Olympias Of Epirus

• Preferred Name: Olympias Of Epirus^{[1] [2]}
  
• Alternate Name: Polyxena
  
• Gender: F
  
• Death: 316 BC in Macedonia at LATI: N1.645 LONG: E1.665 with note: Murdered by a crowd whose relatives had been killed on her orders with the approval of Cassander
  
• FSID: L5KD-PQG
  
• Birth: 375 BC in Molossia, Epirus, Macedon at LATI: N9.5633 LONG: E0.8063
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: Queen of MacedoniaBET 357 BC AND 316 BC with note: After he husbands murder by Pausanius, He son Alexander III acceded to the throne and served from 336-323. After his death, she retained the title of Queen because there were no male heirs old enough to be pronounced King.
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Olímpia e Filipe se conheceram, ainda jovens, quando estavam se iniciando nos mistérios de Samotrácia. Olímpia era órfã de pai e mãe, e seu irmão Arimbas autorizou o casamento com Filipe. Eles se casaram em 360 a.C.
  
  Segundo Plutarco, ela era arrogante, de índole ciumenta e vingativa, fomentando intrigas entre Alexandre e Filipe.
  
  Desde o nascimento de Alexandre em 356 a.C., a relação com Filipe não era muito boa. Existia a desconfiança quanto à fidelidade de Olímpia já que alguns historiadores relatam que Alexandre poderia ser filho do faraó Nectanebo II do Egito, que fugindo dos Persas, se refugiara na corte macedônia onde teria sido reconhecido como um grande mago egípcio. Atraindo a atenção de Olímpia teria tornado-se o pai (sem que ninguém soubesse) de Alexandre Magno. Essa era uma forma de dar continuidade à linhagem de sangue dos faraós.
  
  Olímpia dizia a quem quisesse ouvir que Alexandre era filho de Zeus, rei dos deuses, fazendo com que o povo o reverenciasse como um legítimo deus. Havia quem dissesse que era filho do Deus Dioniso. Olímpia criou Alexandre com tamanha devoção e posse que alguns historiadores modernos vêem um princípio de relação incestuosa entre eles. Há inclusive suspeitas de relações sexuais nos estudos mais profundos.
  
  Olímpia foi repudiada por Filipe quando casou-se com a jovem macedônica Cleópatra, sobrinha de Átalo, um dos guardas do Rei. O ambiente da história é ateniense, não macedônico. A poligamia não existia em Atenas; assim, o fato de Filipe casar-se com Cleópatra significava que Olímpia era uma rejeitada e seu filho, um bastardo, e que todas as outras "esposas" seriam suas amantes ou simplesmente prostitutas.
  
  A desonra de Olímpia pode estar no fato de Filipe ter dado a Cleópatra o novo nome de "Eurídice", evidentemente na época do casamento. Eurídice era o nome da mãe de Filipe, que havia tido a mais alta honra e fora enterrada em um túmulo magnífico por volta de 340. Esses tributos haviam sido prestados a ela como rainha-mãe, que governava os alojamentos femininos no palácio. Após a morte dela, Olímpia evidentemente passou a ocupar sua posição como futura rainha-mãe do filho que Filipe estava promovendo à posição de representante e, dessa forma, à posição de sucessor no caso de sua morte. Mas chamar à sua nova esposa Eurídice era certamente derrubar Olímpia e colocar Eurídice no lugar dela.
  
  Após a morte de Filipe, por vingança, ela matou os filhos desta união, Carano e a pequena Europa, forçando depois disso, Cleópatra a se enforcar. Recaem sobre Olímpia as maiores suspeitas de envolvimento no assassinato de Filipe II, em 336 a.C., ela teria concretizado sua vingança pessoal e ainda veria o filho assumir o trono.
  
