Beautiful Amazons. The warlike tribe of Amazon women from the myths of ancient Greece, fact or fiction? Photos, pictures and videos of the Amazons. They knew which side to take both the rolling pin and the sword
Is there a place for women in the army? - Maybe yes. The post about our modern Russian Amazons-protectors was on February 23.Warriors of modern Russia
Currently, women in the army are not only needed, but also necessary. There are areas where they cope better than men - they are more resilient, more attentive, more careful.
Is there a place for women in war? - No, definitely.
Is there a contradiction in these two statements? No. Because there is a lot to do in the army and at headquarters -
translators, or rather translators, signalmen, medical personnel, psychologists, and many other things - let these professions belong to women, but there should be men on the battlefield.
I’m not writing this by chance, and it’s not me who is saying this, but those guys who are now where it’s really hot - in the Donbass. And this understanding is gained through blood, death and tears, when funerals go on in an endless stream.
How do I know? From Twitter. And although they talk a little about the war in Donbass, in reality little has changed.
I am not citing statements from the guys from the front because of profanity. But the meaning is quite clear:
Those who are spectacularly photographed with a machine gun, with hairstyles and nails - they are staff, they are not fighting. And it is right. Because women have nothing to do in war. Then no one will help these legless and faceless girls.
Female tanker from Gorlovka (self-propelled gunner). The whole world was trying to get her a prosthesis, but who will give Vera her leg back? She recently gave birth to a daughter (4th child).
And now to the times when the mythical Amazons could actually live. There is probably nothing strange in the fact that even then the topic of a woman wounded in battle excited minds.
Of course, in art it is customary to decorate reality, even bitter ones. The first rule is that everything depicted should be aesthetically pleasing.
Did ancient artists find beauty in the tortured female body, or did they try to express pain through art?
A wounded Amazon woman falling from her horse. Marble copy, 2nd century BC Naples
Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History, testifies to the existence of five bronze statues representing wounded Amazons in the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus.
The beautiful Temple of Artemis in the Greek city of Ephesus is one of the seven thousand wonders of the world.
According to one legend, the Amazons, female warriors, once founded this greatest sanctuary of the Greeks. According to another, the wounded Amazons resorted to the protection of their patroness Artemis in her Asia Minor temple.
Only a few columns and part of the foundation have survived to this day.
Turkish city Selcuk, in the southern part of Izmir province.
Five of the greatest sculptors took part in the competition (in the 5th century BC): Phidias, Polykleitos, Cresilaus, Kidon and Fradmon.
“The most famous of these masters met in a test of their skill in the Amazons, which they duly made. These statues were then placed in the Temple of Diana of Ephesus, and it was decided that which statue was the best would be left to the judgment of the artists themselves. (...) Accordingly, the first place was held by Polykleitos, the second by Phidias, the third by Cresilaus, the fourth by Kidon, and the fifth by Fradmon. (Pliny the Elder) »
This story is reinforced by the existence of three surviving types of Roman marble copies of the Wounded Amazons, whose Greek prototypes appear to date from around 430 BC based on style. Apparently these three types are what remains of the five described by Pliny.
Presumably, all Amazons are wounded by a spear that enters the neck or side on the right side, and this causes their arm to be raised.
Type "Amazon Mattei"» 
"Amazon Mattei", 2.11 m high, created in the Augustan era, is a Roman copy of a Greek original by Phidias. It was found in 1770 and ended up in the collection of the Mattei family; it is currently in the Vatican Museums.
The Amazon stands with her eyes downcast, her right hand raised above her head in front of her face, and her left hand lowered and holding her quiver. G
The raised hand may have held the lost bow, as in another statue of this type in the Capitoline Museums.
Amazon Sciarra type
The Amazon's left hand rests on a pillar-stand, her right hand is raised above her head so that her palm is behind her. The woman's face tilts to the side. The nose, part of the right arm, the left arm above the elbow, both hands, the right foot and ankle are the result of restoration.
"Amazon Sciarra", 1.94 m high, dates back to the era of Tiberius. It is a Roman copy of a Greek original by either Polykleitos or Cresilas.
This sculpture was discovered in Rome in 1868 in the Gardens of Sallust. It is currently in the Carlsberg Glyptothek in Copenhagen. 
There are other copies of this type: "Amazon Lansdowne" is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, another sculpture is in Berlin.
Type "Amazon Sosikla"
The Amazon holds her left hand in front of her chest, and her right, with an open palm, is raised. She looks down.
This type is known for a 2.02 m high sculpture dating back to the 2nd century. n. e., a copy signed with the name “Sosikl”.
It, like the previous one, was made according to the original of either Polykleitos or Kresilas. This monument was discovered in 1733, ended up in the collection of Cardinal Albani, and is currently in the Capitoline Museums.
