By Fate constrain'd Eurystheus to obey,
The matchless Hero now must bend his way,
To gain the golden girdle which adorns
The Queen of Amazons. Who proudly scorns
To yield, and in her warriors doth confide—
But vanquish'd she becomes great Theseus' bride.
Heracles' ninth labour was to obtain the girdle at the request of Admete, Eurystheus' daughter. Hippolyta was so intrigued by Heracles' muscles and lion skin, that she gave him the girdle without a fight. In one version of the story, Hera spread rumours among the Amazons that Heracles was trying to kidnap their queen, so the Amazons attacked and Heracles killed Hippolyta in a rage, assuming that she had betrayed him. In another version she survived and was abducted by Theseus, who made her his wife. Another variant states that Queen Hippolyta was killed by her own subjects, but it was only because Hera told them Heracles had come to kidnap the queen.
