Print after the Battle of the Amazons by Rubens (circa 1617). It shows the Amazons, female warriors of Telestris, fighting and being defeated by Theseus's Athenians. The theme of the Amazons' fight against their male opponents was a popular theme during Antiquity, and was revived during the Renaissance.

Influenced by Titian's 'Battle of Spoleto' and Leonardo's 'Battle of Anghia', Rubens' treatment of the scene is characterised by its violence. Nude contorted corpses are represented in the foreground, and a decapitated body is depicted on the bridge. The brutality of the scene is emphasised by the baroque composition of the picture.

The Herschel family collected a number of these prints of 'classical' scenes. Men of science such as William Herschel and Charles Darwin were often outspoken in their distain for the teaching of classics over scientific subjects in contemporary schools. The existance of this print and others like it in the Herschel collection suggests however that these statements had more to do with the absence of science teaching in schools rather than with the presence of classics in their curricula.

The original painting by Rubens is in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich.