Written by King Eurystheus had a young daughter, Admete. One day she came to her father and said:
“They say far to the east lies a kingdom ruled by women. There, women are the heads of households, masters of their homes. They govern cities, trade, administer justice, offer sacrifices in temples, and decide matters of state. Armed, they ride warhorses and battle enemies fearlessly.
They call themselves Amazons, despise men, and boast of their invincibility. My patroness Hera, wife of great Zeus, has revealed to me that the source of the Amazons’ strength lies in a leather belt—a gift from Ares, god of war, to their queen Hippolyta. While she wears it, none can defeat her or her warriors. Father! I wish to be invincible like this woman and rule without sharing power. I must have Hippolyta’s belt!”
The king commanded Heracles to journey to the land of the Amazons and seize the queen’s girdle.
Their realm lay far to the east, in Asia Minor.
Heracles manned a ship with his faithful companions—Iolaus, Theseus the Athenian prince, and others. They sailed the route once charted by the bold Argonauts. After a long voyage across the stormy Black Sea, they reached the River Thermodon, sailed upstream, and arrived at Themiscyra, the Amazons’ capital.
At the gates stood armed women clad in leather helmets, short tunics, and tapered trousers to the ankles. Crescent-shaped shields hung from their shoulders, and they wielded double-bladed axes.
The guards barred Heracles’ entry, forcing him to camp by the river near the city walls.
Soon, Queen Hippolyta herself arrived on a magnificent horse, accompanied by armed maidens. Among them was the beautiful Antiope, the queen’s dearest companion.
Antiope’s beauty had once nearly doomed the Amazons. Long planning an invasion of Greece, they had crossed the sea and besieged Athens. Unprepared, the city almost fell—until Antiope glimpsed Prince Theseus among the defenders and fell in love. Theseus, too, was smitten; through her, he hoped to save Athens. He stole into the Amazon camp by night to meet her.
Hippolyta, suspecting betrayal, ordered an immediate retreat. Antiope was torn from Theseus, but seeing him now among Heracles’ companions, her love flared anew. Theseus recognized her, arranged a secret meeting, and conspired to steal the belt.
When Hippolyta demanded Heracles’ purpose, he declared his quest for her girdle.
“Only in battle shall I yield it,” she replied. “Fight us, and if you prevail, it is yours!”
She spoke confidently, knowing the belt made her invincible.
As both sides prepared for combat, Theseus vanished. By dawn, he returned triumphant, holding the belt.
“Antiope stole it for me,” he confessed.
Heracles, unwilling to profit by deceit, insisted on battle.
The fight began. Aella, swiftest of the Amazons, charged Heracles like the wind, but he knocked her axe aside mid-gallop. As she fled, his arrow struck her down. Next fell Prothoe, seven-time duel champion. Then three huntresses—Artemis’ own companions, unmatched in javelin-throwing—hurled their spears in unison, yet all missed. Heracles’ single cast shattered their arms.
Terror gripped the Amazons. “Woe to us! Where is your belt, Hippolyta?” they cried.
Antiope, guilt-stricken yet love-blinded, watched from the Greek ranks.
Hippolyta rode forth, despair in her heart. Only she and Antiope knew the belt was lost. Rather than betray her friend, the queen sought death in battle. A fatal arrow felled her.
Leaderless, the Amazons broke and fled. Many were captured or slain. Heracles gave Antiope to Theseus as his bride.
Returning to Mycenae, Heracles presented the belt to Eurystheus. The king gifted it to Admete, but she, daunted, offered it to Hera’s temple instead.