Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Behold the Princess Warrior!

  • Greek vases deciphered, Amazons revealed
From the mightiest to the least famous, warriors have always chosen nicknames to gain or elevate their reputation. And although one may consider bragging a muscular privilege, an article published by National Geographic proves just the opposite. Female warriors, known as Amazons, had their own share of fame, meaning legendary names, which archaeologists found on Athenian vases.

The article reveals that what is more impressing is that archeologists first thought the inscriptions they found on vases were meaningless or simply "gibberish." Following the process of carefully translating or transliterating the inscriptions, a rare language expert was amazed to discover nicknames such as "hot flanks," "princess" and "do not fail." The inscriptions were found on 12 ancient vases from Athens, dated from 550 B.C. to 450 B.C.  
  • Hot topic of discussion?

The images of Amazons appearing on Ancient vases reflect a Greek fascination with the female warriors. It is believed that Amazons lived in Pontus [modern Turkey], and that the two cultures met through trade. Quoting the article: "Athenians had a long-running fascination with Amazons and began depicting them in art before 550 B.C. […] Amazons were clearly exotic and exciting to the Greeks.” That is understandable since Greek women were leading a much less independent and spectacular life.

As for why it was important to extol the merits of an Amazon, the article explains: “Vases from Athens were a hot commodity in the 5th and 6th centuries B.C., traded across the Mediterranean. Often they held wine […] and were painted with legendary scenes intended to provoke debate at an event […].” Certainly, the Amazons could spark a good conversation.

Created with Artisteer One.

FOLLOW GNA ON FACEBOOK/TWITTER