| Modern classicists have examined the function of the Amazon legend in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds for over 150 years, using a variety of methods and theories to explain the popularity and meaning of the warrior women as evidence of matriarchal societies, cultural taboos, and social anxieties, often without historical context. My research deliberately uses a historical approach to test previous conclusions about the Amazons and reveals a dynamic Greek culture where individual authors constantly competed and contributed to the developing legend. I have applied a modified theory of narratology to four specific Greek authors: Herodotus, Diodorus, Strabo, and Plutarch. I explored each author's work on three levels: the story itself (the narrative), how each story fits within each author's similar work (the metanarrative), and how it differs from previous or contemporary variations (the cultural metanarrative). This revealed the dynamic nature of the legend as well as the creativity and motivation of each individual author. Although the Amazons themselves had a specific definition as a tribe of female warriors, different pairings of heroes with Amazons or discussions of imagined Amazon societies allowed ancient authors to use them in a variety of ways. Herodotus broke free from the traditional hero-kills-Amazon legend to address their political meaning. Diodorus returned to the heroic legend but utilized embellished stories to position specific heroes as greater than others. Strabo decried embellishments as evidence of poor scholarship and pointed out contradictions between the variations. Plutarch used specific heroic legends as moral measurements of good leadership. The Amazon legends and these writers' treatment of them are a window upon a changing Greek culture. |
