A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

AMAZONES,

the Amazons, Women-Warriours of great Courage. They were heretofore Women of Scythia, who dwelt near Tanais and Thermodn, which conquer'd great part of Asia. They liv'd without Men, and prostituted their Bodies to Strangers, but kill'd all their Male Children, and burn'd off the left Pap of their Daughters, to make them fit for fighting. From whence some say their Name is derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, non mamma, which signifies Without Paps.

Strabo denies that there ever were any Ama∣zons. Pliny and Mela make mention of those of Scythia. Hippocrates says, that there was a Law among them, which condemn'd their Daugh∣ters to remain Virgins till they had slain three Men of their Enemies. He also says that the Cause why they cut off the Right-pap, was, that their Right-arm might become the stron∣ger, because it gain'd the Nourishment of the Breast; and they distorted the Legs of their Male Children, that they might always be Mi∣stresses over them.

Some affirm, that in Africk there was a Realm of Women only, who slew all the Boys that they brought forth by their Copulation with the Neighbouring Nations, as we learn from Juan de los Sanctos, a Grey-Fryar of Portu∣gal, in his Description of the Eastern Aethiopa. Aeneas Sylvius relates, that he saw in Bohemia, for seven years, a Common-wealth exactly like that of the Amazons, establish'd by the Valour of a Woman called Valasca.

The Names of the most famous Amazons were, Marthesia, Orythea, and Penthesilea, whom Virgil, in his Aeneids, supposes to be slain by Achilles.

Herodotus, speaking of the Amazons, says, that the Greeks having defeated them near the River Thermodon, carried away those that re∣main'd Captives in their Ships, who after the Defeat watch'd their opportunity so well that they seiz'd the Arms of the Greeks and made a great Slaughter of them; but because they un∣derstood nothing of Navigation, they were cast by the Winds upon the Coasts of Scythia; where mounting upon the Horses that came in their way, they fought with the Scythians; who being desirous to make an amicable end of the War which they had begun, endea∣voured to persuade them to surrender them∣selves, and hoping to gain them by their weak side, told them, that in case they would do so, they should not be enjoy'd by their Lame, but by the handsomest Men. They stopt their mouths with this Answer, That their Lame were their best Men; which is since passed into a Pro∣verb among the Greeks, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ne∣vertheless a Peace was made, and the Scythians gave them a part of their Country, where they settled themselves on the Southside of Tanais. This is what Herodotus says of the Amazons of Asia.

Philostratus, in his Picture of Neoptolemus, re∣lates, that they which sail upon the Euxine Sea do affirm, That along that Coast, between the Rivers Thermodon and Phasis, there are Amazons, which say, they are descended of Mars, who busie themselves wholly in Warlike matters, as to draw a Bow, and ride on Horses; they will not permit a Man to live among them, but when they desire to have any Children, they go to seek out Men among their Neigh∣bours, and when they bring forth Boys, they cause them to be gelt, but their Daughters they bring up to warlike Affairs, feeding them with the Milk of Cattle, and Dew which falls in the form of Honey upon the Reeds in their Marshes.

The chief Expeditions of the Amazons were the War which they made against King Priamus, the Assistance they brought him at the Siege of Troy, and their Invasion of Attica, to re∣venge themselves of Theseus who had taken a∣way Antiope. As for their Expedition into the Isle of Achilles, at the mouth of the Danube, it is a Fiction of Philostratus, which no ways re∣dounds to their Honour, because they shew'd themselves very cruel there. 'Tis true Philo∣stratus is not the only Man that has represented the Amazons as wicked, for Apollonius describes them as Salvages, that have neither Faith nor Law.

The Monuments which preserve the Memo∣ry of these Warlike Women are, the City of Thermiscira, the Metropolis of their State, situ∣ate in Cappadocia, near a River well known by the Name of Thermodon: the City of Ephesus and Temple of Diana are two Works of their hands. Dionysius Afer says, that they built another Temple to Diana upon the Stump of a young Elm. The Cities of Smyrna, Thyatira, Cuma and Magnesia are commonly thought to be founded by them. Apollonius will have it, that they consecrated the Temples even in the A∣reopagus, and in the Territories of Lacedaemo∣nia.

The Statue of Diana at Ephesus was adorned with Paps, because the Amazons consecrated those to her which they cut off.

It appears, by some Medals, that the Ama∣zons wore Garments like Men, but by others they seem cloth'd after the usual manner of their Sex.

The ingenious Mr. Pet•••• has written a Trea∣tise which contains things very learned and cu∣rious about these Heroines, as about their Se∣pulchres, the Reasons why the Names which they bear are all Greek, and the Chronology of their History, which may be consulted.