The Girdle of Hippolyta - Hercules' Ninth Labour
Continuation of the story of The Mares of Diomedes.
“When I was a girl, I often dreamt of being an Amazon — a warrior woman, strong, independent and fearless,” said Admete, daughter of Eurystheus. “Now, as a grown woman, I know that will never happen.”
The king listened to his daughter with a faint, knowing smile. Hercules, bowing before the king and the princess, also listened closely to her words.
“You are of royal blood, not of the Amazon race,” Eurystheus replied. “Soon you will be of marrying age and, as I told you, you may ask for a very special gift. Our cousin also wishes to join you in celebrating your birthday…”
Hercules raised his eyes, already anticipating the request that was about to be made.
“You may ask him for anything you like. The more dangerous and difficult it is, the better!” the king added, casting a sly glance at the hero.
There was a moment of silence while they awaited Admete’s reply. She knew exactly what she wanted, but she was preparing to justify her request.
“The Amazons are daughters of the god Ares and the nymph Harmonia,” she began. “They follow strict rules and customs — protecting one another and mastering the art of combat.”
Hercules listened intently.
“Their queen is called Hippolyta. Hippolyta the brave, the beautiful, the fierce… There is not a single flaw one could name in her. No man can overpower her! She wears a girdle, a golden belt encrusted with jewels, a gift from her father. I want it for myself!”
“What?” said Hercules, stunned by the request.
“I want you to bring it to me! I want the girdle!”
“But… what if she refuses to part with it?”
“Did you not hear what my daughter said, Hercules?” interjected Eurystheus sharply. “You are to obey! This is your next labour!”
Knowing it was pointless to argue, Hercules bowed in farewell and began preparing for the long journey east, beyond the River Thermodon. He sensed malice behind this task. How could he possibly retrieve the girdle without igniting a conflict with the fierce Amazon warriors?
The Amazons’ Welcome
Hercules set sail with a small crew of loyal sailors. The journey was long: they passed by unknown islands and untamed shores. The nights were usually calm, but the sailors often spoke in hushed tones, uneasy about how this mission might end. They had heard stories about the Amazons — women who rejected men and lived solely for war. Whenever such fears arose, Hercules tried to ease their minds. Diplomacy had to take precedence above all else.
When they finally reached the mouth of the River Tanais, along the coast of the Euxine Sea — the Black Sea — the landscape was strikingly majestic: green plains stretched as far as the eye could see, and beyond them, tents dotted the land and horses grazed freely.
“We’ve arrived,” Hercules murmured. “The realm of Hippolyta.”
“Sir, come and look at this!” shouted one of the sailors from the prow.
The ship was drawing closer to shore, preparing to land. From a distance, they could already make out a large group of Amazons waiting for them. As they approached, the image sharpened: Hippolyta herself stood at the head of the group. The sailors exchanged glances, expecting an order from the hero that never came. Hercules, too, was caught off guard.
The Queen’s Welcome
For more than eight years, Hercules had accomplished feats that no other mortal could even dream of. Deeds of heroism that had spread from mouth to mouth across the towns and settlements, reaching every corner of the continent — and, of course, the ears of the Amazons.
A small rowing boat was slowly approaching the beach for the initial contact. Hercules stood tall at the prow, carefully observing the warrior women awaiting them. A few sailors rowed in silence, waiting for someone to break the solemn stillness.
“Hercules, son of Zeus, arrives in the lands of the Amazons!” cried Hippolyta, her voice clear and resolute. “The hero who has freed the world from great threats; who has honoured the gods through clever and perilous deeds; who has survived dark magic and the most fearsome beasts…”
Hercules began to step down from the boat slowly, listening intently to each word.
“Valour, dignity, and strength are virtues we Amazons admire — even in a man!”
The crew stood motionless aboard the ship, silently watching as Hercules approached the queen, steady yet taken aback.
“Be welcome — we have been expecting you!” Hippolyta continued. “We have prepared a banquet to greet you with all due honours. It is our tribute to a hero such as yourself. Of course, your crew is invited as well.”
Hippolyta’s dark eyes, intense as the night, commanded respect. Yet a faint smile broke the tension of the moment. Hercules bowed in respect and then signalled to his crew to return the greeting and follow the warriors to the feast.
Along the way, Hercules walked beside the queen, listening to her, utterly enthralled. Was it her voice, her appearance, her presence…? Suddenly, he became aware of the powerful attraction he felt toward her. Curiously, Hippolyta too let slip the occasional smile, as if the hero’s presence stirred within her a feeling never before experienced.
The crew, now more at ease, began replenishing themselves after the long voyage. Some of the Amazons — less captivated than their queen — even struck up conversations with a few of the sailors.
The Surprise of the Girdle
Hercules was thoroughly enjoying the visit. He had not expected such a warm and welcoming reception. Even so, he hadn’t forgotten his mission — and that prevented him from fully relaxing.
“Let me give you a bit of advice for your next journey,” whispered Hippolyta, leaning in close. “That dreadful lion skin of yours — you’d best take it off when visiting friends. It may be useful in battle, but for a celebration… it’s hideous! Try this on.”
The queen unfastened her girdle, and Hercules’s face lit up as soon as he saw it. She tied it around his right arm herself — his bicep was nearly the same size as her waist. The queen, now more playful than serious, let out small smiles as her hands brushed against the hero’s arm and back.
Hercules was flattered, though he couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. Hippolyta noticed at once.
