One subject all sources agree upon is that Antiope bore a son named Hippolytus, thus she is generally identified as Hippolyte by modern scholars. Their son is one of the main characters in a play by Euripides of the same name. In this play, Hippolytus is a grown man, dedicated to the virgin goddess Artemis, refusing to associate with mortal women. Because of his steadfast devotion to hunting, he earns the wrath of Aphrodite, and she seeks vengeance. Theseus' wife Phaedra falls in love with her stepson because of the goddess's scheming, and takes her own life rather than live dishonorably. However, she blames Hippolytus for her ardor, and leaves a suicide note for Theseus blaming Hippolytus for her death. In a rage, the king curses his son and exiles him, ignoring his pleas of innocence. Shortly afterwards, word arrives in Athens that the prince has been stampeded by his horses, and is on the brink of death. It is only at this point that Theseus regrets his sharp words and anger, when he sees the broken and bleeding body of his son. Artemis appears to him and reveals the truth of Phaedra's passion and its divine source. As Hippolytus dies, he forgives his father for his rash words, and the king is forced to live with the memory that he was the cause of his son's death.

One can see parallels between Hippolytus and his Amazonian mother. Much as the Amazons of legend were purported to hate men, Hippolytus has a similar attitude toward women. In one scene he goes on in great detail about the weakness of women and their uselessness, wishing that men could bear children on their own rather than having to rely upon women. Ironically, his mother and her fellow Amazons were able to do so--according to legend they only visited men for procreation, and killed or maimed any male children borne to them. Knowing the Greek legends about the Amazons, Hippolytus appears simply to be a male Amazon: he despises the opposite sex and enjoys only hunting and warfare. His fate shows that in a man this behavior is just as unusual as in a woman; as a result of the lack of balance in his life, he is punished and killed by Aphrodite.

Back to Introduction The Amazons: Fact or Fiction? The Ninth Labor of Hercules

Achilles and Penthesilea Conclusion

This Honors Seminar is taught by Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe, Associate Director of the Honors Program, and Professor of Art History at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, USA.