Olympias

Olympias

(Ancient Greek: Ὀλυμπιάς; c. 375–316 BC) was an ancient Greek princess of the Molossians, the eldest daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus, and the sister of Alexander I of Epirus. She became well known as the mother of Alexander the Great by Philip II, king of Macedonia. Her role in Alexander's life was very important, and she was seen as a leader in Macedonia while he was on his adventures across the known world.

Because Olympias was very powerful and influential, she helped shape the future of Alexander’s empire. After Alexander the Great died, there were disagreements about who should rule next. Olympias supported her grandson, Alexander IV, and worked hard to help him become king. She won some battles, including against Adea Eurydice, but was later defeated by Cassander. Sadly, both she and her grandson did not live to see the empire they hoped to guide.

Origin

Olympias was born around 375 BC in Passaron, in modern Epirus, Greece. She was the eldest daughter of Neoptolemus I, king of the Molossians. Her family, the Aeacidae, was well-respected and claimed to be descended from the hero Achilles.

Olympias had a brother named Alexander I of Epirus and a sister named Troas. Before marrying Philip II of Macedon, she was known by different names, including Polyxena and Myrtale. The name Olympias may have come from Philip's victory in the Olympic Games in 356 BC, which happened around the time she gave birth to Alexander the Great.

Queen of Macedonia

When Neoptolemus I died in 360 BC, his brother Arybbas became king of the Molossians. In 358 BC, Arybbas made an agreement with Philip II, the king of Macedonia. He did this by marrying his niece, Olympias, to Philip. This marriage helped the Molossians and the Macedonians work together better.

In 356 BC, Philip’s horse won the Olympic Games. To celebrate, he named his wife Olympias after the games. That same year, she had her first child, Alexander. Later, she and Philip had a daughter named Cleopatra. Their marriage had some problems, especially when Philip married someone else. After Philip died, Olympias went back to Macedonia.

Alexander's reign and the Wars of the Diadochi

After Philip II died, Olympias helped her son Alexander become king of Macedonia. While Alexander ruled, she stayed in touch with him and may have helped him say that his real father was the god Zeus, not Philip. Alexander wanted to keep her away from politics, but she still had much influence and sometimes caused trouble for the regent, Antipater.

When Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC, his wife Roxana had a son named Alexander IV. After Alexander's death, a group of leaders called the Diadochi fought over who should be the new ruler. Olympias joined one of these leaders, Polyperchon, to oppose another leader, Cassander, because she worried about her grandson's right to the throne. Finally, Olympias was captured and faced a hard time, with different stories told about how she died.

Iconography

A medal with the name "Olympias" was found in 1902 in Abu Qir, Egypt. It dates from AD 225–250 and is kept in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. One side of the medal shows a sea creature with a figure called a Nereid. Some people thought this medal might show Queen Olympias, but others disagree. The name on the medal likely refers to the Olympiads.

In popular culture

Olympias has been featured in many books, films, and TV shows. In the 1956 film Alexander the Great, she was portrayed by French actress Danielle Darrieux. Famous actress Angelina Jolie played Olympias in the 2004 film Alexander, starring alongside Colin Farrell as Alexander and Val Kilmer as Philip.

She appears in several novels, including works by Mary Renault and Valerio Massimo Manfredi, and is a character in the Indian series Porus. Olympias was included in the comedy show Horrible Histories in a fun skit called "Made in Macedonia."