Themyscira
The people who inhabit Paradise Island are reincarnated souls of women who were killed by men. The souls were used to create new life by five goddesses, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, and Hestia. The Amazons were given traits from the goddesses mentioned above. Strength, Beauty, Wisdom, and Love. Hippolyta and Antiope who were both sisters and founded Themyscira. Ares who was an opponent of the Amazons pillaged Paradise Island and enslaved the Amazons, though they escaped. Antiope then led a group of Amazons to go after Hercules, and Hippolyta led the rest on a remote island, renaming it Themyscira, after their island after the pillage successfully executed by Ares. The Amazons began their new lives, building monuments, buildings and becoming excellent warriors. For many years, they lived in a perfect society with peace, equality and tolerance, though the Lost Tribe of the Amazons weren't thought to be men and were called "policemen" until Diana explored Man's World. They based their life around ancient Greek customs, wearing togas and sandals and warrior armor much like the Greeks during 1200 BCE like armor covering their bodies, shields and helmets. They are also consecrated to religion deeply, worshiping their goddesses and also doing animal sacrifices. New life was created by the Nereides who would send infants washed up upon the shores of Paradise Island, where they were taught the ways of the Amazons and then sent back. Julia Kapatelis is an example of this.
The ancient Greeks tell of the Amazons as a race of women warriors who were the daughters of the war - god Ares and his devoted worshipers. But the Greeks were enemies of the Amazons and were often defeated by them in war. When Ares declared his warriors would rule with the sword, the greatest power in the world, Aphrodite replied she could create a race of women who would rule by love. With her own hands, the goddess of love shaped the female figures of clay, and these she brought to life as the Amazon race. Small wonder then, that they refer to each other as "sister" for in a sense they are all daughters of Aphrodite -in exactly the same way Wonder Woman is daughter of Hippolyta. The Amazons were not again defeated until the great heroic age, when the greatest hero was Heracles (or Hercules). This son of Zeus was afflicted with fits of homicidal madness, during one of which he slew his own children. To atone for this, he agreed to serve king Eurystheus of Tiryns, in Argolis. It was in Eurystheus' service that he performed his famous twelve labours. It happened that Hippolyta had become Queen of the Amazons, and, as such, had been given a magic girdle that made her women unconquerable. Admete, daughter of Eurystheus, wanted that belt and Heracles was ordered to obtain it as one of his labors. The hero gathered a group of mighty men to accompany him, the most notable of whom was his kinsman Theseus. At Themiscyra, Hippolyta welcomed them. She could not give up her girdle, though she liked Hercules and would have helped him. Yet Ares stirred up the Amazons with a rumor that Hercules was carrying off their Queen. They attacked the Greeks, and a number of deaths occurred on both sides before peace was restored - for while she wore the girdle, Hippolyta was unbeatable. Hercules now resorted to his charm, which had worked on many women. He asked to be allowed to hold the belt, to which Hippolyta foolishly agreed. Once he had it, Hercules and his men quickly overcame the Amazons and carried a number of them off into slavery, Hippolyta and her sister Antiope among them. Some, however, were left behind, including Hippolyta's other sisters Melanippe and Penthesilia.
In Greece, Admete took the girdle and Theseus married Antiope, for the two had fallen in love. Antiope bore him a son named Hippolytus, after his aunt. Hippolyta prayed to Aphrodite who agreed to help her, but decreed that the Amazons must henceforth wear the bracelets that had been their chains, as a folly of submitting to male domination. The enslaved women now broke free, and Hippolyta retrieved her girdle from Admete, and beat Hercules in fair combat. Now the angry Amazons marched on Athens, thinking to liberate Antiope. But during the battle, they were astonished to find themselves opposed by Antiope herself, at the side of her beloved mate. Tragically, she was slain and the Amazons and the Athenians made peace, sealed with a treaty. Next, Aphrodite ordered the Amazons to take to the sea. They were to sail to a new home far out in the sea, Paradise Island. Those Amazons left behind did not fare well. Deprived of the protection of Aphrodite's girdle, they were no longer unbeatable. Penthesilia, during a stag hunt, accidentally killed another Amazon (possibly Melanippe) and was banished. When the Trojan war had been raging for 9 years, Penthesilia led a troop of Amazons on the side of Troy. They slew many mighty Greeks, and seemed about to wipe them out when Achilles and Ajax, who had been mourning a fallen comrade, heard the din and joined the fray. Ajax preferred to fight the Trojans, but Achilles pitted his strength against the fierce Amazons, cutting down many, including Penthesilia. The hero did honor the fallen queen, both for her beauty and her valor. It is said, though, that this tribe of Amazons survived at least until the time of Alexander the Great, who met the woman who was then his queen.
But Hippolyta's Amazons were safe in their new home, in what is now known as the Bermuda Triangle. Magical mists protected them from discovery by the inhabitants of man's world, as they came to call it. Here, they built a new and peaceful civilization, pursuing the arts and sciences until they had far surpassed the greatest minds of the outer world. Yet they did not neglect their defenses, for they were on guard against invasion at all times, from this planet or another. Those at the observatory were always on watch, and the Amazons kept a standing army and navy on the alert. The temple of Aphrodite occupied the highest point of the Island. Within Hippolyta's palace was the Magic Sphere, in which one could view the past, present and probable future. Other deities were also worshiped, notably; Pallas Athene, goddess of wisdom and just war; Artemis (Diana) patron of the hunt; and Hera, queen of gods. A variety of Kangaroo was bred here, very large beasts which Amazons favored as steeds instead of horses.
Three other Islands are near the main one. Reform Island (sometimes called Transformation Island), was the Amazon Prison where many female wrongdoers were reformed. Forbidden Island, with its menacing life forms, was where the Amazons obtained the wonderful sun-swords used in their defense. Finally there is an island dedicated to healing where men could set foot without penalty. The Amazons developed scientific advances not known in Man's World. Two examples of Amazonian scientific developments included the Memory Chair, with its ability to stimulate or erase memories. And Wonder Woman herself invented the Purple Healing Ray, which can, in some cases, even revive the dead.
Void Earth
When it was confirmed that Wonder Woman had indeed disappeared without a trace, the Amazons were initially stunned by such a revelation. The strongest warrior ever produced among them, and their very own Princess no longer existed. Queen Hippolyta took drastic measures afterwards in order to safeguard the rest of her people from the menace that was apparently Man's World. Should a male happen to find their island, they are captured and held before a trial of Amazons. If deemed guilty, more than likely so, they are tossed into the prison on the island until nightfall. At night, they are tied up and pushed out to sea on a make shift raft with no way of paddling or getting back to the island. Should they somehow return to the island, the penalty is death.
