Hippolyta Hippolyta In Classical Greek mythology, Hippolyta (; "Hippolyte") was the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle that was given to her by her father, Ares, the god of war. The girdle was a waist belt that signified her authority as queen of the Amazons. She figures prominently in the myths of both Heracles and Theseus. The myths about her are varied enough that they may therefore be about several different women. The name "Hippolyta" comes from Greek roots meaning 'horse' and 'let loose'. In the myth of Hercules, Hippolyta's girdle (ζωστὴρ Ἱππολύτης) was the object of his ninth labor.
Labours of Hercules mate Echidna, all overcome by Hercules. A traditional order of the labours found in the "Bibliotheca" is: The first labour was to slay the Nemean lion. According to one version of the myth, the Nemean lion took women as hostages to its lair in a cave near Nemea, luring warriors from nearby towns to save the damsel in distress. After entering the cave, the warrior would see the woman (usually feigning injury) and rush to her side. Once he was close, the woman would turn into a lion and kill the warrior, devouring his remains and giving the bones to