7.c Warrior Women - comparing/analysing Amazons vs Camilla - Q

How do the Amazons in Greek myth and Camilla in the Aeneid both challenge gender norms?

• They reject traditional female roles and take on the duties of warriors

• They both seek marriage and children despite their warrior status

• They become warriors only because they are forced to do so

• They rule over their own kingdoms as queens

Which of the following BEST explains why the Amazons were a popular subject in Greek art, such as the Bassae Frieze?

• The Greeks admired them and wanted to honor their warrior skills

• Their battles with Greek men reinforced Greek superiority over ‘barbarians’ and women

• The Greeks sought to emulate Amazonian customs in their own military

• Greek society was matriarchal, and the Amazons symbolized its values

How does Virgil’s portrayal of Camilla differ from the Greek portrayal of the Amazons?

• Camilla is a mortal woman favored by a goddess, while Amazons are purely mythological

• Camilla fights alone, whereas Amazons always fight alongside men

• The Amazons are always defeated fairly in battle, while Camilla is killed in an underhanded way

• Camilla is shown as ugly and monstrous, while the Amazons are depicted as beautiful

What is a key similarity between Camilla and Penthesilea, the Amazon queen?

• Both lead a group of maiden warriors into battle

• Both seek revenge against the Greeks for an earlier attack

• Both are victorious in war and survive their battles

• Both are favored by Zeus and given immortality

In both Greek and Roman depictions, what ultimately leads to the downfall of warrior women?

• Their physical weakness compared to men

• Their lack of tactical knowledge

• Their failure to uphold masculine self-control

• Betrayal by their own people

How is Camilla’s death different from the deaths of the Amazons in Greek art and literature?

• Camilla is killed in a cowardly attack, whereas the Amazons are shown dying in direct combat

• Camilla kills herself out of grief, whereas the Amazons fight to the death

• Camilla is spared by her enemy, whereas the Amazons are always killed

• Camilla is captured and enslaved, whereas the Amazons are killed in battle

Why might Virgil have emphasized Camilla’s ‘feminine beauty’ alongside her warrior abilities?

• To stress that she was exceptional, combining feminine and masculine traits

• To show that all warriors must also be physically attractive

• To criticize her for not being more masculine

• To prove that she is weaker than her male counterparts

What does the Bassae Frieze suggest about the Greek perception of warrior women?

• They were idealized as perfect warriors and role models

• They were a dangerous challenge to Greek male superiority

• They were unskilled fighters easily defeated by men

• They were regarded as divine and worshipped as goddesses

How does Camilla’s association with Diana shape her character?

• It emphasizes her purity and independence from men

• It suggests that she is destined for marriage

• It shows that she is more powerful than Aeneas

• It makes her immune to death in battle

Why might Greek and Roman societies have portrayed warrior women as ultimately doomed to fail?

• To reinforce the belief that women should not challenge male authority

• To encourage more women to take up combat roles

• To warn men not to underestimate female warriors

• To suggest that women were naturally stronger than men