Amazon/Bio & Battles

"Amazons have joyed in ruthless fight, in charging steeds, from the beginning. All the toil of men do they endure; and therefore evermore the spirit of the war-god thrills them through."

- Theano, Fall of Troy, by Quintus Smyrnaeus

The Amazons are an all-female tribe of warriors that appear in many stories in Greek myths, often as foes for one of the Greek heroes. There are several theories as to what real-life groups inspired the Amazons, but most historians agree that the Amazons themselves are wholly fictitious.

The origin of the Amazons in myth is unclear, but Ares, the god of war, is usually associated with it, as the Amazons primarily worship Ares as their patron god. The culture of the Amazons is one of violence and war, which brought them into frequent conflict with the Greek city-states. In order to prevent their population from dying out, the Amazons either kidnapped men from their enemies or willingly procreated with an all-male tribe called the Gargareans.

Several Greek heroes found themselves facing the Amazons in battle during their journeys, including Heracles, Theseus, and Bellerophon. One of the queens of the Amazons, Penthesilea, appears as an enemy of Achilles in accounts of the Trojan War.