Amazons--fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world--were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. But just who were these bold barbarian archers on horseback who gloried in fighting, hunting, and sexual freedom? In this deeply researched, wide-ranging, and lavishly illustrated book Adrienne Mayor reveals intimate, surprising details and original insights about the flesh-and-blood women of the Eurasian steppes known as Amazons. Combining classical myth and art, nomad traditions, and scientific archaeology, The Amazons is the first comprehensive account of warrior women in both myth and history across the ancient world, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Great Wall of China.