Machlyes

The Machlyes (Ancient Greek: Μάχλυες) were a legendary ancient Libyan tribe.

Illustration in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493)

Ancient sources

According to Herodotus,[1] their young women held a ritual battle with sticks and stones annually with neighboring Auseans (Ancient Greek: Αὐσέες). Those who died of their wounds were said to have lied about their virginity.

Pliny the Elder claimed they were hermaphrodites that had a male half and a female half, possibly inspired by the martial practices of the females.[2][3]

In fiction

In the book Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs, the machlyes Achilla saves Gretchen from the merdaemon in the abysses.

References
  1. "Herodotus's account of the Libyan female warriors in Corinthian helmets". Perseus Project. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  2. Pliny the Elder, Natural History, VII, ii, 15
  3. "Machlyes". Theoi Greek Mythology. Retrieved 2008-12-28.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.