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  For other people and entities known as Olympias, see Olympias (disambiguation).
  Olympias
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  === https://www.geni.com/people/Olympias-queen-Consort-of-Macedonia/6000000000351102192 ===
  https://www.geni.com/people/Olympias-queen-Consort-of-Macedonia/6000000000351102192
  
  === https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympias ===
  
  Olympias Queen of Macedonia". www.american-pictures.com. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  ^ "The nonsense about the snakes" is from Plutarch's Life of Alexander (2.6), according to Robin Lane Fox, Alexander the Great 1973:26 and note p. 504; Fox suggests that the snake-handling was the stuprum referred to by Justin9.5.9.
  ^ Jump up to:a b "Review of Elizabeth Carney's Olympias, Mother of Alexander the Great by Michael D. Dixon" (PDF). classicaljournal.org. Retrieved 2014-06-16.[permanent dead link]

• m. ABT 357 BC

1. Uranbika , b. BEF 214 in Macedonia, Greece    
2. Alexander III "The Great" of Macedonia, b. 20 JUL 356 BC in Pella, Macedonia     d. 10 JUN 323 BC in Babylon, Mesopotamia

1. Title: Turning points of the Ancient World, Molossia
   Author: Notes and Further Reading Author Tristan Hughes- Huge thanks to Johnny Shumate and his fantastic illustrations! Click here for Johnny’s website. Johnny’s Etsy page, check it out here. Information is from:Justin Book VII. 6 (On the Alliance of Arrybas and Philip and Arrybas’ subsequent downfall) here. Champion, J. 2009, Pyrrhus of Epirus. Pen and Sword Books Ltd. Hammond, N. G. L. 1967, Epirus. Oxford University Press. Meyer, E. A. 2013, The Inscriptions of Dodona and a New History of Molossia. Steiner.
   Publication: Name: http://turningpointsoftheancientworld.com/index.php/2017/11/20/alexander-molossia-italy/;
   Note: Situated in the rugged region of Epirus in North-West Greece was the Kingdom of Molossia, the alleged home to the descendants of Achilles. Molossia had acted as a frontier region of the Greek World for centuries. The threat of barbarians descending from the North, hungry for plunder and booty, was a constant all-too-real threat. On many occasions it would become harsh reality. The Molossians had suffered from such raids for centuries; they were no strangers to war. To many Greeks, Molossia was therefore merely a volatile frontier region – its people’s own suffering protecting the more wealthy and ‘civilised’ Greek cities further south from the threat of pillaging barbarians; that, along with possessing the famed Oracle of Zeus at Dodona, was as far as the region’s importance then stretched. Living in Molossia was far from a blessing. Dodona The remains of Dodona: Home to the Oracle of Zeus. Dodona was one of the most important oracles in the Greek world, considered second only to Delphi. All this, however, was about to change. By the mid-4th Century B.C, power in the Greek World was shifting. Molossia would not be slow to take advantage. The Alliance In 358 BC, an agreement was signed that would catapult Molossia from its past of relative obscurity to become one of the most powerful Greek kingdoms of the time. Hoping to gain more power, Arybbas, the then King of Molossia, agreed to form an alliance with a neighbouring, ambitious, young king to the North-East. His name was Philip II, ruler of the Kingdom of Macedonia and a man whose deeds would completely alter the Greek World. Philip II of Macedon Just as with Arrybas and his Molossians, Philip and his Macedonians had also been suffering from devastating barbarian incursions for decades before 358 BC. Both kings therefore controlled kingdoms experiencing constant hardship from this ever-present threat; and both desired to be rid of it. Realising their similar aims, they quickly realised the benefits of Molossian-Macedonian cooperation to combat this threat. Becoming allies seemed the obvious solution. Wasting no time, the Molossians and Macedonians quickly formed an alliance of the strongest calibre. Uniting their royal houses through blood, both kings agreed that Philip would marry Olympias, the beautiful, young niece of Arrybas. In this act the alliance was sealed. Alexander the Great. The marriage of Olympias and Philip would prove a key moment in world history. Two years later, Olympias would give birth to this Alexander, who would go on to become one of the most formidable generals in antiquity. Yet Olympias was not the only royal Molossian that this new alliance deeply affected. For one other was this new alliance with Macedonia a pivotal moment towards his future greatness. Alexander of Molossia His name was Alexander, the nephew of King Arybbas and brother of Olympias. As with his sister, Alexander would also become closely associated with Philip and Macedonia following 358 BC. This association, however, would not be nearly as easy or amiable as it had been with his sister. The alliance falters Not long after the sealing of the marriage alliance, relations between Philip and Arrybas started to turn sour. A great quarrel quickly erupted (we do not know the cause), showing no signs of