ''tà meth᾿ Hómēron''; lit. "Things After Homer") is an epic poem in Greek hexameter verse by Quintus of Smyrna. Probably written in the 3rd century AD, it tells the st ...

'', also gives a list of the companions of Penthesilea at Troy who were killed there by the Greek warriors.

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pe ...

killed

Antandre In Greek Mythology, Antandre (Ancient Greek: Ἀντάνδρη means 'she who precedes men') was an Amazonian warrior. She was one of Penthesilea's twelve companions at Troy. Mythology Antandre was killed in the Trojan War by the hero Achilles, ...

, Antibrote,

Harmothoe ''Harmothoe'' is a genus of marine Polychaete worms belonging to the family ''Polynoidae'' (scale worms). Species of ''Harmothoe'' are found world-wide to depths of at least 5,000 m but are more common in shallower water. Description Bod ...

Hippothoe In Greek mythology, Hippothoe ( Ancient Greek: Ἱπποθόη ''Hippothoê'' means 'swift as a mare') is the name of five distinct characters. * Hippothoe, the "lovely" Nereid and one of the 50 marine- nymph daughters of the ' Old Man of the Sea ...

, and Polemusa;

Diomedes Diomedes (Jones, Daniel; Roach, Peter, James Hartman and Jane Setter, eds. ''Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary''. 17th edition. Cambridge UP, 2006.) or Diomede (; grc-gre, Διομήδης, Diomēdēs, "god-like cunning" or "advised by ...

killed

Alcibie In Greek Mythology Alcibie (Ancient Greek: Αλκίβια or Αλκιβίη; Αλκι means prowess, βια/βίη means strength or force) was one of the Amazons, a race of warrior-women. She fought with their queen, Penthesilea to the Trojan War. ...

and Derimacheia,

Idomeneus of Crete In Greek mythology, Idomeneus (; el, Ἰδομενεύς) was a Cretan king and commander who led the Cretan armies to the Trojan War, in eighty black ships. He was also one of the suitors of Helen, as well as a comrade of the Telamonian Ajax. ...

killed

Bremusa In Greek Mythology, Bremusa ( Ancient Greek: Βρεμούσα means 'raging female') was one of 12 Amazonian warriors. She was born in Themiskyra in 1204 BC and fought with Penthesilea. Mythology Bremusa was killed outside of Troy by Idomene ...

Podarces In Greek mythology, Podarces ( grc, Ποδάρκης) was a son of Iphiclus (son of Phylacus, founder of Phylace) by Diomedeia and the brother of Protesilaus. In some accounts, he and his brother were called the sons of Phylacus and Astyoche ...

killed Clonie after she had killed his comrade

Menippus Menippus of Gadara (; el, Μένιππος ὁ Γαδαρεύς ''Menippos ho Gadareus''; fl. 3rd century BC) was a Cynic satirist. The Menippean satire genre is named after him. His works, all of which are lost, were an important influence o ...

Ajax the Lesser Ajax ( grc, Αἴας ''Aias'' means "of the earth".) was a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris. He was called the "lesser" or "Locrian" Ajax, to distinguish him from Ajax the Great, son of Telamon. He was the leade ...

killed

Derinoe In Greek mythology, the Amazons ( Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Herc ...

after she had killed

Laogonus In Greek mythology, Laogonus ( Ancient Greek: Δαογόνον or Λαόγονον) may refer to the following personages: * Laogonus, an Achaean warrior who participated in the Trojan War. He was slain by the Amazon Derinoe. * Laogonus, the "b ...

, and Meriones killed

Evandre In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercule ...

and

Thermodosa In Greek mythology, Thermodosa ( Ancient Greek: Θερμώδωσα) was one of the Amazons, a race of warrior-women. She came with their queen, Penthesilia to the Trojan War. Mythology During the siege of Troy, Thermodosa was slayed by the ...

, ''

'

/ref>

Other named Amazons

* Agave (mythology), Agave *

Alke In Greek mythology, the name Alke (Ancient Greek: Ἁλκή means "prowess, courage"), also transliterated as Alce, may refer to: *Alke, the spirit and personification of the abstract concept of courage and battle-strength. In the ''Iliad'', sh ...

