is a set of five lost poems. Fragments have been recovered and it is thought to be the complete story of the Trojan War. The Amazon Queen, Penthesilea, daughter of Ares and Ortrera, is sent to fight alongside the Trojans against the Greeks. She brings a band or unit of Amazon warriors with her. During a battle with Achilles, Penthesilea is killed.

The fall of Penthesilea is a pretty glorious death. Like Achilles, she is also bi-existential, half-mortal/half-god. The idea being that it would take someone like Achilles to kill her. It may also have something to do with Achilles with Penthesilea. Achilles is later accused of being in love with Penthesilea. Some scholars read this as an insult, positing the idea that Penthesilea was not an attractive woman to fall in love with. Others have noted that the two stare into each others eyes when she dies, which is likely a dramatic device meant to put the question of whether or not he loved Penthesilea is left to the imagination of the audience. This is a good example of dramatic irony and pathos, as the audience is moved to believe the possibility exists, even if the character Achilles himself does not see it.

While Penthesilea ultimately dies in this set of poems, it is one of the few examples we have of an Amazon that rivals likes of Achilles or Hercules.

Source Material from https://www.livius.org/sources/content/epic-cycle/aethiopis/