Neoptolemus I of Epirus was a Greek king of Epirus and son of Alcetas I, and father of Troas, Alexander I of Epirus and Queen Olympias. The truth in marital crack seems to have been less romantic than what Plutarch presents. Among the names of the states and their respective grain relief/subsidy quantity, only two individual names appear: Olympias and her daughter’s Cleopatra. King Philip Arrhidaeus and his retinue fell captive on the spot. Olympias opponent Adea realized that letting another highly regarded Argead take custody of Alexander IV would reduce her husband Arrhidaeus and herself into inferior, negligible status. Nevertheless, despite the many books, papers and studies that had been improving our knowledge about Argead Macedonia in times of the great Macedonian conquerors, the historians of the XIX th and XX th centuries treated Olympias in the … Aeacides, king of Epirus, provided her with most forces while also supporting her himself. However, Alexander would have never gone on to create one of the largest empires in the ancient world without his mother, Olympias. Yet, it also brought conflict into a royal house with other wives thinking for the path to kingship of their own sons. Although a successful invasion of Macedon from Epirot forces would have been difficult, Philip feared Olympias’ influence in such projects. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). More importantly, in the mind of Macedonians, Olympias represented stability and glory; her figure being a symbol of the order and prosperity experienced during the reign of Philip and Alexander. It has its roots in the growing pressure from Philip’s Macedonian friends on him marrying a woman of true Macedonian blood. However, the ancient author seems to have gone too far in what seems to have been Arrhidaeus’ born deficiency. Simultaneously, another force of Cassander held Aeacides inactive. (2013). He was a maternal grandfather of Alexander the Great. She declined his request until 317, when Antipater’s son Cassander established Philip II’s simpleminded son Philip III (Arrhidaeus) as king of Macedonia. In honor of her husband’s victory at the Olympic Games, Alexander’s mother took the name Olympias. Olympias was born in 375 B.C., in Passaron, Epirus, southwest of Macedonia, Ancient Greece, to Neoptolemus I, who was the king of a Greek tribe known as the Molossians. She marked her return in Macedon with a purge. Fast Facts: Olympias Known For: Olympias was the queen of Macedonia and the mother of Alexander the Great. Aeacides supported Olympias in her fight against Cassander and marched on Macedon. Gentius was king... Albanian wildlife is rich in mid-size mammals and flyi... Bardylis ("Bardhyll" in modern Albanian language meani... Albanian Paintings: Top 10 Masterpieces to Discover in Albania, First Illyrian War: Roman Republic’s First Military Engagement in Eastern Adriatic. Aristonous control of Amphipolis could also prove valuable for meeting with any potential reinforcements. Upon returning to Epirus, Olympias overthrew from the regency position her daughter Cleopatra (ruled 330-328) and took that office for herself, on behalf of her nephew Neoptolemus II. His side with Olympias shows that the queen could still rely on some top generals despite the purge she committed on some Macedonian nobles. Assassins were sent to Attalus who had offended Alexander, killing him too. Yet, after her surrender, Cassander gathered an “assembly of Macedonians” to judge the queen. Olympias of EPIRUS. Routledge, 2001. Olympias Of-epirus is on Facebook. It eventually came down to a conflict between two Argead women representing two different, traditionally conflicting, Argead branches. Mütterlicherseits beanspruchte Olympias eine Aszendenz von der schönen Helena. Upon the death of Antipater in 319 (Alexander had died in 323), his successor, Polyperchon, invited Olympias to act as regent for her young grandson, Alexander IV (Alexander the Great’s son). Whitehorne J. E. G. (1994). Cassander had to send another unit composed of family members of the men Olympias had executed to kill the queen. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Olympias’ cultivated a popular and reputable reputation among the Greeks. Olympias exiled herself in Epirus while Alexander did the same in Illyria. She then had Cleopatra and her infant daughter killed. Episode I: Gentius,  A New Young King As is well known, women are the fairer sex. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In 356, Olympias gave birth to Alexander who would later conquer the whole Persia. Ragnor, B. Illyrian Kings: A Handbook on Illyrian Monarchy; Main Rulers and Dynasties. Olympias (c.375-316): Epirote princess, married to the Macedonian king Philip II, and mother of Alexander the Great. Adea/Eurydice, wife of king Philip Arrhidaeus and ally of Cassander, was determined to keep Olympias inactive. After Euia, Olympias, with Arrhidaeus and Adea captive, entered victorious in Pella, where she physically took the guardianship of Alexander IV. P… The Aeacids allied themselves with the increasingly powerful kingdom of Macedon, in part against the common threat of Illyrian raids, and in 359 BC the Molossian princess Olympias, niece of Arybbas of Epirus, married King Philip II of