ET CETERA ANTIQUA

📝 Classical Civilisation essay, Year 11. Topic: Amazonomache. Teacher feedback: “Excellent — look at both sides of the question, but be clear which view you most agree with and why.”

I partly agree with the view of Amazons as “men in women’s bodies”. Some people might agree with this view because, according to traditional Ancient Greek standards, the Amazons were more masculine than feminine. They fought and ruled, while Greek women were expected to run the household. The Amazons were depicted as physically strong and aggressive — traits traditionally associated with men. The Amazons reversed the Greek gender hierarchy: the women led while the men watched. This could suggest that the Amazons were more like “men in women’s bodies”.

However, it could be argued that this view is how the Greeks saw the Amazons according to their own societal systems; other views are not considered. The phrase “men in women’s bodies” suggests that traits like courage and strength are inherently masculine, which is the objective Ancient Greek view. The phrase also doesn’t take into account the fact that the Amazons were mythological — they are not meant to be realistic; they symbolise Greek ideals, as the Greeks themselves made their stories. But this is probably not all that most modern people would say. So our answer to this depends on where we view it from — an ancient or a modern perspective.