AMAZONS, in ancient history, a nation of female warriors, who are said to have formed a society from which men were entirely excluded. Authors, however, are not perfectly agreed on this point : Some inform us, that the Amazons killed all their male children as soon as they were born ; others, that they sent them to their fathers ; whilst others tell us, that they kept them amongst themselves, and employed them in spinning, and every species of domestic drudgery ; having pre viously rendered them unfit for war, by luxations of the hip bone, or by otherwise crippling their limbs. This was no doubt very hard usage, but it was perfectly con sistent with the sternness of character ascribed to those ancient heroines ; for they do not seem to have shown much more tenderness for their female progeny. Their first concern was to sear off the right breast of their daughters, that it might not impede their exertions in the use of the bow and the javelin. If any of our readers should be disposed to wonder how the nation of the Amazons should subsist and flourish without having any men amongst them, we must inform them, that the Amazons were sufficiently industrious in keep ing up the race ; and as they held an opinion, which still very generally prevails, that "fortes generatur fortibus," they scrupled not to travel some hundreds of miles to meet with heroes whom they thought worthy of peo pling their singular republic. Plutarch, in his life of Pompey, informs us, that they lived two months in the year with a neighbouring nation, with the patriotic view, no doubt, of procuring recruits for the state ; for it would be injustice to the heroines of whom we are speaking, to ascribe to them any other feeling.
The chief seat of the Amazons was on the river Thermodon, which falls into the Euxine, or Black Sea. But Diodorus Siculus mentions another race of Ama zons, who inhabited the western parts of Libya, and whom he represents as more ancient than those who lived near the Thermodon. Polyxnus* speaks of the Amazons in India. Officrst say, that they dwelt in Ethiopia. They arc said at one time to have possessed all lonial. We also read of their being settled in Italy. Those, however, whose exploits are chiefly recorded, arc the Amazons on the Black Sea. They were attack ed by Hercules ; and as this hero was always invincible, they were of course overcome. To be revenged fur this unprovoked aggression, they resolved to carry their arms into Greece. After many perilous adventures, they at last arrive at Athens, and fall furiously on the troops that came out to oppose them. On this occa sion, we arc told, the Athenians would have been utterly routed ; for they had already shamefully turned their backs to women, had not timely succours come to their relief, which enabled them to repel these furious in vaders. This happened in the time of 'Flies( us ; and so calamitous did this enterprise prove to the Amazons, that we are told their very name became extinct: iavr v /rare te)ec era 772v c-vp-pocav cinovvesoy