Macedon (r. 359–336 BC). But, who is the man whose face is showed in the top-right corner? Alexander I of Molossia and the creation of Apeiros. (Plutarch, Lives, Alexander, II). Olympias of Epirus est né(e). It also fulfilled the first stage of Philip’s policy of marrying multiple wives from the neighboring regions for the purpose of securing Macedon’s borders. She was the daughter of the Molossian king Neoptolemus in Epirus, part of the Aeacidae royal house. Designed by Da ihr Vater früh starb, wuchs sie unter der Vormundschaft ihres Onkels und Schwagers, des Königs Arybbas, auf, der seinem Bruder Neoptolemo… By summer or autumn 317, Olympias made up her mind: she accepted Polyperchon’s offer. Alexander I was her brother. Philip continued to marry other wives, a practice that did not sit well with Olympias, eager to make her son an heir. with the name Myrtale. She had the motive (Philip’s murder prevent Cleopatra/Eurydice as a “pure Macedonian” from giving birth to a son of “pure Macedonian” legitimacy; it allowed the undisputed accession of her son Alexander on the throne). The couple had met for the first time on the island of Samothrace while both of them were being introduced to a very old cult, important to Macedonians and northern Aegeans, known as the Samothrace Mysteries. MITTEILUNGEN DER KOMMISSION FÜR ALTE GESCHICHTE UND EPIGRAPHIK DES DEUTSCHEN ARCHÄOLOGISCHEN INSTITUTS. Olympias is noted by Hyperides in his speeches for donating to temples, sending associated on “shopping trips” to the great agora in Athens, as well as addressing the Athenian ekklesia [assembly] through letters on several occasions” In 324, Olympias had the capacity and authority to send an embassy to Athens, demanding extradition for Harpalus (Alexander’s treasurer who went rogue). Your email address will not be published. The Women Who Would Be Kings. From her he inherited not only his love of learning but also his fiery nature, strength of character and as one historian put it --- his thirst for blood. She met her husband, King Philip II (Alexander the Great’s father), on the Aegean island of Samonthrace. We are told that Olympias started a plot that involved her brother assaulting the neighbouring Macedon. Sonderdruck aus Band. After the victory Olympias assumed yet another name, “Stratonice” meaning “victorious commander”. Olympias of Epirus is one of the main characters in the history of the emergency of Macedonia as an international power with Philip II and Alexander. Soon after, Adea also fell captive while trying to make way to Amphipolis with Polycles, one of her consullers. However, when she made her move, her allies were at a loss; Eumenes was fighting an unwinnable war in Asia while Cassander had crushed Polyperchon’s troops in Greece. All rights reserved. The regent needed Olympias’ popularity and charisma that he apparently lacked himself among his fellow Macedonians. Historia e Popullit Shqiptar, I, p. 94-95. The privileged position of Olympias in Macedon conflicted with the role of Antipater as Macedon’s governor (ruler in Alexander’s absence). BC - ?) We can credit her for Alexander’s later fascination with Trojan heroes, especially Achilles, with the Macedonian prince carrying a copy of “Iliad” with him at all times. And why did Giulio Romano paint the legs of Zeus as the body of a snake? Thus, Cassander sent a detachment of his forces to engage Polyperchon where he was. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Meet extraordinary women who dared to bring gender equality and other issues to the forefront. At those celebrations, Pausanias of Orestis, a royal guard, killed the king. Olympias II d'Épire (en grec Ὀλυμπιάς) est une reine d' Épire du IIIe siècle av. Das molossische Königshaus von Epirus leitete seine Abstammung von dem mythischen Helden Achilleus her. The combination of the successes related with Alexander’s birth made the Macedonian consider the infant prince as a good omen. ). Olympias would later pass both her belief in divine power and divine descent to her son, Alexander the Great. Cleopatras. The queen made a habit of having a snake near her in the marital bed, a habit that “dulled the ardour of Philip’s attention to his wife” so that the king ousted her “either because he feared that some spells and enchantments might be practised upon him by her, or because he shrank from her embraces in the conviction that she was the partner of a superior being”. & By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. He had his cousin Amyntas IV, who was for many a rightful heir, executed. The wedding celebrations between Cleopatra and Alexander I of Molossia took place in summer at Aegae, old Macedonian capital. With the execution of Adea and Arrhidaeus, Olympias’ grandson Alexander IV became the sole king of Macedon at the age of six. Alexander the Great was one of the greatest leaders and conquerors that the world has ever seen. Olympias also stood behind the fiction of Alexander as an offspring of her and Zeus rather than her and Philip II, a fiction that she did not hesitate to implant on Alexander himself. The ruling family claim descent from Achilles and have newer, just as potent, connections to Alexander the Great: Olympias, Alexander’s mother, was a princess of Epirus. Thus, Adea’s