Dioxippe Dioxippe (Ancient Greek: Διωξίππη) is a name in Greek mythology that may refer to: *Dioxippe, one of the Heliades. *Dioxippe, one of the Danaïdes. *Dioxippe, an Amazon. *Dioxippe, wife of Agenor and mother of Sipylus who killed her unwitti ...

Euryale In Greek mythology, Euryale ( ; grc, Εὐρυάλη, lit=far-roaming") was the name of the following characters: * Euryale, one of the Gorgons. * Euryale, daughter of Minos, possible mother of the great hunter Orion. * Euryale, one of the Ama ...

Glauce In Greek mythology, Glauce (; Ancient Greek: Γλαυκή ''Glaukê'' means 'blue-gray' or 'gleaming'), Latin Glauca, refers to different people: *Glauce, an Arcadian nymph, one of the nurses of Zeus. She and the other nurses were represented on ...

Lysippe Lysippe (; Ancient Greek: Λυσίππη ''Lusíppē'') is the name of several different women in Greek mythology: * Lysippe, the Amazon mother of the river god Tanais. *Lysippe, other name for Cydippe, daughter of King Ormenus of Rhodes and wife ...

Melanippe :''The name Melanippe is the feminine counterpart of Melanippus.'' In Greek mythology, Melanippe () referred to several different people: * Melanippe, daughter of the Centaur Chiron. Also known as Hippe or Euippe. She bore a daughter to Aeolus, ...

* Menippe *

Molpadia In Greek mythology, Molpadia (Ancient Greek: Μολπαδία means 'divine song') may refer to the two different women: * Molpadia, an Amazon who was said to have fought for both Antiope and Orithyia. She was a participant in the Attic War, ...

Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University o ...

* Xanthe

Amazons named in non-literary sources

Some Amazons are not known from literary sources, but only from inscriptions on vases. Areto is depicted on an

Attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a ''loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...

black-figure Black-figure pottery painting, also known as the black-figure style or black-figure ceramic ( grc, , }), is one of the styles of painting on antique Greek vases. It was especially common between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, although there are ...

vase. Blok, Josine H. The early Amazons: modern and ancient perspectives on a persistent myth. BRILL, 1995
page 218
(with a reference to ''

Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae The ''Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae'' (abbreviated ''LIMC'') is a multivolume encyclopedia cataloguing representations of mythology in the plastic arts of classical antiquity. Published serially from 1981 to 2009, it is the most ext ...

'', "Amazones" entry, vol. 1, p. 653)

Creusa In Greek mythology, Creusa (; grc, Κρέουσα ''Kreousa'' "princess") may refer to the following figures: * Creusa, a naiad daughter of Gaia. * Creusa, daughter of Erechtheus, King of Athens and his wife, Praxithea. * Creusa, also known b ...

is known from a vase from

Cumae Cumae ( grc, Κύμη, (Kumē) or or ; it, Cuma) was the first ancient Greek colony on the mainland of Italy, founded by settlers from Euboea in the 8th century BC and soon becoming one of the strongest colonies. It later became a rich Ro ...

. Iphito is only known from inscriptions.

Xanthippe Xanthippe (; , , ; 5th–4th century BCE) was an ancient Athenian, the wife of Socrates and mother of their three sons: Lamprocles, Sophroniscus, and Menexenus. She was likely much younger than Socrates, perhaps by as much as 40 years. Name ...

is known from a

red-figure vase Red-figure vase painting is one of the most important styles of figural Pottery of ancient Greece, Greek vase painting. It developed in Athens around 520 BCE and remained in use until the late 3rd century BCE. It replaced the previously dominan ...

Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (12 February 1845, in Göttingen – 9 March 1923, in Dresden) was a German classical scholar. He specialized in studies of Greek and Roman mythology. He received his education at the Universities of Göttingen and Leip ...

(ed.): ''Ausführliches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie''. Band VI (U-Z), Hildesheim, 1965, s. 518

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amazons * Greek mythology-related lists

Mythology

Labour of Heracles

Trojan War

Other named Amazons

Amazons named in non-literary sources

See also

References