Did the Amazons really exist? - Adrienne Mayor

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Since the time of Homer,

從荷馬的時代開始，

ancient stories told of fierce warriors dwelling beyond the Mediterranean world,

古老的故事就在描述居住在 地中海世界以外的好鬥戰士，

striking fear into the mightiest empires of antiquity.

將恐懼帶入地中海古帝國。

Their exploits were recounted by many epic poets.

許多史詩詩人講述了他們的功勛。

They fought in the legendary Trojan War and their grand army invaded Athens.

他們在特洛依戰爭中勇敢戰鬥， 他們的大軍入侵了雅典。

Jason and the Argonauts passed by their shores,

傑遜與阿爾戈英雄 （希臘神話）經過他們的海岸，

barely avoiding their deadly arrows.

差點沒逃過他們致命的箭雨攻擊。

These formidable fighters faced off against the greatest champions of myth:

這些令人畏懼的戰士 對抗神話中最偉大的人物：

Heracles,

海克力斯、

Theseus,

忒修斯，

and Achilles.

和阿基里斯。

And every single one of these warriors was a woman.

且這些戰士全部都是女性。

The war-loving Amazons, "the equals of men" in courage and skill,

好戰的亞馬遜戰士在勇氣 和戰技上「和男性不分高下」，

were familiar to everyone in ancient Greece.

在古希臘，人人都熟知她們。

Amazon battle scenes decorated the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis;

雅典衛城的帕德嫩神廟，就是用 亞馬遜戰鬥場面來做裝飾的；

paintings and statues of Amazons adorned temples and public spaces.

寺廟和公共空間也有 亞馬遜的畫作和雕像來裝飾。

Little girls played with Amazon dolls,

小女孩玩的是亞馬遜娃娃，

and Amazons were a favorite subject on Greek vase paintings.

希臘花瓶繪畫最喜歡用的 主題就是亞馬遜族。

In Greek art and literature,

在希臘藝術和文學中，

they were depicted as daring and desirable,

她們被描述成大膽、令人嚮往的人，

but also terrifying and deadly,

但同時也讓人怕害且致命，

and doomed to die at the hands of Greek heroes.

且注定會死在希臘英雄的手上。

Were Amazons merely figures of myth, or something more?

亞馬遜戰士只是神話人物嗎？ 還是他們並不只如此？

It was long assumed that they were imaginary,

長久以來，他們被 認為是想像出來的，

like the cyclops and centaurs.

就像獨眼巨人和半人馬一樣。

But curiously enough, stories from ancient Egypt,

但，讓人感到好奇的是， 有些故事來自古埃及、

Persia,

波斯、

the Middle East,

中東、

Central Asia,

中亞、

India,

印度，

and China

以及中國，

also featured Amazon-like warrior women.

都有個特色： 有像亞馬遜戰士般的女性。

And Amazons were described in ancient historical accounts, not just myths.

不只在神話中，在古老的歷史記述 當中也有描述到亞馬遜戰士。

Writers like Herodotus, Plato, and Strabo never doubted their existence.

希羅多德、柏拉圖，及斯特拉波 等作家從未懷疑過他們的存在。

So who were the real women warriors known as Amazons?

所以，這些被稱為亞馬遜戰士的 真實女性戰士是什麼人？

Ancient historians located the Amazon homeland in Scythia,

古老的歷史學家認為 亞馬遜家園就是斯基提亞，

the vast territory stretching from

那是塊廣大的領土，從黑海

the Black Sea across the steppes of Central Asia.

一路延伸到中亞的俄羅斯大草原。

This immense region was populated by nomadic tribes

遊牧部落居住在這個廣大的區域，

whose lives centered on horses,

他們的生活中心包括馬、

archery,

射箭，

and warfare.

和戰爭。

Their culture flourished for about 1,000 years beginning around 800 BC.

從西元前八百年左右開始， 他們的文化興隆了約一千年。

Feared by Greeks, Persians, and the Chinese, the Scythians left

希臘人、波斯人，及中國人 都害怕斯基泰人，

no written records. But we can find clues in how

斯基泰人沒有留下任何書面記錄。

但我們能從他們的鄰居 對他們的描述中找到線索，

their neighbors described them, as well as in archaeology.

