AMAZONS AS ROLE MODELS?

It is a moot point whether the Greeks would have developed myths about Amazons even if they had never heard about female warriors. Be that as it may, their mythical Amazons fulfill several ideological functions. The most important of those is probably to represent an unnatural menace which has been successfully defeated by the Greeks. However, there is no denying that from the late sixth century onwards the Greek depiction of Amazons, on vases or in writing, has often (but not always) been influenced by their knowledge of Sarmatian mounted archeresses, at least some of whom were almost certainly also warriors. Yet it is naive to say that the Greeks were right all the time, that Amazons did exist and that they had a wonderful time killing enemies and living a life characterised by companionship, fulfilled sexuality and gender equalitiy. The Amazons constructed by Adrienne Mayor resemble the heroines of Klingon legend told by Klingons in the Star Trek spin offs.