Orithia

"Woman Raging in the Mountains". A Scythian Amazon.

After the death of Queen Marpesia, Orithia, her daughter seceeded her to the throne. She became famous for her conquests of Asia and her war techniques brought much honor to the Amazon empire.

According to Roman historian Justinus, Scythian Amazons ruled in pairs: one ruling at domestically, the other organizing offenses abroad. Other ancient scholars suggest that the Amazon nation was divided into three great tribes, each with its own queen, and Orithia ruled at the same time as Antiope and Hippolyta.

However, the Roman version of Heracles' Ninth Labor has the hero, now called Hercules, invading and occupying Amazonia with nine warships, while Orithia is away. Because of the confusion and the carelessness of the Amazons their numbers were greatly reduced. Hercules was easily able to capture Melanippe and Hippolyta, Antiope's sisters. Hercules returned Melanippe after getting the queen's girdle, but Hippolyta was taken by Theseus as a spoil of war. Orithia then took lead of the Attic War to free Hippolyta and take revenge for the defeat of Antiope. With her was warriors Antimachos, archer Antiopeia and her political ally, the Schythian king Sagillus and his son Panasagorus. However, some disagreement occurred between the allies, and the Scythians left the battlefield. The Amazons were eventually defeated, but managed to escape to their allies' camp and, under their protection, returned home safely.

Yet an alternate version has Orithia taking vengeance against Hercules in the city-state of Athens. When she recieved word that Hercules and Theseus had taken slaves of her allies, she marched on Athens, occupied the Areopagus and besieged the Acropolis. After four months of warfare, Orithia gave up the battle and signed treaties with the Athenians.

Not wanting to return in defeat to Themyscira she abdicated the throne and lived out the rest of her days in Megara.