Did the Amazons really exist? - Adrienne Mayor

It was long assumed that Amazons, the fierce and fearsome women warriors of Greece, were imaginary. But curiously enough, stories from ancient Egypt, Persia, the Middle East, Central Asia, India and China also featured Amazon-like warrior women. And Amazons were described in ancient historical accounts, not just myths. Who were the real women warriors known as Amazons? Adrienne Mayor investigates.

Lesson by Adrienne Mayor, animation by Silvia Prietov.

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[paranoidfoxx]

And the moral of the story is:

“While thick thighs may save lives... Thick thighs can also take lives, in certain hands.”

[sevenaries]

Imagine how many lost cultures we will never know about

[gowthamamg]

Ancient Male Heroes: Big Arms and Shoulders
Ancient Female Heroes: Big Thighs

[PanzerMan]

I do remember reading about a west African tribe that employed an army of entirely women. They were notoriously brutal and warlike, and conquered every tribe near them. They were known for not showing mercy to any enemy men, women, or children, nor their own soldiers if they fell out of line. The only problem is that they were *too* warlike, to the point where they pissed off some advanced European nation by killing their citizens, so they were crushed with gunpowder firearms.

Edit: It was the Dahomey Amazons and they pissed off the French

[elprmosoft]

10% - talking about history
90% - talking about how thicc those animations are
I love humanity

[TheTexas]

In 1000 years the question will be “Did the Amazon really exist?”

[goktimusprime]

Not *all* Greek women were repressed. Spartan women enjoyed a surprisingly close level of equality with Spartan men. Such as...
+ Superior education
+ Combat training (Spartan women were expected to be Sparta's last line of defence should the men fail to hold off invaders)
+ Able to divorce and remarry while retaining custody of their children
+ Higher levels of job opportunities, including work related to agriculture, logistics and governance. More menial jobs like weaving were considered unfit work for Spartan women and were given to slaves (Helots) to do.
+ Women who died in childbirth were afforded the same honour as men who died in battle
+ Actively participated in sports and even participated in the Ancient Greek Olympics (which was exclusively male in other Greek states)
+ Married as women, not as girls. And they married men of about their own age, not men who were much older than themselves.
+ Were fed a healthy diet
+ Able to legally own and inherit property
+ Some may have practised polyandry

Sparta was surprisingly progressive with women's rights for an ancient society.

[AmeliaRLobo]

Fun fact: The Amazon forest has that name because of a brazilian native tribe of warrior women called the Icamiabas.

[dillpickle]

Animators: so how big do you want the thighs---
Ted-Ed: yES

[oopsy]

They're not dolls mom they're action figures

[iwy]

How to be an Amazon:






*Never* skip leg day.

[peterjoseph]

am I the only one who up until now thought "The Amazons" as historical figures were actually referring to people who lived in the Amazon Rainforest? In South America? I'm curious how the rainforest was named now and if name is connected to the Greek mythos at all or it just happened by chance

[wanderingbufoon]

Recent studies show that they still exist. We just call them moms.

[NamLe-grxp]

Legends says that the Amazons never shot their bows,


They squeezed *the life out of their enemies with their thighs.*

[Kenan-Z]

Fun fact: Turkey's northern province of "Amasya" takes its name from the myth of Amazons and is believed to be the very place where ancient Greeks encountered them. The city features some monuments dedicated to the Amazon warriors.

[huskygold]

Could y'all do a video on the Valkyries

[mariealaba]

One of the most important leaders of the Amazons was Thunder Thighs. Legend says that she was born doing squats and hasn't ever skipped leg day.

[mikekazz]

4:08 not gonna lie that's a pretty cool effect.

[truthspeaks]

Many female warriors are located in Central Asia and Africa leading men into battle. One is the warrior queen of Kush who rained arrows onto the Egyptians and Romans driving them back.

[alison]

this art style is beautiful props to the animators and artists