Fierce Amazons are at the center of some of the most famous Greek myths. Every great hero, from Heracles to Achilles, tangled with warrior queens, and Theseus captured and married the Amazon Antiope. Were Amazons mere figments of the Greek imagination? Combining classical myth and art, nomad traditions, and scientific archaeology, this lecture reveals intimate, surprising details and original insights about the fighting women known as Amazons, with a special focus on Antiope.

Adrienne Mayor’s most recent book is The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World (Princeton 2014). She is also the author of numerous publications; other books include a biography of Mithradates, The Poison King, a nonfiction finalist for the 2009 National Book Award, and The First Fossil Hunters (2000). A research scholar in Classics and History of Science at Stanford, Mayor’s work is often featured on the BBC, The History Channel, National Geographic, History Today, and other media.