Hippolyta
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In Greek mythology, Hippolyta is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war.
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[edit] The Ninth Labour of Heracles
Heracles' ninth labour was to obtain the girdle at the request of Admete, Eurystheus' daughter. In one version of the story, Hippolyta fell in love with Heracles and freely gave him the belt. But Hera spread rumours among the Amazons that Heracles was trying to kidnap their queen, so the Amazons attacked, but were defeated by the Greeks. In one version, Heracles kills Hippolyta in rage, assuming that she had betrayed him. In another version she survives and is abducted by Theseus, who makes her his wife. Another variant states that Queen Hippolyta was killed by her own subjects, but it was only because Hera told them Heracles came to kidnap the queen.
[edit] Antiope
After Heracles obtained the girdle, Theseus, one of Heracles' companions (also including Sthenelus and Telamon), kidnaps Antiope, another sister of Hippolyta. The Amazons then attacked the party (because Heracles' enemy Hera has spread a vicious rumour that Heracles was there to attack them or to kidnap Hippolyta), but Heracles and Theseus escaped with the girdle and Antiope. According to one version, Heracles killed Hippolyta as they fled. In order to rescue Antiope, the Amazons attacked Athens but failed, with Antiope dying in the onslaught in some versions.
[edit] Hippolytus
In many versions Theseus married either Antiope or Hippolyta, having a son named Hippolytus. Theseus eventually marries Phaedra either after having left his wife or after the death of his wife after childbirth. In the version in which Theseus is married to and leaves Hippolyta, she tries to exact revenge by bringing the Amazons to Theseus and Phaedra's wedding in order to kill everyone, although this fails when she is killed by Theseus' men in some versions, and in a hunting accident by Penthesilea, her sister, in others.
[edit] Popular Culture
- Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream is set in Athens before the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta, and his play The Two Noble Kinsmen, a collaboration with John Fletcher, begins with their wedding.
- In the DC Universe, Hippolyta is the mother of Wonder Woman.
- In the Fawcett Comics universe, Mary Marvel derived her superior strength from Hippolyta's strength.
- In Marvel Comics, Hippolyta is another of Hades' accomplices. She didn't want revenge on Hercules; instead, she sought his love. She was supposed to marry Hercules until Hades' conspiracy was discovered.
- In Hercules and the Amazon Women, she is presented as an enemy of Hercules who falls in love with him. She was almost killed by Hera and there is no hint she could be Ares' daughter.
| Preceded by Otrera |
Queen of the Amazons | Succeeded by Penthesilea |
