Tarpeia was an escaped slave that became an Amazon and one of the first members of Hippolyta's tribe.
History
Tarpeia was a teenaged girl who was captured alongside her sister and enslaved by a group of men but was rescued when a group of Amazons led by Antiope killed their slavers. While the Amazons left before the freed slaves could speak with them, they were approached by Hippolyta who joined them in tracking down the Amazons. The group eventually found Antiope and persuaded her into letting them join the Amazons on the condition that they formed their own tribe led by Hippolyta. Tarpeia and the new Amazons were trained in arts, science, and combat by the other tribes, all under cover of darknes so that they could be hidden by their patron, Artemis.
Once trained, Tarpeia joined Antiope in raiding the slave traders that operated in the area. On one such raid Tarpeia tried to kill one of the slavers teenaged son but was stopped by Antiope. When Tarpeia later learned that the boy was particularly cruel to the slaves his father transported she tracked down the boy who had fled to a Greek city and prayed for the Amazons destruction at a temple of Apollo. There, Tarpeia killed him and fled without considering that she had done so in the sunlight which allowed Apollo to witness the crime who reacted by demanding Zeus destroy the Amazons.[1]
Tarpeia initially kept her actions secret but was visited by the goddess Demeter who scared the girl into confessing her actions to Hippolyta. A war ensued between the Amazons and the forces of many Greek Gods that killed almost all the Amazons, eventually including Tarpeia herself who was found by a heart broken Hippolyta.
Before the Amazons faced complete extinction Hippolyta, still holding Tarpeia's body, was brought to the Olympian Gods by Artemis. There Hippolta was given an offer by Zeus. Rather than be exterminated, the Amazons would be resurrected to live for an eternity as prisoners on the island of Themyscira, all except Tarpeia who would remain dead as payment for her killing. Hippolyta very reluctantly took the offer, saving the Amazons but sacrificing Tarpeia to do so.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Amazonian Training: The Amazons honed their skills in many fields, aided by the gifts from Athena and Artemis.
Related
- 2 Appearances of Tarpeia (Wonder Woman Historia)
- Images featuring Tarpeia (Wonder Woman Historia)
- Quotations by or about Tarpeia (Wonder Woman Historia)
- Character Gallery: Tarpeia (Wonder Woman Historia)
Footnotes