Machlyes

The Machlyes or Machlyans (Ancient Greek: Μάχλυες) were a legendary ancient Libyan tribe.

Illustration in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493)

Ancient Sources

According to Herodotus, their young women held a ritual battle with sticks and stones annually with neighboring Auseans (Ancient Greek: Αὐσέες). Those who died of their wounds were said to have lied about their virginity.^[1]

Pliny the Elder claimed they were hermaphrodites that had a male half and a female half, possibly inspired by the martial practices of the females.^[2][3]

Later Sources

French anthropologist Lucien Bertholon hypothesized that the Maghrawa tribal confederation in Tunisia were descendants of the Machlyes.^[4]

In fiction

In the book Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs, the machlyes Achilla saves Gretchen from the merdaemon in the abysses.^{[citation needed]}