Lampedo facts for kids
Lampedo (which means "burning torch" in Greek) was a powerful Amazon queen. She is mentioned in old Roman history books. Lampedo ruled alongside her sister, Marpesia. To make their enemies afraid and show they were amazing warriors, the sisters claimed they were daughters of Mars, the god of war.
Some people think her name might be connected to the torchlit parades held during the New Moon. These parades honored Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.
The Story of the Amazons
The history of the Amazon nation is told by many ancient writers. One of the earliest was Ephorus, who wrote in the 4th century BC.
How the Amazons Began
The story goes that a group of important people, called an aristocratic group, sent two royal men, Sylisios and Scolopicus, away from their home in Scythia. This group, along with the exiled men, eventually arrived at the Thermodon River in a region called Cappadocia. They took over the lands of the Cyrian people, stealing from them and causing trouble. Most of the men in the area were killed by the Scythians and their group.
The women who were left became widows and found themselves in a terrible situation. They decided to join together with the few young men who remained. They fought back against their enemies and continued to wage war against nearby countries. These brave women then decided to kill the remaining husbands of the Scythian massacre. They did this to make sure no one thought some married women were special or treated differently by destiny.
After these battles, the women warriors made peace with their enemies.
Other Historians' Accounts
Many other historians have told similar stories about how the Amazon nation began. Diodorus of Sicily wrote about it based on Scythian records. Xenophon, who lived almost four centuries earlier, also told a similar tale. Later, Paulus Orosius and the Latin historian Justin repeated this same story. Even the famous modern children's encyclopedia writer Donald J. Sobol shares a very similar version.
In Giovanni Boccaccio's book Famous Women, there is a special chapter dedicated to Lampedo and Marpesia.
For more information, including the story of Bellerophon slaying Marpesia, you can look up Lampetho.
See also
In Spanish: Lampedo para niños
