| Olympias was born c.371 BC in the Molossian | | | | mother. |
| kingdom of Epirus on the borders of modern day | | | | Olympias understood how power worked during |
| Albania. She was about fourteen years old when | | | | the 4th century BC. This was a time when men |
| she met king Philip of Macedon at a mystery cult | | | | dominated politics and where women gained |
| festival in Samothrace. It is said that Philip | | | | power through the men around them. Aspasia, |
| immediately fell in love with her, however this is | | | | the wife of Pericles the 5th century Athenian |
| probably an over romantic version of reality. | | | | politician had gained authority through her husband |
| Philip had been a very shrewd and successful ruler | | | | (and may have written some of his speeches) |
| who had united the various tribes of Macedon into | | | | and centuries later the younger Agrippina would |
| a recognisable kingdom. He had led his kingdom to | | | | try to gain power (disastrously for her) through |
| victories against the other Greeks, most notably | | | | Nero her son. |
| Thebes, Sparta and Athens. He had already begun | | | | Olympias is said to have poisoned Arrhidaeus the |
| an effective empire that filled the vacuum left | | | | son of another wife. This son was older than |
| after the thirty years of Peloponnesian war | | | | Alexander and therefore in line for the throne |
| between Sparta and Athens in the 5th Century | | | | before Alexander. Arrhidaeus survived the |
| BC. After Sparta defeated Athens, both city | | | | poisoned, however he was brain damaged and |
| states seemed to have exhausted themselves to | | | | incapable of succeeding to power. Cleopatra, the |
| the point that the Macedonians were able to | | | | youngest wife fulfilled Attalus' wish for a son and |
| move across Greece incorporating the city states | | | | heir to Philip and she bore a son. Plutarch says |
| under Macedonian authority. | | | | that shortly after Philip's latest son had been born, |
| Philip's political awareness led him to make a | | | | he was assassinated by Pausanias a disgruntled |
| number of political marriages. The Macedonian | | | | Macedonian. Plutarch suggests that Olympias used |
| kings practised polygamy, therefore Olympias | | | | Pausanias to assassinate Philip in revenge for his |
| was not the only wife of Philip, however she was | | | | marriage to Cleopatra. More likely it was a joint |
| his only queen. Philip married seven times, the | | | | venture between Olympias and Alexander to |
| order of the marriages were as follows: Phila, | | | | allow Alexander to take power before his rival |
| Audata, Philinna, Olympias, Nikesipolis, Meda and | | | | became old enough to fight his own corner. As |
| finally Cleopatra in 337 BC. It is remarkable that | | | | soon as Philip was removed Alexander became |
| Olympia managed to become queen, since Philip | | | | king of Macedon aged twenty. Olympias had |
| had older marriages which it might be reasonable | | | | Cleopatra and her young son put to death. |
| to suggest would have been more established. | | | | Alexander spent most of his reign away on |
| Olympias must have made some impression on | | | | campaign spreading his empire east towards India. |
| Philip to achieve the status of queen. | | | | Olympias remained in contact with Alexander, |
| Olympias became pregnant with Alexander soon | | | | however she had no political influence. This |
| after she married and he was born in 356 BC. | | | | changed when her brother died and she became |
| She had another child, Cleopatra later. She was an | | | | the regent of Epirus in 330 BC. Alexander died in |
| avid worshiper of the god Dionysus and ancient | | | | 323 BC and the Macedonian kingdom was ruled by |
| writers suggest that she had an interest in using | | | | a regency. This situation was unstable with the |
| snakes in the worship of her favourite god. The | | | | regency passing between the former generals of |
| writer Plutarch says that one time Philip saw her | | | | Alexander and finally resulting in a civil war. |
| asleep with a snake in her bed and after this time | | | | Olympias became involved in this war in an |
| he became distant from his wife. Plutarch says | | | | attempt to secure power for her grandson |
| that Philip then took other wives which incited | | | | Alexander IV. She backed Polypercon as regent |
| jealousy in Olympias. The final breaking point came | | | | of Macedon, however Cassander the son of a |
| when Attalus one of Philip's men made a toast to | | | | previous regent fought Polypercon for power and |
| Philip at his wedding feast to Attalus' neice | | | | finally emerged victorious. Olympias had killed |
| Cleopatra saying that they should all pray that | | | | many of Cassander's supporters in a bid to |
| Cleopatra produces a lawful successor to the | | | | weaken him. When he came to power Olympias |
| throne. Alexander showed his rage and threw a | | | | surrendered to his forces. He promised her |
| cup at Attalus. Philip sided with Attalus. Alexander | | | | safety. As soon as he could, he charged her with |
| and Olympias left Macedon for Epirus. | | | | the murders she had carried out on his allies. |
| Olympias did not help such incidents and in some | | | | Olympias was herself executed by Cassander in |
| ways added fuel to the fire. Her intense and | | | | 316 BC. |
| dangerous character meant that in a superstitious | | | | Olympias lived with dangerous people and was |
| time, she could make herself seem more in | | | | herself a dangerous woman. Her single minded |
| league with the gods than with mortals. She is | | | | ruthlessness enabled Alexander to become one of |
| said to have told Alexander that he was the son | | | | the most successful leaders and empire builders in |
| of Zeus, not Philip and Alexander modelled himself | | | | history. It also led to her own execution. |
| on the hero Achilles who himself had a goddess | | | | |