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Ἀμαζόνας. The martial habits of the women of the Sauromatae (c. 117 nn.) irresistibly reminded the Greeks of the Amazons (ix. 27. 4 n.), and they are introduced here regardless of the chronological inconsistency that, if the Scyths had come into their land in the seventh century (c. 11), they could not have been found there by the Amazons in the time of Heracles. If the Scyths were descended from Heracles (c. 8), the inconsistency is different, but equally striking.

Οἰόρπατα. The first half of the etymology (‘man’) is probably right, but the latter half of the word is connected with Zend pataya, ‘master’ (cf. iii. 61 n.). The word then = ‘masters of men’ (cf. Ephorus, fr. 78, F. H. G. i. 258, the Sauromatae are γυναικοκρατούμενοι).

Thermodon (ii. 104. 3 n.), a river in Cappadocia, where legend especially localized the Amazons.

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