Hippolyte

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In Greek mythology, Hippolyta is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war.

Heracles

Heracles' ninth labour was to obtain the girdle at the request of Admete, Eurystheus' daughter. In one version of the story, Hippolyta fell in love with Heracles and freely gave him the belt. But Hera told the Amazons that Heracles was trying to kidnap their queen, so the Amazons attacked, but were defeated by the greeks. Heracles rapes Hippolyta and gives her in marriage to his companion Theseus.

Antiope

After Heracles obtains the girdle, Theseus, one of Heracles' companions (also including Sthenelus and Telamon), kidnaps Antiope, another sister of Hippolyta. The Amazons then attack the party (because Heracles' enemy Hera has spread a vicious rumour that Heracles was there to attack them or to kidnap Hippolyta), but Heracles and Theseus escape with the girdle and Antiope. According to one version, Heracles kills Hippolyta as they flee. In order to rescue Antiope, the Amazons attack Athens but fail, in some versions with Antiope dying in the onslaught.

Hippolytus

In many versions Theseus marries either Antiope or Hippolyta, having a son named Hippolytus. Theseus eventually marries Phaedra either after having left his wife or after the death of his wife after childbirth. In the version in which Theseus is married to and leaves Hippolyta, she tries to exact revenge by bringing the Amazons to Theseus and Phaedra's wedding in order to kill everyone, although this fails when she is killed by Theseus' men in some versions and by Penthesilea, another Amazon, in others.

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