Penthesilea was an Amazonian queen in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ares and Otrera. She had three sisters; Hippolyta, Antiope, and Melanippe. Growing up amid the Amazons, Penthesilea became known not only for her bravery and skill with numerous weapons, but also for her intelligence and inventiveness. As with the other Amazons, she has no right breast. When she and her sisters are yet babies, their mother make red-hot a bronze instrument constructed for this very purpose and apply it to the right breast and cauterize it, so that its growth is arrested, and all its strength and bulk are diverted to the right shoulder and right arm. Her youthful prowess was spent largely on hunting. Her favorite was a race against her sisters hunting deers.
In one such hunt, her overeagerness proved fatal; she pierced her sister Hippolyta, who was the current queen, with the spear she threw and killed her. Overcome with grief, she wished for nothing but death after what she had done. But as a warrios and Amazon, the custom of her people demanded that she pay her deeds with a honorable death in battlefield. As it is, she then decided to join in the Trojan War fighting on the side of Troy's defenders hoping for the overwhelming force of the Achaean could grant her death and peace.
Officially, Penthesilea came to Troy to prove to others that her people, the Amazons, are great warriors and can share the hardships of war. She arrived with twelve companions and personal guards: Antibrote, Ainia, Alcibie, Polemusa, Clete, Harmothoe, Hippothoe, Thermodosa, Antandre, Bremusa, Derimacheia, and Derinoe.
They all promised the Trojans that they would kill one of the greatest commander in Achaean's side, Achilles. None of her companions knew that she seek only retribution in death, and she believed the honor from achieving that by the hand of the great hero Achilles would surely redeemed her name and appease the gods.
Upon reaching the battlefield, Penthesilea and her twelve companions fought fiercely against the Achaean and slew many legendary Greek warriors, and upon reaching the center of the battlefield, in all her bloody glory, clashes with Telamonian Ajax, though the fight between her and Ajax produced no clear victor.
Knowing that only Achilles stood a chance against her, Ajax retreat and held back the Trojan forces so that Achilles could reach the Amazon queen. They clashed in heated combat first on horseback, then on foot. Achilles was impervious to harm except for his famously vulnerable heel, a weakness Penthesilea did not know, thanks to protection from the Greek god Zeus, and Penthesilea was too often on the defense. Despite her extraordinary prowess, she eventually grew tired from the relentless assault. Achilles took advantage of her fatigue and, in an instant, plunged his sword deep into her breast.
The moment that Achilles killed his Amazon adversary was when he fell in love with her. After removing the fallen Amazon’s helmet, the hero was so overwhelmed by her beauty that he began to cry from the remorse of killing her. One of his lieutenants, Thersites, a simple soldier and the ugliest Achaean, taunted Achilles over his love and laughed at him, and then he proceed on gouging out Penthesilea's eyes. Enraged, Achilles responded to this disrespect by immediately slew Thersites.
The rest of Penthesilea companions was devastated upon these results, and upon realizing that Penthesilea had always been looking for death in the Trojan War, decided to honor her in making sure her death did not go in vain; they stay on the Trojan's side of the war with the intent of taking as many Achaeans as they can, even if thay have to follow Penthesilea to Hades' doors of death. In the end, only Clete remained, who in accord with the Penthesilea's will, sailed off and eventually landed in Italy, founding the city of Clete.
A warrior queen whose death befits a bold life, Pentesilea is the prominent figure of a fierce and courageous female warrior who almost beat the most dominant of male heroes. And although she was beautiful, she was as respected for her wisdom and military skills as much as she was for her appearance.
Originally Posted by Arashi_Leonhart
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