Amastrus, one of the auxiliaries of Perses, against Ætes king of Colchis, killed by Argus son of Phryxus. Flaccus, bk. 6, li. 544.——A friend of Æneas, killed by Camilla in the Rutulian war. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 11, li. 673.
Amāta, the wife of king Latinus. She had betrothed her daughter Lavinia to Turnus, before the arrival of Æneas in Italy. She zealously favoured the interest of Turnus, and when her daughter was given in marriage to Æneas, she hung herself to avoid the sight of her son-in-law. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 7, &c.
Amăthus (genitive: untis), now Limisso, a city on the southern side of the island of Cyprus, particularly dedicated to Venus. The island is sometimes called Amathusia, a name not unfrequently applied to the goddess of the place. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 51.—Claudius Ptolemy, bk. 5, ch. 14.
Amaxampēus, a fountain of Scythia, whose waters imbitter the stream of the river Hypanis. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 52.
Amaxia, or Amaxīta, an ancient town of Troas.——A place of Cilicia abounding with wood fit for building ships. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 9.—Strabo, bk. 14.
Amazēnes, or Mazēnes, a prince of the island Oaractus, who sailed for some time with the Macedonians and Nearchus in Alexander’s expedition to the east. Arrian, Indica.
Amazŏnes, or Amazŏnĭdes, a nation of famous women who lived near the river Thermodon in Cappadocia. All their life was employed in wars and manly exercises. They never had any commerce with the other sex, but, only for the sake of propagation, they visited the inhabitants of the neighbouring country for a few days, and the male children which they brought forth were given to the fathers. According to Justin, they were strangled as soon as born, and Diodorus says that they maimed them and distorted their limbs. The females were carefully educated with their mothers, in the labours of the field; their right breast was burnt off that they might hurl a javelin with more force, and make a better use of the bow; from that circumstance, therefore, their name is derived (a non, μαζα mamma). They founded an extensive empire in Asia Minor, along the shores of the Euxine, and near the Thermodon. They were defeated in a battle near the Thermodon by the Greeks; and some of them migrated beyond the Tanais, and extended their territories as far as the Caspian sea. Themyscyra was the most capital of their towns; and Smyrna, Magnesia, Thyatira, and Ephesus, according to some authors, were built by them. Diodorus, bk. 3, mentions a nation of Amazons in Africa more ancient than those of Asia. Some authors, among whom is Strabo, deny the existence of the Amazons, and of a republic supported and governed by women, who banished or extirpated all their males; but Justin and Diodorus particularly support it; and the latter says that Penthesilea, one of their queens, came to the Trojan war on the side of Priam, and that she was killed by Achilles, and from that time the glory and character of the Amazons gradually decayed, and was totally forgotten. The Amazons of Africa flourished long before the Trojan war, and many of their actions have been attributed to those of Asia. It is said, that after they had subdued almost all Asia, they invaded Attica, and were conquered by Theseus. Their most famous actions were their expeditions against Priam, and afterwards the assistance they gave him during the Trojan war; and their invasion of Attica, to punish Theseus, who had carried away Antiope, one of their queens. They were also conquered by Bellerophon and Hercules. Among their queens, Hippolyte, Antiope, Lampeto, Marpesia, &c., are famous. Curtius says that Thalestris, one of their queens, came to Alexander, whilst he was pursuing his conquests in Asia, for the sake of raising children from a man of such military reputation; and that, after she had remained 13 days with him, she retired into her country. The Amazons were such expert archers, that, to denote the goodness of a bow or quiver, it was usual to call it Amazonian. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 5, li. 311.—Jornandes, Getica, ch. 7.—Philostratus Major, Imagines, bk. 2, ch. 5.—Justin, bk. 2, ch. 4.—Curtius, bk. 6, ch. 5.—Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 7; bk. 14, ch. 8; bk. 36, ch. 5.—Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 110.—Strabo, bk. 11.—Diodorus, bk. 2.—Dionysius of Halicarnassus, bk. 4.—Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 2.—Plutarch, Theseus.—Apollodorus, bk. 2, chs. 3 & 5.—Hyginus, fables 14 & 163.
Amazŏnia, a celebrated mistress of the emperor Commodus.——The country of the Amazons, near the Caspian sea.
Amazŏnium, a place in Attica, where Theseus obtained a victory over the Amazons.
Amazŏnius, a surname of Apollo at Lacedæmon.