Editing Matriarchy (section)

=== Amazons ===
A legendary matriarchy related by several writers was [[Amazons|Amazon]] society. According to [[Phyllis Chesler]], "in Amazon societies, women were&nbsp;... mothers and their society's only political and religious leaders",<ref>{{harvp|Chesler|2005|pp=335–336}} (italics omitted).</ref> as well as the only warriors and hunters;<ref>{{harvp|Chesler|2005|pp=335–336}}</ref> "queens were elected"<ref>{{harvp|Chesler|2005|p=336}}</ref> and apparently "any woman could aspire to and achieve full human expression."<ref>{{harvp|Chesler|2005|p=336}} (italics omitted)</ref> [[Herodotus]] reported that the [[Sarmatians]] were descendants of Amazons and [[Scythians]], and that their women observed their ancient maternal customs, "frequently hunting on horseback with their husbands; in war taking the field; and wearing the very same dress as the men". Moreover, said Herodotus, "no girl shall wed till she has killed a man in battle".<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Iran: Histories of Herodotus, Book 4|url=http://www.iranchamber.com/history/herodotus/herodotus_history_book4.php|access-date=2020-08-30|website=www.iranchamber.com}}</ref> Amazons came to play a role in [[Roman historiography]]. [[Julius Caesar]] spoke of the conquest of large parts of Asia by [[Semiramis]] and the Amazons.{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} Although Strabo was sceptical about their historicity, the Amazons were taken as historical throughout [[late Antiquity]].<ref>[[Strabo]], 5.504.</ref> Several [[Church Fathers]] spoke of the Amazons as a real people.{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} Medieval authors continued a tradition of locating the Amazons in the North, [[Adam of Bremen]] placing them at the [[Baltic Sea]] and [[Paulus Diaconus]] in the heart of Germania.<ref>[[F. A. Ukert|Ukert, F. A.]], ''Die Amazonen'' (Abhandlungen der philosophisch-philologischen Classe der Königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1849), 63.</ref>