PENTHESILEA 'compelling men to mourn'

Daughter of Kleite or Orithia, ruler of the Thermodontine Amazons with her sister Hippolyta and Antianeira, who eventually succeeded her. She had Thrakian roots, and this along with a call for help from the besieged queen of Troy led her to lead a small force to the city's aid.

The Amazons temporarily freed the city, and Penthesilea killed Achilles, leader of the Myrmidonian Greeks. Contrary to some claims, he was not brought back to life again.

He was named for a mythological figure representing the half of the year when the Sun waxes, while Agamemnon fills in for the waning Sun.

They dueled in order to show off their skills to the Moon Goddess Briseis. Of course she chose the waxing Sun at Winter Solstice and the waning Sun at Summer Solstice. The tale was grafted into the story of the fall of Troy.

In any case, the next battle led to Troy's defeat. Penthesilea was killed by treachery, stabbed in the back by one of the infamous priests of Apollo who had betrayed the city.

Again contrary to popular belief, Penthesilea was
not part of last flair of greatness from a dying Nation. Homeric Troy fell around 1200 BCE, a full six centuries before the official political demise of the Northern Amazon Nation.

What she probably does represent is the beginning of the retreat of Goddess worshipping peoples in Asia Minor in the face of continuing violence from invaders.