Otrera: The Creator and First Queen of the Amazons in Greek Mythology
Otrera, according to Greek mythology, was a female warrior who possessed the strength, skill, courage and agility comparable to her male counterparts. Due to her warlike nature, the Greeks associated her with Ares, the god of war. Otrera created the Amazons and became their first queen leading them to several triumphs. Read on to discover the family and mythology of Otrera.
The Family of Otrera
Otrera was the daughter of the Ares and Harmonia, a nymph in the valley of Akmonia. According to some myths, Ares and Harmonia gave birth to all the Amazons while others credit Otrera as their creator. In time, Otrera and Ares gave birth to the Amazons including Hippolyta, Antiope, Melanippe and Penthesilea.
The Children
Hippolyte
She was the most famous of the daughters of Otrera and probably the strongest of the Amazons. She was the eldest and possessed a magical girdle which gave her superhuman strength and abilities.
The belt itself was made from leather and was given to her as a present for her exploits as the best warrior on Amazon. As part of his Twelve Labors, King Eurystheus ordered Heracles to get the girdle of Hippolyte for his daughter, Admete, who wanted to be as strong as the Amazons.
Some versions of the myth narrate that Otrera’s eldest daughter gave her girdle to Hercules after she was amazed by his strength and bravery.
Penthesileia
She was an Amazon queen who fought on the side of the Trojans during the 10-year Trojan War. Before that, however, she had accidentally murdered her sister, Hippolyte, while they were hunting deer. This grieved Penthesileia so much that she wished to die but couldn’t take her own life according to Amazon tradition. The Amazons were expected to die honorably in the heat of battle, thus she had to partake in the Trojan War and hope that someone eventually kills her.
According to the ancient Greek literature, Aethiopis, Penthesileia rallied 12 other Amazons and came with them to assist the Trojans. She fought bravely and skillfully until she came in contact with Achilles who slew her. Therefore, she paid for killing her sister, and her body was taken to Thermodon for burial.
Antiope
Antiope inherited the throne after her mother’s death and ruled the kingdom of the Amazons with her sister Orythria. Antiope exhibited immense wisdom and lifted the kingdom to greater heights. She was a strong woman who trained the Amazons in combat and led them to some victories. According to various Greek myths, Antiope married Theseus, who had accompanied Heracles on his Twelve Labors.
Some versions say she fell in love with Theseus and betrayed her people while other versions narrate that she was kidnapped by Theseus. Theseus and Antiope fathered a son named Hippolytus, though some versions claim he was the son of Hippolyte instead. Antiope met her death when an Amazonian named Molpadia accidentally killed her while they went to rescue her from Theseus. This grieved Theseus who later killed Molpadia to avenge the death of his lover.
Melanippe
According to some versions of the Heracles myth, Melanippe was captured by Heracles and asked for Hippolyte’s girdle before releasing Melanippe. The Amazons agreed and gave out Hippolyte’s girdle for Melanippe. Heracles took the girdle to Eurystheus and fulfilled his ninth labor. Other accounts say that it was Melanippe who was kidnapped and married by Theseus.
Some myths also recount that Melanippe was killed by Telamon, an Argonaut who accompanied Jason on his adventures.
The Myth and the Amazonians
Otrera and her citizens were famous for their brutality and outstanding fighting prowess. They forbade men from entering their kingdom and only raised female children. The male children were either killed or sent to live with their fathers. Some Amazons also swore to live a chaste life so they could concentrate on protecting their territories and training other young Amazons.
The Temple of Artemis
The temple of Artemis in Ephesus also known as Artemision was believed to be founded by Otrera and the Amazons. The magnificent temple was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Ancient records indicate that the Temple of Artemis was believed to be the largest building around the globe according to the Greek geographer Pausanius. During the dedication of the temple, the Amazonians placed an image of Artemis under an oak tree and performed a war dance around it while wielding their swords and spears.
Hippolyte then performed the rest of the rituals and it was declared that the war dance would be performed annually and anyone who refused to partake would be punished. According to the myth, Hippolyte refused to perform the dance on one occasion and was punished for it.
The Amazonians were a fierce tribe that loved horse riding and hunting so it was no surprise that their temple was dedicated to the goddess of hunting, Artemis. They fashioned their lifestyle according to Artemis with some of them vowing to stay chaste, just like their goddess.
The temple apart from being a place of abode for the Otrera goddess, Artemis, nonetheless, it was also a sanctuary for the Amazons when they fought against Theseus and his army.
Ares and Otrera
Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology was so impressed by Otrera beauty, skill and strength that he praised her. Excited about the commendation from the war deity, the Amazons built a temple in honor of him. The Amazonians then developed a strong devotion toward Ares and performed rituals that included the sacrificing of animals for the god’s blessing.
Death of Otrera
Bellerophon, the great Greek monster slayer, killed Otrera as part of a series of adventures assigned to him by King Iobates of Lycia. Bellerophon had been wrongly accused of a crime and was sent to King Iobates for punishment. Iobates gave Bellerophon a series of impossible tasks which, he thought, would lead to Bellerophon’s death. These tasks included fighting Otrera and the Amazons which he survived by killing her.
Other myths indicate that Otrera and the Amazons took part in the Trojan War by fighting against Greece. Bellerophon was sent to wage war on the Amazonians for supporting the Greeks. There he fought with the first queen of the Amazons and killed her.
Otrera Meaning
Though the original meaning is not known, the modern meaning is mother of the Amazons.
Otrera in Modern Times
The queen of the Amazon features in the literary works of the American author Rick Riordan as well as some comic books and movies, especially Wonder woman. Otrera Riordan and Otrera Wonder Woman have the same characteristics as Otrera in ancient Greek mythology.
Pronunciation
The name of the premier Amazon queen is pronounced |Ow-tee-reh-rah|.
Conclusion
So far, we’ve discovered the myth of the first Amazon queen, her life, children and how she died. Here is a recap of all that we’ve read:
- According to the mythology, Otrera parents were Ares, the god of war, and his wife, Harmonia, a nymph from the valley of Akmonia.
- Later, she and Ares gave birth to the Amazons including the likes of Hippolyte, Penthesileia, Antiope and Melanippe who was later abducted by Heracles in exchange for Hippolyte’s girdle.
- The Amazons were a fierce tribe of women who were famous for their fighting skills, courage and strength that were equal to or even greater than their male counterparts.
- They built what was believed to be the largest temple in the world and dedicated it to Ares who became pleased with them and blessed them.
- Later, she and her citizens instituted an annual war dance to be performed by every Amazonian and anyone who failed to take part was severely punished.
She was killed by the Greek giant slayer, Bellerophon, as part of the tasks assigned to him by King Iobates of Lycia who wanted to kill him. The myth of the first Amazonian queen has influenced several modern books and films including the Percy Jackson series and the Wonder Woman movies.
