Imagining the Amazons: Women Warriors in Greco-Roman Art

Arienne King

by Arienne King
published on 11 June 2021

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Black-figured amphora (wine-jar) signed by Exekias as potter and attributed to him as painter

by Trustees of the British Museum
published on 26 April 2012

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Black-figured amphora (wine-jar) signed by Exekias as potter and attributed to him as painter — View Full-Size Image

According to the Epic Cycle of the Trojan War, the Amazon warriors, led by their queen Penthesilea, came to the aid of Troy. The slaying of Penthesilea at the hands of the Greek warrior Achilles was a classic motif in Greek art, as seen in this black-figure vase painting. According to a later version of the story, the two warriors fell in love at the very moment that Penthesilea fell in combat, their eyes finally meeting as she expired. Made in Athens, Greece, c. 540-530 BCE. Found at Vulci, Italy.

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© Trustees of the British Museum. Republished under the British Museum Standard Terms of Use for non-profit educational purposes. Original image by Trustees of the British Museum. Uploaded by Jan van der Crabben, published on 26 April 2012. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Copyright. You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

Imagining the Amazons: Women Warriors in Greco-Roman Art

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Black-figured amphora (wine-jar) signed by Exekias as potter and attributed to him as painter

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License & Copyright