History:
Heracles in battle with Amazons
A veil of mystery in the form of mystic stories, anecdotes, legends and poetry surround one of the most intriguing people of the ancient world, the Amazons.
Though they have not left any written testimonies, they were present in the lores of historians over and over again.
Some scientists think that the legends of the Amazons are based on early lores about a small Asian region (Pontus), in which Greeks have met matriarchal ruled people and were involved in battles.
The myths tell us that these women were able to live without men. In battle they offered resistance successfully and were even able to defeat the men.
They were known as fearless and dignified women warriors, who guarded their wounded comrades under the risk of their
own lives. The most famous Greek heroes such as Heracles, Achilleus and Thesus struggeled with, sometimes defeated the
Amazons.
In the Greek classical period, the myths of the Amazons were a beloved motive for all famous artists. There were a lot of pictures
with Amazons, particularly in battles with wellknown Greek warriors on clay pottery and as sculptures. In some former regions
of Greece there was even a religious influenced Amazon cult.
An Amazon guards a wounded comrade
Polykleitos: Amazon „Sciarra“
According to the legend, Amazons have founded the cult of Artemis in Ephesus. The Roman author Pliny ( 23 – 79 A. D. ) has reported in his book 34 (natural history) about a competition between five high esteemed sculptors of the classical period: Polykleitos, Phidias, Kresilas, Kydon and Phradmon, which were asked to make a statue of a wounded Amazon for the sanctuary of Artemis in Ephesus. After they had finished their work, each of them had to decide which one of the five was the best.
Each of the 5 sculptors made a wounded Amazon for the competition; the works of Polykleitos, Phidias and Kresilas have been preserved as antique fragmentary copies, most made in stone (marble).
Until today three types of Amazons are known. For more than 100 years all possible classifications have been discussed lively, with always the same unsatisfying result. The most important question, the „Meisterfrage“ is:
Who has made what type of Amazon?
That will probably stay an endless discussion without a common result.
Phidias: Amazon „Sosikles“
Kresilas: Amazon „Mattei“
In classical times all five of the original created bronze statues stood in the sanctuary of Artemis in Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor.
All of the three known types show a wounded standing female: type Sciarra dressed in military „exom“, type Sosikles in a military short chiton and himation and type Mattei in a chiton, all with one naked breast.