haste to meet Olympia’s army in open battle with her Macedonian home army. Another element present in Olympias was her zealous dedication to the cult of Dionysius, a cult that in Olympias’ practice involved snake charmings and sexual rituals among groups of women. About this match, Plutarch tells that Philip “being still a youth…fell in love with her and betrothed himself to her” (Plutarch, Lives, Alexander, II). Olympias quarreled repeatedly with Antipater, regent of Macedonia during the early years of Alexander’s invasion of Asia, and eventually retired again, about 331, to Epirus. By 324, Olympias was in Epirus. Language: English Words: 6,620 Chapters: 1/1 Comments: 8 Kudos: 23 Bookmarks: 1 Hits: 460; Alexander son of Olympias by baydreamer Fandoms: Alexander Trilogy - Mary Renault, Alexander (2004), Classical Greece and … In Plutarch’s view, the couple’s source of problems were Olympias’ snake charming cults. Blackwell, Ch. Cassander had to avoid two other potential blockades: Polyperchon had stationed his army at Perrhabeia ready to intercept Cassander’s advance. Olympias (in Greek Oλυμπιας; lived 3rd century BC) was daughter of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, and wife of her own brother Alexander II. In Macedonian view, young Alexander was half-Macedonian, half Barbarian (Olympias was considered non-Macedonian/Bardanian due to her Chaonian and/or Molossian ethnicity). Her son grew influenced by her mother’s ambitions with both developing a warm and close relationship. The daughter of Neoptolemus, king of Epirus, Olympias apparently was originally named Myrtale. Corrections? With the help of Philip some years ago, Alexander the Molossian had even started the process of creating an Epirote Alliance, a united federative state that expanded beyond Molossia and that initially included, apart from Molossia, Cassopaea and Thespotis. Neoptolemus I of Epirus Neoptolemus I of Epirus (Greek: Νεοπτόλεμος Α' Ηπείρου) (370-357 BC) was a Greek king of Epirus and son of Alcetas I, and father of Troas, Alexander I of Epirus and Queen Olympias. Retrouvez Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. It was the same year when Philip captured Potidaea, his general Parmenio defeated the Illyrians, and Philip’s “race-horse…won the course” at the Olympic Games in July (Plutarch, Lives, Alexander, III). The new ruler immediately led a purge against any contented to the throne and enemies. Whether with love or not, the marriage seems to have been arranged by Olympias’ uncle/stepfather Arybbas. Olympias returned into Alexander’s Macedon. In fact, tensions between the two so intensified that Alexander had to interfere himself to prevent a destabilization of Macedon. This strong lineage combined with a focus on martial prowess and the powerful authority of women in a Molossian society shaped a strong and ambitious character in Olympias. He was a maternal grandfather of Alexander the Great. This would ensure a true Macedonian heir. The regent queen counted on Aristonous loyalty and experience: he had participated in Alexander’s expeditions as a somatophylax, one of the seventh highest honored bodyguards. Serpent (symbolism)-Wikipedia Olympias of Epirus, mother of Alexander the Great, believed to be a snake-worshipper. The nature of her relations with her daughter remain unclear but those with her son Alexander appear more frequently. Justin summarizes this destructive policy by stating that Olympias “committed great slaughter among the nobility throughout the country, like a furious woman rather than a queen, she turned the favour with which she was regarded into hatred” (XIV.VI.I). That’s why she chose Pydna over Pella: in this port, she could receive any naval assistance soon and with ease. Olympias of Epirus: The Surreal Story of a King’s Mother Olympias’ Family & Lineage. Philip’s polygamy did not threaten her position until 337, when he … Olympias has been described by historians as arrogant, meddlesome, and headstrong. That force was enough to keep Polyperchon checked. Noté /5. Athens and Macedonia, in the Absence of Alexander. They were the descendants of Aeacus, known as the Aeacidae, and were said to be related to Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War. Trondheim. When Olympias turned eighteen, in 357, she married Philip II, ten years older. What was it believed at that time (circa 1500) of this myth? Olympias, sister of Alexander I the Molossian (and mother of Alexander the Great of Macedon) returned to Epirus to escape the aggression of Antipater who had received control of Macedon by a lot. In 323, Alexander III succumbed to illness in Babylon. The available contingent consisted only of some court soldiers, some Ambracian cavalry men and a few of Polyperchon’s elephants. It elevated her to the status of the mother of a potential successor king. She had a passionate and imperious nature, and she played important roles in the power struggles that followed the deaths of both rulers. Accordingly, the king had Olympias retreat in Epirus with Cleopatra taking her mother’s place in Macedon. u.). Achetez neuf ou d'occasion If Olympias was behind the assassination, other close to Philip must have been in it too, since she herself was away in Epirus. Your email address will not