Penthesilea
A Thracian woman warrior named Penthesilea stepped onto the battlefield of Troy with twelve other Amazon warriors. She was the daughter of Ares and Otrera, sister to Hippolyta, Antiope, and Melanippe. The epic poem known as the Aethiopis described her arrival in detail during the Trojan War. This five-book work belonged to the Epic Cycle and was attributed to Arctinus of Miletus. It appeared in the 8th century BC but has since been lost to history. Her presence marked a turning point where Greek heroes faced new opponents. Achilles fought both Penthesilea and Memnon before his own death. After distinguishing herself on the field for one day, she confronted the Greek hero directly. A fierce battle ensued between them until Achilles killed her. Thersites then taunted Achilles by claiming he had fallen in love with the dead queen. The poet wrote that Achilles punched Thersites so hard the man died instantly. He later traveled to Lesbos for purification before returning to fight Memnon.
An Attic red-figure kylix from 470, 460 BC found at Vulci shows Achilles killing Penthesilea. The scene captures the moment of death with striking clarity. Another black-figure vase dated around 510, 500 BC depicts Achilles carrying the dying Amazon away from the battlefield. A white-ground alabastron from the 6th century BCE portrays Penthesilea being courted by a female Thracian hunter. This image reverses common male courtship scenes in Athenian art where a suitor gifts a rabbit to his beloved. Adolf Furtwängler named the painter responsible for these works The Penthesilea Painter because he was active between 470 and 450 BC. His workshop produced a considerable corpus bridging the Severe style and Classicism. Scenes from the Trojan War appear on the Bassae Frieze at the Temple of Apollo Epicurius built in the mid- to late-5th century BC. Panel BM 537 shows Achilles slaying Penthesilea while they exchange a gaze. She is identified as a queen by a crown placed upon her head. Pausanias recorded that the throne of Zeus at Olympia bore a painting by Panaenus showing Penthesilea breathing her last while supported by Achilles.
Penthesilea entered the Trojan War out of reverence for the Trojan hero Hector according to medieval romances. Benoît de Sainte-Maure wrote the Roman de Troie in 1160 casting her as a chivalric heroine. Christine de Pizan included her story in The Book of the City of Ladies published in 1405. John Lydgate's Troy Book appeared in 1420 featuring Penthesilea and Hector as romantic heroes. She came to Troy because she had fallen in love with the virtuous knight Hector from afar. When kneeling before Hector's corpse, Penthesilea promised to avenge his death. Her body was taken to the Thermodon River for burial along the Terme River. Various temple burial sites attest to her heroic status as Amazon queen in the Middle Ages. John Gower's Confessio Amanatis describes her journey from Pafagoine where she was slain by Pirrus the son of Achilles. Philemenis returned her body for burial and received three fair maidens per year as reward. A Netherlandish list of 101 strong women published between 1465 and 1480 included Penthesilea among its ranks.
Heinrich von Kleist wrote a drama titled Penthesilea that has received most critical attention since the early twentieth century. The play features twenty-four consecutive scenes without formal breaks into acts creating a precipitously violent tempo. In this version Achilles is slain by Penthesilea rather than killing her first. When she realizes that she and her pack of dogs have mangled the object of their desire, she dies herself through a crushing feeling. Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck created a ninety-minute one-act opera named Penthesilea premiered in Dresden in 1927 based on Kleist's drama. French composer Pascal Dusapin's opera based on Kleist's work premiered in 2015 at La Monnaie in Brussels under the baton of Ludovic Morlot. Austrian composer Hugo Wolf wrote a symphonic poem on the legend entitled Penthesilea between 1883 and 1885. Edward Bellamy's 1888 book Looking Backward mentions a fictional romance called Penthesilia exposing true power and love.
Robert Graves published a short poem titled Penthesileia where Achilles becomes infatuated with Penthesilia immediately after killing her. He then slays Thersites for his mockery of Achilles' behavior. The last verse remains open to interpretation regarding whether Penthelisea's ghost thanks Thersites or Achilles. Judy Grahn wrote an epic long poem in the form of a play called The Queen of Swords published in 1994. In this text Penthesilea rises from the floor of an underground Lesbian bar where Helen is being schooled in remembering her powerful past. Pen asks Helen to touch her so she can live on earth again and Helen does so reluctantly. The Amazon Chorus describes themselves as leader of twelve good warrior maidens battle-scarred with fierce reputation. They were the last hope that queenly Troy could keep intact the power of women and the greatest beauty in the world. Boccaccio wrote in De Mulieribus Claris between 1361 and 1362 that Penthesilea succeeded Antiope and Orithyia as queen. He argued that through practice Penthesilea and women like her became much more manly in arms than those born male.
Common questions
Who was Penthesilea in Greek mythology?
Penthesilea was a Thracian woman warrior and Amazon queen who fought at the Trojan War. She was the daughter of Ares and Otrera, sister to Hippolyta, Antiope, and Melanippe.
When did Penthesilea die during the Trojan War?
Achilles killed Penthesilea after she distinguished herself on the battlefield for one day. Her death occurred before Achilles faced Memnon and died himself.
Where is Penthesilea buried according to medieval romances?
Her body was taken to the Thermodon River for burial along the Terme River. Various temple burial sites attest to her heroic status as Amazon queen in the Middle Ages.
What opera premiered in 1927 based on Penthesilea?
Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck created a ninety-minute one-act opera named Penthesilea that premiered in Dresden in 1927. The work was based on Heinrich von Kleist's drama titled Penthesilea.
Why did Penthesilea enter the Trojan War?
Penthesilea entered the Trojan War out of reverence for the Trojan hero Hector. She came to Troy because she had fallen in love with the virtuous knight Hector from afar and promised to avenge his death.
All sources
18 references cited across the entry
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- 4bookThe Trojan War: A New HistoryBarry Strauss — Simon and Schuster — 2007
- 5bookThe Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient WorldAdrienne Mayor — Princeton University Press — 2014
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- 9bookThe Temple of Apollo Bassitas: The sculptureFrederick A. Cooper et al. — ASCSA — 1992
- 10bookConfession AmantisJohn Gower — 1390
- 11bookVirtue Ethics for Women 1250–1500Karen Green et al. — Springer Science & Business Media — 2011
- 12bookIntroduction – Famous WomenVirginia Brown — Harvard University Press — 2003
- 13bookFamous WomenGiovanni Boccaccio — Harvard University Press — 2003
- 16webPenthesileaRobert Graves
- 17webPandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes review – rescuing women in Greek mythsCharlotte Higgins — 8 October 2020
- 18web'Hanging on Our Own Bones' by Judy GrahnJulie R. Enszer — 2017-10-24