アマゾン像の変遷について

Abstract

Among the various motifs in the Amazon legend the following ones belong to the older stratum : 1)their invasion into Lycia and repulsion by Bellerophon, 2)their invasion into Phrygia and repulsion by Priam, 3)Heracles' plunder of the queen's girdle, 4)Theseus' capture of the queen and her girdle, and 5)their reinforcement to the Trojans. In 1) and 2), the oldest references to Amazons, "antianeirai", a keyword to the understanding of their nature and customs, is to be interpreted not as "man-hating", but as "equal to men"; to conquer an Amazon will contribute to the glory of the heroes' deed as their "aristeia". Also in the word used for the queen's girdle, "zoster"(not "zone") the "aristeia"-character of the motifs is shown. In the older stratum of the legend their hatred against men can not be traced. In the Amazon episode of Hdt. 4. 110f. is emphasized not their hostility to men, but their exotic way of life, which is demonstrated in the emphatic use of the personal pronoun "hemeis"(twice in 114.3). They are not antagonistic to men in any way. In the Hellenistic sources (e. g. Diod., Iustin., Strab.) Amazons are clearly described as hostile to men, as reigning over men, keeping them in servitude, to bring up the children and do other domestic labours. Their ignorance of "maza (barley-cake)" (Diod. 2.44ff.) shows that they live in a remote Utopian place beyond the influence of civilisation. In the episode of the Amazon queen's interview with Alexander (Iustin. 2. 4.1ff.) is shown not only Hellenistic romanticism, but also the Hellenistic appraisal of the Amazon's militant mentality in regard to the desire to bear the hero's offspring. They are also portrayed as so cruel as to kill their own husbands as well as male babies, in order to retain their gynaecocratic military society. This negative picture of them goes back partly to Classical writers, as shown in "straton stygen'" in Aischyl. Prom. 723f. Hdt. 9.27 as well as the funeral orations of Attic orators (Lys., Isoc., Dem., cf. P1. Menex. 239 Af.) prove that the legendary Amazon invasion into Attica was regarded as an example of the folly and misdoing (hybris) of "barbaroi", which was used as a warning against the political crises of the time. Thus effective use was made of such negative pictures of the Amazons for the protection of the democracy.