Theseus fights the Amazons

Theseus was now both king and bona fide hero, but this did not put an end to his adventuring. He was to face the Amazons twice and in a memorable battle.

The Amazons, mythological warrior women who lived on the shores of the Black Sea, were renowned horseback riders and especially skilled with the bow. They lived apart from men and only met with them on occasion to produce children for their tribe.

When Hercules had been challenged to bring back the belt of the Amazon queen Hippolytes, Theseus accompanied him to his task. Queen Hippolyte, for all her reputation of man-hating, had willingly given it to Hercules. But the goddess Hera, who despised Heracles, stirred up trouble. A great battle ensued in which many Amazons were killed and among them Hippolytes the queen.

In this adventure (see Hercules/Hippolyte's Belt/Labor 9), Theseus kidnapped one of the prettiest Amazons the princess Antiope and took her back to Athens with him. Theseus and Antiope where married and they had a son whom they named Hippolytus to honor the dead Amazon queen.

But the Amazons, declair war against Athens and after
a long journey by land, the Amazons conquered all the way
to the city of Athens itself. They demanted the return of
princes Antiope and a bitter, bloody battle took place
near Pnica.

The Athenians, under the leadeship of Theseus where
victorious in this battle and drove the Amazons out of
Attica. Antiope fought bravely her old comrades side by
side with Theseus, because she did not want to return
back to her home land.

The braveness of the Amazons and there daring
expetition to travel such a long distance to come to
Athens to claim there princess Antiope, had moved the
Athenians. For many years to come the Athenians
where talking about that horoble battle of Pnica and
the Amazons. This very battle with the Amazons

appears on the Parthenon sculptures, ceated by the great sculptor of all centuries, Phidias

Later king Theseus, he proceeded to gather the inhabitants of Attica into one city. Before, they had been spread out, and were not easy to assemble. Theseus settled their disputes and persuaded them to be at peace under a central government. The poor people consented eagerly to the new political arrangement. Theseus obtained the cooperation of the more powerful by promising the end of monarchy, and the institution of a democracy, in which the king would be no more than the commander-in-chief and protector of the laws.

Those who had any reservations feared Theseus' power and determination, so they preferred to be persuaded rather than forced to comply. Theseus abolished all local courts and administrative offices, and made Athens the sole location of government. Then, as he had promised, he surrendered his royal power.

Aristotle tells us that Theseus was the first king to form a democracy voluntarily. To find out the future of his new political enterprise, Theseus traveled to consult the oracle at Delphi, and the oracle gave the following answer:

"Many are the cities which will end by and be spun out of your own.   Therefore do not despair; the float will cross the violent ocean."

To enlarge his city, Theseus invited foreigners to come and live there, enjoying the same civil rights as the natives. To preserve order, he divided all of the citizens into three distinct classes, each with different duties and privileges. These three classes were the nobles, the farmers, and the craftsmen.

The nobles were in charge of religion and the law, including the selection of judges. The farmers had more wealth, the craftsmen were more numerous, and the nobles had more prestige, so there was a sort of balance of power among the various classes in Athens.

Theseus instituted the Isthmian Games, in honor of Neptune, just as Hercules had instituted the Olympic Games in honor of Jupiter.