De Penthesilea regina amazonu · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Penthesilea regina amazonu
Subject: The Amazons; The Trojan War; Penthesilea; Greek Mythology; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Asia Minor; Troy
Description: This engraving depicts Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, riding a horse into battle with her lance pointed towards her enemies. We know that this figure is indeed Penthesilea as her name is engraved to the left of her head. We also know that this is a woman as her long hair is sticking out from underneath her helmet. Penthesilea, as Boccaccio describes, was a great warrior. She wanted to secure a strong heir for the Amazons, so she sought out Hector of Troy to provide her with an heir. She fought in a battle against the Greeks to prove herself worthy of bearing Hectors child. The enemies she is fighting against in the image are the Greek soldiers in the Trojan War.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:11940
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_11940_OBJ.png