Anna Asfour

History 134
Professor Lark
7/22/17
Olympias

Olympias was the powerful and tempered wife of Philip II of Macedon. Though she was

not his only wife, she did all that she could to feel and appear as if she was his favorite wife.

Throughout Olympiass life she worked to protect her son and his throne. In addition to that, she

took a stand for womens rights and made herself known to those around her. Olympias was a

woman to be feared, a woman of strength, and a woman who would not be forgotten (Alexander

the Great).

This great woman was born in 375 BCE to King Neoptolemus of Epirus. Her parents

gave her the name Myrtle at birth, however, as an adult she changed it to Olympias after Philip II

won the Olympic games. Olympiass past became most noted after meeting and marrying King

Philip II. While on an island called Samothrace, which was a Sanctuary for the gods, the two met

(Olympias). Olympias was a young girl at the time, some even say she was an orphan. She was

visiting the island to worship the gods at a religious ceremony. Philip II, however, was a few

years older and had come to the island to form an alliance. When Philip saw Olympias there he

knew he would marry her and their relationship began (Wasson).

Philip II was not a man of just one woman. One of the reasons for this was because he

could use relationships for a military advantage on the womans people. Due to Philips

polygamous lifestyle, Olympias was one of seven wives. As many might be able to relate to,

Olympias did not like this. Therefore, she did whatever she needed to do in order to prove herself

(Alexandria the Great). To Olympiass advantage, her son, Alexander the Great was an heir to

the throne. This helped her, as one of seven wives to stand out amongst the others.
 Olympias and her son Alexander had a very close relationship. Most would consider

Olympias to have had the largest influence on Alexanders life. She had a close handle on his

upbringing as a child and continued to remain close to him as an adult. As Alexander grew up he

and his mother shared a bond as they took a stand for Alexanders heir together (Olympias).

As time went on for Olympias and Philip, their relationship began to have tension. One

famous tale is that after Olympias brought her pet snakes to bed, Philip never slept with her

again. As the two drifted apart, Philip once again remarried. This time, however, at the wedding

he said that the children he had with this wife would take over the throne. Those words enraged

Olympias and she knew she needed to put an end to any threats to her sons heir (Olympias).

In order to protect her son, Olympias and Alexander came up with a scheme. The two

together worked to kill Philips new wife and their child together. Not long after, Philip was also

killed. Though the assumptions are easily made that this was Olympiass plan, the facts were

never proven. After Philips death, Alexander and Olympias got their wish and he inherited the

throne (Olympias).

Olympias was a woman of power. She did not always deserve the power she gave herself

but through her fiery spirit she was able to do whatever she set her mind to. In most eyes,

Olympias is not a woman to be praised. However, for Alexander the Great, without his mother

Olympias, he may not have become the king and had all the accomplishments he did. Olympias

will always be remembered as a woman of spirit.

 Works Cited

Cartledge, Paul. "Alexander the Great: hunting for a new past? Paul Cartledge goes in search of

the elusive personality of the world's greatest hero." History Today 54.7 (2004): World

History Collection. Web. 22 July 2017.

Cartledge, Paul. "Alexandria the Great: on the Mediterranean at the western edge of the Nile

delta stands the most important and enduring of all the many cities founded by

Alexander. Though much of its material past has been destroyed or lies underwater,

Alexandria's reputation as the intellectual powerhouse of the Classical world, fusing

Greek, Egyptian and Roman culture, lives on." History Today 59.10 (2009): World

History Collection. Web. 22 July 2017.

"Olympias." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2017, ancienthistory2.abc-

clio.com/Search/Display/577355. Accessed 22 July 2017.

Wasson, Donald L. "Olympias." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia,

01 Jun 2013. Web. 22 Jul 2017.