Our godmother
Penthesilea

… daughter of the Amazon queen Ortrere and the Olympian god of war Ares. They also called us the daughters of the Greek god of war, Ares. For many people, as an Amazon, I am a mythological figure who never lived. I was banished to the realm of myths and legends. Homer, however, whether by intention or accident, made us immortal and gave us a place in his Iliad as brave warrior women.

We were a tribe of women living by the river Thermodon. Our people were ruled by women and men and women fought side by side in the same way at that time – they respected and appreciated each other. Some of our brave women stood out especially for their regal power, energy and courage. They became our tribal leaders.

I was one of those women. I was Queen Penthesilea. Luck was in our favour; our self- confidence was high. Our patron goddess was the goddess Artemis, and we built her a temple in Ephesus that made history.

But I was also a tragic figure, because I killed my sister one day while deer hunting. According to legend, I found my love only in death, when I was killed by Achilles in the Battle of Troy.

The Greeks won the battle, our army was destroyed and soon all our people disappeared. Our ideas, our way of life and our ideals died – they sank into the old ruins.

But we were heroines, self-determined, independent and unruly. For a long time. People painted our images on art objects and remembered us as heroic mythological figures. But our spirit lived on, as the spirit of courageous women. We inspired them and we gave them hope in times of fear.

Our spirit is still here and it is waiting to rise again. Our spirit gives strength and power, it encourages and inspires. I have decided to share the power of the Amazons through this Foundation that bears my name and to tell our story so that people will remember us again.