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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §2.45.1-2.45.5

Customs of the First Amazon Queen and the Rise of Themiscyra

Passage 145 of 406 · Greek

Summary

Relates the rise of the first queen of the Amazons, the reversal of gender roles and physical mutilations she established, and her foundation of the city of Themiscyra and her military conquests.

§2.45.1παρὰ τὸν Θερμώδοντα τοίνυν ποταμὸν ἔθνους κρατοῦντος γυναικοκρατουμένου, καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν ὁμοίως τοῖς ἀνδράσι τὰς πολεμικὰς χρείας μεταχειριζομένων, φασὶ μίαν ἐξ αὐτῶν βασιλικὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχουσαν ἀλκῇ καὶ ῥώμῃ διενεγκεῖν· συστησαμένην δὲ γυναικῶν στρατόπεδον γυμνάσαι τε τοῦτο καί τινας τῶν ὁμόρων καταπολεμῆσαι.
Now by the Thermodon River, when a nation ruled by women held power, and the women, similarly to the men, took part in the duties of war, they say that one of them, who possessed royal authority, was preeminent in bravery and strength; and having organized an army of women, she trained it and subdued some of the neighboring peoples.
§2.45.2αὐξομένης δὲ τῆς περὶ αὐτὴν ἀρετῆς τε καὶ δόξης συνεχῶς ἐπὶ τὰ πλησιόχωρα τῶν ἐθνῶν στρατεύειν, καὶ τῆς τύχης εὐροούσης φρονήματος ἐμπίμπλασθαι, καὶ θυγατέρα μὲν Ἄρεος αὑτὴν προσαγορεῦσαι, τοῖς δʼ ἀνδράσι προσνεῖμαι τὰς ταλασιουργίας καὶ τὰς τῶν γυναικῶν κατʼ οἴκους ἐργασίας.
And as her valor and fame increased, she constantly marched against the neighboring nations, and since her fortune was flowing smoothly, she became filled with pride, and declared herself to be a daughter of Ares, while she assigned to the men the spinning of wool and the household tasks of women.
νόμους τε καταδεῖξαι, διʼ ὧν τὰς μὲν γυναῖκας ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμικοὺς ἀγῶνας προάγειν, τοῖς δʼ ἀνδράσι ταπείνωσιν καὶ δουλείαν περιάπτειν.
She also established laws by which she led the women forth to military conflicts, while she imposed humiliation and slavery upon the men.
§2.45.3τῶν δὲ γεννωμένων τοὺς μὲν ἄρρενας ἐπήρουν τά τε σκέλη καὶ τοὺς βραχίονας, ἀχρήστους κατασκευάζοντες πρὸς τὰς πολεμικὰς χρείας, τῶν δὲ θηλυτερῶν τὸν δεξιὸν μαστὸν ἐπέκαον, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ τὰς ἀκμὰς τῶν σωμάτων ἐπαιρόμενος ἐνοχλῇ· ἀφʼ ἧς αἰτίας συμβῆναι τὸ ἔθνος τῶν Ἀμαζόνων ταύτης τυχεῖν τῆς προσηγορίας.
Of those who were born, they crippled the legs and arms of the males, making them useless for the duties of war, and they seared the right breast of the females, so that it might not get in the way by swelling at the time of bodily maturity; for which reason it came about that the nation of the Amazons received this name.
§2.45.4καθόλου δὲ διαφέρουσαν αὐτὴν συνέσει καὶ στρατηγίᾳ πόλιν μὲν κτίσαι μεγάλην παρὰ τὰς ἐκβολὰς τοῦ Θερμώδοντος ποταμοῦ, τοὔνομα Θεμίσκυραν, καὶ βασίλεια κατασκευάσαι περιβόητα, κατὰ δὲ τὰς στρατείας ἐπιμελομένην πολὺ τῆς εὐταξίας τὸ μὲν πρῶτον καταπολεμῆσαι πάντας τοὺς ὁμόρους μέχρι τοῦ Τανάιδος ποταμοῦ.
On the whole, being distinguished in intelligence and generalship, she founded a great city near the mouth of the Thermodon River, named Themiscyra, and built a famous palace; and in her campaigns, paying great attention to discipline, she first subdued all her neighbors as far as the Tanais River.
§2.45.5καὶ ταύτην μέν φασι ταύτας τὰς πράξεις ἐπιτελεσαμένην καὶ κατά τινα μάχην λαμπρῶς ἀγωνισαμένην ἡρωικῶς τελευτῆσαι τὸν βίον.
And they say that this woman, having accomplished these deeds and having fought brilliantly in a certain battle, ended her life heroically.

Notes

  1. 2.45.1ἔθνους κρατοῦντος — A genitive absolute construction. The noun `ἔθνους` is modified by the passive participle `γυναικοκρατουμένου` ("ruled by women"), while `κρατοῦντος` ("ruling, being powerful") functions predicatively. It is translated as "when a nation ruled by women held power."
  2. 2.45.2διʼ ὧν τὰς μὲν γυναῖκας ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμικοὺς ἀγῶνας προάγειν — The infinitives `προάγειν` (and `περιάπτειν`) inside the relative clause introduced by `δι' ὧν` are due to the continuation of the indirect discourse (accusative with infinitive) dependent on the verb of saying `φασί` in section 1.
  3. 2.45.3τῶν δὲ γεννωμένων — A partitive genitive. It indicates the whole group ("of those who were born") which is subsequently divided into the males (`τοὺς μὲν ἄρρενας`) and the females (`των δὲ θηλυτερῶν`).
  4. 2.45.3συμβῆναι τὸ ἔθνος τῶν Ἀμαζόνων ταύτης τυχεῖν τῆς προσηγορίας — The infinitive `συμβῆναι` depends on `φασί` (from section 1), and its subject is the entire accusative-with-infinitive clause `τὸ ἔθνος ... τυχεῖν` ("that the nation of the Amazons obtained this name"). This creates a double indirect discourse structure expressing a result.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §2.45.1-2.45.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:2.45.1-2.45.5

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