"Amazon Sosikla", Louvre copy, in a long peplos covering her legs
There are also busts (herms) and bronze figurines belonging to this type that are earlier than the work of Sosikles. A copy of the statue depicting an Amazon in long robes is in the Louvre
The daughters of Ares and Harmony are the warlike Amazons, and their very existence has been causing controversy among researchers and lovers of ancient Greek history for centuries. Historians have identified two possible habitats for the Amazons: the coast of the Azov Sea in the foothills of the Caucasus (the territory of modern Russia) and the vicinity of the city of Themiscyra on the Asia Minor peninsula.
Of the ancient Greek pantheon, the Amazons most respected Artemis and Ares, constantly fought, captured foreigners for impregnation and the birth of new girls. Born boys and captured foreigners were most often killed. In ancient engravings, the Amazons are depicted in leather armor, with a battle ax or bow. For ease of aiming with a bow, the girls of the tribe often cut off one of their breasts.
Greek historians mention the Amazons in the war against Bellerophon, the siege of Themiscyra by Hercules, during the wedding of Theseus and Antiope, the mother of the legendary ruler Hippolyta, during the siege of Athens by warlike girls, and also during the founding of the city of Ephesus.
Numerous temple bas-reliefs are decorated with images of the Amazons, and dozens of statues of warriors were installed in the Ephesian Temple of Artemis.
Photos, pictures of Amazons.
There is information that the tribe was very similar in behavior and way of life in the 16th century. for a long time and successfully plundered the territories of the Chibcha-Muisca lands in the territory of modern Colombia.
During the Renaissance, myths about the Amazons appeared on the pages of the works of Lope de Vega, R. Garnier and Tirso de Molina. Elements of matriarchy and portraits of Amazon girls are easily distinguishable in the paintings of such great artists as J. Palma the Elder or J. Tintoretto.
Warriors of the world. Amazons.
Black Caiman
Essentially, the black caiman is an alligator on steroids. Black caimans can grow up to six meters in length, have larger and heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles and are apex predators in the waters of the Amazon River. This means that they are basically the king of the river, eating anything they can get their teeth into, including piranhas, monkeys, freshwater groupers, deer and anacondas.
Oh yeah, it's worth noting that they readily attack people. In 2010, a black caiman attacked a biologist named Deise Nishimura while she was cleaning fish on her houseboat. Even though she managed to fight it off, the black caiman took one of her legs with it. This caiman lived under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for the right opportunity to attack.
Anaconda (Green Anaconda)
Continuing the theme of giant reptiles, we present to your attention the largest snake in the world, living in the Amazon River - the anaconda. Although reticulated pythons may be longer in body length, anacondas are much heavier. Female anacondas are typically larger than males and can weigh up to 250 kilograms. The anaconda's body length can be about 9 meters, and its body diameter can reach 30 centimeters. They are not venomous, but use their impressive muscular strength to constrict and strangle their victims, which include capybaras, deer, caimans and even jaguars. Preferring shallow waters that allow them to sneak up on their prey, they usually live not in the Amazon River itself, but in its branches.
Arapaima
The arapaima, also known as the puraruku or paiche, is a giant predatory fish that lives in the Amazon and its surrounding lakes. Equipped with armored scales, they swim without much fear in waters infested with piranhas, and are themselves quite effective predators, feeding on fish and the occasional bird. Arapaima prefer to stay close to the surface because in addition to the oxygen they receive from the water through their gills, they also need to take breaths of air when rising to the surface of the water. Appearing on the surface, they make a characteristic sound similar to a cough. Their body length can reach 2.7 meters and weight 90 kilograms. These fish are so fierce that they even have teeth on their tongues.
Brazilian Otter (Giant Otter)
Brazilian otters are the largest freshwater otters. Brazilian otters have the longest body length of the entire mustelidae family, and adult males can grow up to two meters when measured from head to tail. Their diet mainly consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight individuals. They can eat up to four kilograms of seafood per day. However, many people think they are cute, but don't let their cuteness fool you, they are no more harmless than the other creatures on this list. There have been cases where groups of Brazilian otters have killed and eaten adult anacondas. They can also kill a caiman with ease. During observation of one group of Brazilian otters, it was observed that they killed and ate a five-foot caiman in 45 minutes. Although their numbers are declining rapidly, due in part to human intervention, they are considered one of the most powerful predators of the Amazon rainforest, hence their informal nickname "river wolves."