“What’s wrong? Have the jewels on the girdle wounded your masculinity? I thought you were more confident than that.”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m flattered by all that you’ve said about me. It’s true I’ve achieved many great feats — but every one of them has been an order from King Eurystheus.”
“By now, everyone knows you’ve overcome impossible tasks that no one else would have dared to face.”
“Well… perhaps the stories are a bit exaggerated.”
“Isn’t it true you brought the Erymanthian boar before the court, and the king hid behind a jar out of fear?”
“Yes, that one’s absolutely true.”
“And that you freed Lerna from the thousand-headed serpent? That you threw Diomedes to his own horses so they would devour him?”
“All of that happened… but this time it’s different.”
“What do you mean? Have you been sent to execute me? Is that why you’re here?”
“No!” Hercules replied quickly. “It’s Eurystheus’s daughter. She admires the Amazons and asked me to bring her your girdle… She wants it for herself.”
“That’s all?” Hippolyta laughed.
“Yes… and that’s what was bothering me,” Hercules admitted, lowering his gaze.
“Then there’s no problem! Accept it as a gift,” said the queen firmly. “From one warrior to another. I’ve never been defeated while wearing that girdle — it may serve you well.”
“But it was a gift from your father. I can’t possibly keep it…”
“I insist! It’s a gift from me… from your lover, Queen Hippolyta.”
A few seconds of silence passed, yet their gaze remained locked. Then, the queen leaned in for a passionate kiss and, without giving him time to react, drew him into her tent to share a moment of intimacy.
The Return of Hera
From the heavens above, Hera had been watching the events unfold in Hippolyta’s realm with growing disapproval. This was not how she had planned things: what was meant to be an impossible task for a mere mortal had turned into something far too easy — scarcely worthy of being called a labour at all. Her frustration quickly turned to rage. If the warrior women were not going to behave as expected, then the gods would need to move their pieces once again.
In an instant, Hera descended among mortals, disguised as an Amazon. Following the course of the river, she approached groups of warrior women who had remained at the fringes of the sailors’ company. With a soft voice and a cunning gaze, she began to sow doubt:
“I can’t find the queen… Do you know what Hercules has done with her?”
“I overheard some sailors whispering that they plan to capture us and sell us as slaves…”
The Amazons, growing uneasy, regrouped with wary eyes. Before long, they had taken up their weapons, mounted their horses, and surrounded the banquet grounds.
The sailors, caught completely off guard, realised the ambush too late. Inflamed by suspicion, the Amazons launched their attack!
A Swift Retreat
Hercules awoke with a jolt to the sound of screams and the whinnying of horses outside. Beside him, the queen still lay resting, half-asleep.
“What is all that commotion?” he asked.
“Probably my warriors playing games with your men. Don’t worry, stay here with me,” Hippolyta replied with a drowsy smile.
But the hero, acting on instinct, rose and pulled back the canvas of the tent entrance. What he saw froze him in place: a true bloodbath. His men were being attacked without mercy. For a few seconds, he stood paralysed, unable to believe what was happening.
“Traitor! You’ve deceived me!” he roared.
The queen, startled and confused, jumped up, unable to grasp his accusations. She couldn’t clearly see what was happening outside. But doubt and bewilderment kept her still for too long. Enraged and convinced of her betrayal, Hercules lunged at her and twisted her neck.
Without wasting a moment, he got dressed, grabbed his club, and stormed out of the tent. With furious, sharp blows, he knocked down three mounted warriors. The Amazons, seeing Hercules wearing Hippolyta’s belt on his arm, froze in shock — they understood their queen had fallen into his hands.
That instant of hesitation proved decisive. The surviving sailors regrouped and pushed back the attackers. Led by the hero, they managed to force their way back to the beach. Within minutes, they were aboard the ship, pushing it out to sea.
The Amazons reached the shore too late. Motionless and stunned, they watched as the vessel drifted away. Their queen’s vengeance was now out of reach.
The Grievous Return to Tiryns
The journey back was especially hard. Most of the crew had died in the ambush, and among the survivors, many were wounded. Though Hercules returned physically unscathed, he carried a wound in his soul that would be slow to heal. He felt foolish for falling into the trap, guilty for the lives lost, and above all, heartbroken by the loss of Hippolyta and the mark she had left on him.
Meanwhile, from the heavens, Hera watched the return with mixed feelings. The hero had secured the belt, and therefore, had triumphed. But his suffering brought her a cold comfort: the goddess smiled faintly, thinking perhaps the game hadn’t gone so poorly after all.
Before setting a direct course for Tiryns, the ship made a stop in Troy. There, he and the sailors were able to regain some strength before continuing their voyage. Even so, the taste remained bitter. Hercules did not feel like a victor — and yet, the ninth labour had been completed.
To be continued…
Honour the Legend
The conquest of Hippolyta’s belt by Hercules is a tale as glorious as it is tragic — marked by deceit, sacrifice, and loss. To keep the memory of this episode alive, we present this T-shirt featuring the majestic silhouette of Queen Hippolyta, depicted in an artistic style that evokes her strength, beauty, and untameable spirit.
As we cannot provide you with a sacred piece, we do not want to sacrifice any animal for a piece of clothing. All our items are 100% cotton and made with the utmost respect for the environment. LũM always aims to respect the flora and fauna of our planet.
Thank you for your trust, and may the adventure continue!
Reading list
- Labours of Hercules. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.
- Fry, S. (2018). Heroes. Penguin Books.
- Hamiltor, E. (1942). Mythology, Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes. Little, Brown and Company.
- Graves, R. (1955). The Greek Myths. Penguin Books.