考古學也是另一條路。

Scythians' ancestors were the first to ride horses

斯基泰人的祖先 是最早開始騎馬的人，

and they invented the recurve bow.

他們發明了反曲弓。

And, because a female mounted archer could be as fast and as deadly as a male,

因為騎馬的女性弓箭手 能夠和男性一樣快速且致命，

all children were trained to ride and shoot.

所有的孩子都要受訓， 學會騎馬和射箭。

Women hunted and fought alongside men, using the same weapons.

女性和男性一起打獵、打仗， 用的武器也相同。

The harsh landscape and their nomadic lifestyle

嚴酷的地景及他們的遊牧生活方式，

created its own form of equality.

創造出了他們自己的平等形式。

This amazed the ancient Greeks, whose women led restricted indoor lives.

這讓女性過著嚴格室內生活的 古希臘人感到驚訝。

The earliest stories of the Scythians, and Amazons,

最早期關於斯基泰人 及亞馬遜戰士的故事

may have been exaggerated rumors.

有可能是誇大的傳言。

But as the Greeks began to trade around the Black Sea and further east,

但隨著希臘人開始在黑海 以及更東的地方貿易，

their portrayals became more realistic.

對他們的描繪就變得更真實了。

Early depictions of Amazons showed them with Greek weapons and armor.

早期對於亞馬遜戰士的描寫， 顯示她們用的是希臘武器和盔甲。

But in later representations,

但較晚之後的表述則呈現出

they wielded bows and battle-axes,

他們使用的是弓和戰斧，

rode horses,

騎著馬，

and wore pointed caps and patterned trousers

戴著尖帽，穿著有圖案的褲子，

characteristic of steppe nomads.

這是大草原遊牧民族的特點。

Until recently, no one was sure how strong the links were

直到最近之前， 沒有人能確定斯基泰人

between Scythians and the Amazons of Greek myth.

和希臘神話中的亞馬遜 戰士間，連結有多強。

But recent archaeological discoveries have provided ample evidence.

但近期的考古學有了新發現， 提供了豐足的證據。

More than 1,000 ancient Scythian kurgans, or burial mounds, have been excavated,

有超過一千個古老的斯基提亞 庫爾幹（墳塚）被挖掘出來，

containing skeletons and weapons.

裡面有骨骸以及武器。

Archaeologists had previously assumed

考古學家以前假設

that weapons could only belong to male warriors.

武器只屬於男戰士。

But modern DNA analysis so far

但目前為止，現代的 DNA 分析

has revealed that about 300 skeletons buried with weapons

已經發現有三百具 和武器一起埋葬的骨骸

belong to females ranging in age from 10 to 45,

是女性的骨骸， 年齡範圍為 10~45 歲，

and more are being found every year.

每年還繼續發現更多。

The women's skeletons show battle injuries:

女性的骨骸上有戰爭留下的傷：

ribs slashed by swords,

被劍砍傷的肋骨、

skulls bashed by battle-axes,

被戰斧重擊的頭骨，

and arrows embedded in bones.

以及有箭卡在裡面的骨頭。

In classical art and writings,

在古典藝術和寫作中，

the fearsome Amazons were always portrayed as brave and heroic.

讓人畏懼的亞馬遜戰士總是 被描繪成很勇敢、很英勇的。

In male-dominated classical Greece, however,

然而，在男性主導的古典希臘，

the very idea of strong women who gloried in freedom and war aroused mixed feelings.

光是想到在自由和戰爭中 熠熠生輝的堅強女性

就讓人感觸良多。

And yet, the Greeks were also drawn to egalitarian ideals.

但，希臘人也被 平等主義的理想所吸引。

Is it possible that the mythic realm of thrilling Amazon tales

有沒有可能在令人毛骨悚然的 亞馬遜傳說中的神秘國度

was a way to imagine women and men as equal companions?

其實是在想像女性和男性 是平等伴侶的一種方式？