Common vandellia, or candiru (Candiru)
Bull Sharks
Although bull sharks typically live in salty ocean waters, they thrive in fresh waters. There have been cases where they swam so far down the Amazon River that they were seen in the city of Iquitos in Peru, almost 4,000 kilometers from the sea. Their specific kidneys sense changes in salt levels in the water and adapt accordingly. And you definitely wouldn't want to meet one of them in the river. These sharks often grow up to 3.3 meters in length, and the weight of especially large specimens caught by fishermen reached 312 kilograms. Like other sharks, bull sharks have several rows of sharp, triangular teeth and incredibly strong jaws, providing a bite force of 589 kilograms. They are also not at all averse to feasting on humans, and it is this type of shark that most often attacks people (the second and third places are occupied by tiger and great white sharks, respectively). The above characteristics, coupled with the fact that these sharks prefer to live near densely populated areas, have led many experts to consider them the most dangerous sharks in the world.
Electric Eels
Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than other eels, but you probably wouldn't want to get close enough to them to find out for yourself. They grow up to 2.5 meters in length and can produce electrical discharges using special electrical organs located along their sides. These discharges can reach 600 volts, which is five times the power of the average American outlet and is enough to knock a horse unconscious. While a single shock is not enough to kill a healthy adult, repeated shocks can lead to cardiac or respiratory failure, and cases of people passing out and drowning after being attacked by an electric eel are not uncommon. Many of the disappearances reported near the Amazon River have been linked to eel attacks, which stunned people with electricity and left them drowning in the river's waters. Fortunately for our species, even though eels are carnivores, they typically stick to a diet of fish, amphibians, birds and small mammals. They detect prey by sending out small, 10-volt discharges using their electrical organs, and upon finding it, kill it by releasing powerful discharges.
Common piranhas (Red-Bellied Piranhas)
The quintessential horror of the Amazon River, so frightening that it has inspired a number of controversial Hollywood films, the common piranha is actually a scavenger first and foremost. However, this does not mean that piranhas do not attack healthy creatures. They can grow up to 30 centimeters in length and usually swim in large groups, so they pose a significant threat to most animals. Like all piranha species, common piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth that are arranged in a row on the upper and lower jaws of these fish. These teeth are completely closed, making them an ideal tool for tearing and tearing the flesh of the victim. Their fearsome reputation mainly comes from "fever feeding", where a whole group of piranhas surrounds the hapless victim and eats his flesh to the bone in a few minutes. Such attacks are usually the result of prolonged hunger or provocation.
Mackerel Hydrolic (Payara / Vampire Fish)
Despite their diminutive name, the mackerel is a ferocious predator, capable of catching and devouring fish as large as half their own body size. Considering that their body length can reach up to 1.2 meters, this is quite an impressive feat. Most of their diet consists of piranhas, which should give you some idea of just how ferocious these fanged fiends can be. Two fangs grow from their lower jaw, which can grow up to 15 centimeters in length. They use these fangs to literally impale their prey on them after they lunge at them. In fact, their fangs are so large that they have special holes in their upper jaw to prevent them from piercing themselves with the fangs.
Brown pacu (Pacu)
One creature that lives in the Amazon River is much scarier to men than to women. The brown pacu is a much larger relative of the piranha, well known for its distinctive human-like teeth. Unlike many of the other creatures on this list, pacu are actually omnivores, and the majority of their diet consists of fruits and nuts. Unfortunately, for some pacu, “nuts” are not just what falls from the trees. Yes, you understood correctly. There have been several cases of pacu biting off the testicles of male swimmers. In Papua New Guinea, several men died after a paku mistook their genitals for easy prey. Oh yeah, don't worry if you can't get to the Amazon to see these monsters robbing men of their dignity - they've already started spreading across Europe.
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Stories about female superheroes never cease to excite the minds of Hollywood directors. Thanks to them, all the guys on the planet sometimes dream about Xena, Red Sonja, Catwoman, even Black Widow, despite her nickname. Now it's Wonder Woman. The actress who plays her, Gal Gadot, is truly charming. But does she really look like a real Amazon?
website collected photographs of women whose fame of courage and strength was captured on the pages of history, not comics.
1. In our minds, the Amazons look like this
Gal Gadot's heroine, warrior Diana, is a character from ancient legends. In 1941, she first appeared in comic books. And now any fan of movies and cartoons about superheroes imagines the Amazons like this.
2. This is what reality looks like
Warrior women lived in the West African state of Dahomey, south of the Sahara. These were representatives of the king's personal guard and his named wives. However, even the ruler of the harsh country did not dare to touch them, clearly being afraid of them. The warriors were so stern.
4. A third of Dahomey's army consisted of Amazons
And these are not semi-mythical characters at all, but very real units that proved themselves in battles with the colonial troops of France at the end of the 19th century. Scientists estimate that there were up to 6,000 women in Dahomey's troops. And this is a third of the country’s entire army.
5. They knew which side to take both the rolling pin and the sword
Like the mythical Amazons, Dahomey women warriors were a well-trained army, ready to fight, force marches and sabotage. Many entered service voluntarily, exchanging the lot of a housewife for that of a soldier.
