(Amazon series #1) Otrera: Queen Mother Otrera (Ow-tee-reh-ra) is the queen mother of the race of Amazons. In some versions she is the initial offspring of the union between Ares and the nymph Harmonia, while in others she is the consort of Ares from which the Amazons are born; with such notable daughter heroines being Hippolyta, Antiope, and Penthesilea, among others.
Otrera and the Amazons are credited with founding the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world for its massive scale. Here, Queen Otrera and the amazons placed a statue of Artemis under an oak tree and held an annual war dance in celebration of Artemis. Some Amazons, devout followers of Artemis, and similar to the heroine Atalanta, vowed a life of chastity.
Appolonius of Rhodes describes the Amazons locations as the island of Dia, a desert island full of ravening birds in the black sea where the Amazons held their shrine to Ares. In the Argonautica, reaching the island, Jason and the heroes encounter the “Birds of Ares” which rain down feathered darts but are driven away by the loud racket of clanging armor.
The hero and giant slayer, Bellerophon, falsely accused of raping Queen Stheneboea, is sent to King Iobates of Lycia as punishment. As typical in these tales, the king wants to strategically remove the hero, and sends him on the impossible task of fighting the Amazons and Killing Queen Otrera, to punish the Amazon’s for their roles in supporting the Trojans in the war for Troy. Although not named, it’s believed that Otrera dies by Bellerophon’s hands in battle.
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From Tyler Miles Lockett - Get Ready for Lockett Illustrated; Greek Gods and Heroes
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