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Claire Stapleton
History 134
23 March 2017
1
Olympias of Macedon was one of Philip IIs wives, and the mother of Alexander the
Great (Goral 1)1. Born in 375 BCE, she grew up as a Molossi princess and lived a notable life,
however was considered obscure during her husbands reign (Carney 2006)2. Olympias was
heavily involved in Alexander the Greats reign, and much of her legacy comes from this period
of time.
Philip II used marriage as part of his great political power, and when he joined the Molossi
kingdom, he married Olympias in hopes that she would bring forth a worthy heir to the empire
(Goral 1). She did produce an heir, however it is speculated that she brought about the
During Philips reign, he was absent quite often from Alexanders life, and it is said that during
this time Olympias formed a close relationship with Alexander (Goral 3). Olympias was said to
be a cruel and ruthless woman, often producing extreme reactions from those dealing with her,
and much of her behavior may have been a driving force for success in Alexanders reign
(Carney 2006).
When Philip II was assassinated, there was a question as to who was really behind his
death. There was the story of the love affair with the two Pausaniass, however, who had put
Pausanias 1 up to the murder is unclear. It is said that Olympias put Pausanias 1 up to the
assassination either because she felt replaced by his latest wife, or in order for Alexander to
1 See Goral Olympias the Great for an insightful journal article on the life of Olympias.
2 Carney published the book Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great in 2006 explaining Olypmias life and
legacy.
become king (Philip II of Macedon). According to Goral, Olympias and Philip had a tense
relationship, and when Philip remarried, her hatred for him grew, and this behavior as well as her
other characteristics influenced Alexander, for he had an intense admiration for both his mother
and his father. His admiration for his father turned into hate partly from his mothers influence,
and part of his success as a ruler was due to him attempting to be a better ruler than Philip (Goral
5). Before Philips assassination, his marriage to Olympias became so tense that at one point
Alexander felt he had dishonored her, and he and his mother fled to exile in her homeland of
Olympias had a vast knowledge of religion (Goral 2). Not only was Olympias very
knowledgable in religion and sacrificial rites, she was also familiar with the heroes of Greek
mythology. She believed she was related to the Greek heroes, and convinced Alexander that he
was the son of Zeus (Goral 6). Her beliefs led Alexander to think that he was more than a mere
mortal, he believed that he was a deity and that he should be treated as such (Cartledge 2004)4
Olympias behavior, mythological beliefs, and the suspected unhealthy relationship between her
and Alexander may have been the cause of his mental instability and delusions of grandeur.
After Philips death, Alexander made sure that Olympias was respected as a ruler in his absence,
therefore she had influence over the kingdom. When Alexander died, there was sort of a frenzy
as to who was going to inherit the throne (Goral 8). One of Alexanders commanders became the
new regent, while Olympias wanted her grandson, Alexander IV to become king (Wasson 2013)5
4 Paul Cartledge published Alexander the Great in 2004, with insights into how Olympias influenced her son
during his reign.
5 Donald L. Wassons article for the Ancient History Encyclopedia offers an in depth and detailed look at Olympias
life from her marriage to Philip to after her sons death.
3
However, the new regent, Polyperchon, was forced out by Cassander, and he fled with
Alexanders wife and Alexander IV. Olympias then decided to invade Macedon to try to retake
control of the throne (Wasson 2013). According to ancient sources, Olympias invasion of
Macedon and the war tactics she carried out were cruel and barbaric (Goral 8). Ultimately, her
invasion was a failure, and she was captured and killed by Cassander in 316 BCE, which was
soon followed by the deaths of Alexanders wife and Alexander IV (Wasson 2013).
Olympias lived an exciting and unusual life, from her upbringing as royalty, to being one of
many wives, to being closely involved in one of the most vast kingdoms in history, and
ultimately trying and failing to take control herself. While she may be remembered as cruel,
outspoken, and barbaric, her role in the upbringing of Alexander played a huge part as to how the
kingdom was ruled and how it expanded. Olympias now has a legacy as being a very important
woman in history, and her life will always be a subject of research to those learning about the
Annotated Bibliography
4
Carney, Elizabeth Donnelly. Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great. New York: Routledge,
2006. Print.
Elizabeth Carneys book Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great provides great
detail and information about Olympias life, from beginning to end, and
everything in between. She makes note of the struggles Olympias had and also provided
Cartledge, Paul. "Alexander the Great." History Today, vol. 54, no. 7, July 2004, pp. 10-16. Print.
Paul Cartledge provided a history of Alexander the Greats life, with information on
Goral, Melanie. "Olympias "The Great": The Source of Alexander's Success." (n.d.): pp 1-8.
Print.
Goral gives us an excellent article that provides critical and abstract thinking about the
life of Olympias and her seemingly unhealthy relationship with Alexander, as well
as her relationship with Philip II, ending with accounts of her death in Macedonia.
"Philip II of Macedon." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 08 July 2014. Web. 23 Mar.
2017.
This biography is an article from a website that provides brief information about
important aspects of ones life. This particular article focuses on Philip II with key
Wasson, Donald L. "Olympias." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 01 June 2013. Web. 23
Mar. 2017.
5
Donald Wasson wrote an insightful and detailed article for the Ancient History