be published. CHIRON. As siblings, we can identify an apparently older sister of her, named Troas, who, when Olympias was still an infant, must have married her uncle, Arybbas (ascended the throne in around 360 B.C.E. At her orders, soldiers slew Philip’s other widow Cleopatra/Eurydice and her infant daughter Europa. As a member of the Aeacidae, Olympias was thought that she descended “from Aeacus by Neoptolemus” (Plutarch, Lives, Alexander, II), a mythical king who was the grandfather of Achilles. The latter advised her to move cautiously, not openly siding with a faction before fighting revealed more insights. Dardania: Kingdom & Land of the Dardanians, Albanian Wildlife: Top 10 Animals That Roam in Albania. The queen had to send a personal letter to Aristonous in Amphipolis for him, still loyal, to give up the fight. She put to death Philip Arrhidaeus and his wife, as well as Cassander’s brother and a hundred of his partisans. Olympias’ life bears witness to the truth of this. Als Geburtsnamen der Olympias werden Polyxena, Myrtale und Stratonike angegeben; den Namen Olympias erhielt sie erst kurz nach ihrer Heirat mit Philipp II. ), the successor of her father Neoptolemus. In 319/318 BC, Arrybas, Aeacides' father and the regent of Epirus, died leaving Epirus to the joint kings Aeacides and Neoptolemus. As a result, most of Adea’s army defected to Olympias’ side. This assembly sentenced her to executions. The Macedonian soldiers supported her return. Olympias also had a younger brother, Alexander, who would later become famous for his campaign against the Lucanians and Brutii in southern Italy. So much for Olympias’ efforts, for Cassander reached Pydna in no time, laying siege to the city and blockading its harbor. Albanopedia Also, some recollections of how Alexander and Hephaestion met. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Once Olympias joined the conflict, she outranked Polyperchon both by virtue of her greater popularity and by virtue of larger forces she commanded. Olympias’ involvement turned the conflict between Polyperchon and Cassander into a conflict between her and Cassander. Later she may have been called Olympias as a recognition of Philip’s victory in the Olympic Games of 356 bc. The bridegroom was none other than her uncle Alexander I of Epirus, Olympias’ brother. If she remained inactive, the latter’s execution would be a matter of time. Diodorus even mentions that Polyperchon offered Olympias the role of “basilike prostasia”, an unclear office of high authority and prominence. As for her mother, she is absent from sources, but some scholars have suggested that she was a Chaonian princess, in northwestern Epirus. The first soldiers sent to carry out the sentence, aware of Olympias’ worthiness (“axioma”), could not lay a sword on the queen. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Pompei Trogi. He claimed he was a descendant of hero Achilles and King Lycomedes, while Emperor Caracalla claimed that he was a descendant of Neoptolemus I. Olympias was originally known as Polyxena and it is possible that Neoptolemus gave her that name. Cette information fait partie de de sur Généalogie Online. Lyngsnes Ø W. (2018). She was arguably the most influential person in Alexanders life and the driving force behind his rise to the throne. Powered by WordPress Rather than a bureaucratic friction, tensions between Olympias and Antipater were of a characterial/personal nature. . Elle s'est marié avec Alexander of Epirus, ils ont eu 1 enfant. According to Lyngsnes: “Olympias seem to have had many supporters in Athens. She was condemned to death by the Macedonian assembly, but Cassander’s soldiers refused to carry out the sentence. On news about affairs in Macedon reaching him, he quickly came to terms with the Tegeans and led his army on march to Macedon. When Olympias’ father the king of Molossians died, he was succeeded by his brother Arymbas in 360 BC. She was to … A thirsty hunt for power followed between Alexander’s successor. He secured boats and barges from Locris and Euboea and ferried the army into Thessaly, avoiding the blockade at Thermopylae. J.-C., fille de Pyrrhus, née de sa première épouse Antigone, elle devient l'épouse de son demi-frère germain Alexandre II. The things then get so complicated that the scholars must agree Olympias had no meaningful role in the assassination; even ancient authors did not explicitly put the murder on Olympias. Reports suggest that she believed the rumors of Cassander and his brother Iolaos poisoning Alexander on Antipater’s instructions. Olympias was the driving force behind Alexanders rise to the throne of Macedonia and she was, a… The Epirot ruler accepted the proposal which reestablished Philip’s influence and isolated Olympias. Attalus himself made this point at a banquet celebrating the match, a remark that angered Alexander. (2017). The match was expected to bring a true Macedonian heir. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Olympias’ purge did secure her from contenders of Argead descent. Alexander’s accession paved the way for Olympias prominence in Macedon. of Macedon, and mother of Alexander the Great.Her father claimed descent from Pyrrhus, son of Achilles.
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