Queen Myrina
I've been interested in Greek history since elementary school and i've just found an interesting piece of legend that captured my attention. I am quiet fascinated by all sort of feminism issues. Hence I wrote an essay for my english assignment with its title 'Does Modern Feminism Bring More Harms than Good?'. According to a historian from Sicily named Diodorus who is regarged as an unreliable source by other historian, Amazons of Libya which at that time was a name used for all of north Africa west of Egypt, was a reign of Gynaecocracy. Means only women were allowed to hold high positions including in the military.
Legend said the realm was ruled by a Queen Myrina, who with 30.000 female soldiers and 3000 female cavalry swept through Egypt, Syria and all the way to Aegean. They defeated a number of male armies along the way including people known as Atlantias. Queen Myrina and her armies destroyed their city Cerne. After she finally fell in a battle (which is likely to be during their failure in fighting the Gorgons who are described as a warlike nation residing in close proximity to the Atlantians) her army scattered.
However the army did leave its imprint on the region. The women of Anatolia took the sword to crush an invasion from the Caucasus, after the male soldiers were all slaughtered in a genocide. These women were trained to use all kind of weapons including bow and arrow, battleaxe, lance and spear. They copied their armour and bronze breastplates from the Greeks.
They rejected marriage as subjugation. Thus they might have children they were granted a leave of absence during which they had sex with random males from nearby towns. Only a woman who had killed a man in battle was allowed to give up her virginity.
If i knew this legend years ago when i was just an angry adolescent who lacks in maturity and understanding i would have imagine this as my ideal view of the wolrd. I was pissed of by some misunderstandings created by those who call themselves modern feminists and segue an idea that woman is not good enough so she must become like a man in order to be equal to him. They behave like they can
be everything a man is. Which is biologically and physiologically impossible.
In order to ‘equalize’ men, they have gone too far by trying to eradicate their
innate qualities. Yet this is a great legend anyway since i enjoy reading fictions.
Hi, girl! :)
ReplyDeleteHave you read Stig Larsson's books? There's a quote in the Millenium's Trilogy final book wich is very similar with your text.
Why were you an "angry adolescent"? How does femininm looks like in Indonesia?
I found your blog when I was searching about queen Myrina. I liked the fact that an indonesian girl has a blog. I don't know much about yout country, but really want to, so I'll read your posts.
I'm sorry if my english is poor. I'm from Brazil and I'm still learning the language.
Keep writing! <3
Best wishes,
Natália.