calming. War between these two former allies appeared only a matter of time. Philip made sure to act first. Somewhere during these deteriorating relations, Philip made his move. Desiring to keep Arrybas in check, the Macedonian king invaded Molossia in 350 BC, seizing Alexander – who at that time was still only a teenager – as a royal hostage. With the young Alexander in tow Philip then returned to Macedonia, his main objective achieved. For the time being, Arrybas had been put back in check. Captivity in Macedonia Reaching Philip’s royal court at Pella, there Alexander reunited with his sister Olympias and began his time as a hostage. Far from treating him poorly however, Philip ensured his subjects treated his brother-in-law as his royal title deserved, providing him with a Greek education. Alexander would remain detained in the heartlands of Macedonia for the rest of his teenage years, observing and learning from the heroised actions of Philip and his greatest generals – men such as Parmenion, Coenus and Cleitus – the art of charismatic and clever kingship first-hand. The years Alexander spent as a ‘captive’ at the Macedonian court would prove to be some of the greatest in his life. Witnessing the glories Philip had gained through war, the young Molossian prince soon desired to gain his own great fame through conquest. Philip, his military mentor, had set the bar high; Alexander aimed one day to have the chance to surpass it. That day would come soon enough. 343 BC: upheaval in Molossia As Alexander was learning the art of war in Macedonia, back in Molossia his uncle, Arrybas, was in dire straits. The seizing of Alexander as a hostage by Philip had only temporarily calmed his quarrel with the Macedonian king. Soon enough relations once again, turned toxic; and this time, there would be no attempt by Philip to avert it. War erupted. From being a strong ally barely fifteen years before, in 343 BC, Arybbas found himself fighting against Philip for the very control of his kingdom. It proved to no avail. In 343 BC, Philip defeated the Molossian king, driving him off the throne into exile in Athens. There he would remain for the rest of his days. A new king Philip had successfully ousted Arrybas; Molossia was his. But who could Philip entrust to manage this important kingdom? Fortunately for him, there was one young royal Molossian who was perfect for the role! Alexander had come a long way from the young teenager he had been when he first arrived in Macedonia. After witnessing the multiple successes of Philip and his companions for many years, on his return, the young Molossian had developed into a very capable leader. Not only did he have a very close (possibly even intimate) link to Philip, but Alexander had also developed into a charismatic war leader with a burning desire for conquest; his ethos had become very similar to that of Philip. He was ready to rule. Alexander, King of Molossia Ending his time as a hostage, Philip established Alexander on the Molossian throne. Yet Philip’s generosity to Alexander did not stop there. Wanting to strengthen his western border as much as possible, Philip endowed one more ‘gift’ on Alexander: three key coastal cities in southern Epirus: Pandosia, Bucheta and Elatria. The Kingdom of Molossia in Epirus, 343 BC: Having acquired the cities of Bucheta, Pandosia and Elatria, Alexander’s Molossian kingdom had, for the first time in its history, a direct connection to the Ionian Sea. It would prove central to his plans for a future expedition to the West. Thanks to Philip, Alexander therefore found himself inheriting a kingdom stronger than ever before in its history. No longer was Molossia simply an inland kingdom on an unstable frontier of the Greek World. Now, Alexander ruled a kingdom not only allied to a rapidly rising Greek power, but that also for the first time, had a direct link to the Mediterranean Sea. With this came great opportunity. The possibility of conquest across the Ionian Sea in Italy and Sicily now appeared open to Alexander. Envisaging himself as the protégé to his mentor, Philip, he prepared his own great plans of conquest. The West he saw as his oyster. Yet before he could even dare to attempt such a formidable expedition, he needed allies. Fortunately, he knew exactly where to look. Uniting the Tribes At that time, the region of Epirus was fragmented between many smaller ‘Greek’ kingdoms. Molossia was just one of these. Two others also controlled large amounts of this unstable territory: The Kingdoms of Thesprotia and Chaonia. If Alexander wanted to launch an ambitious campaign in the West then having an alliance with these two immediate neighbors was critical. Alexander believed that this may not be as improbable as others thought. Although each of these kingdoms treasured their own tribal identity, an overriding realisation of Epirote uniformity also existed. In the past, Chaonians, Thesprotians and Molossians had fought side by side, linked by this shared Epirote identity; and it was this sense of commonality that Alexander knew he would need to take advantage of. The Epirote Alliance Alexander the Molossian 343-330 BC By appealing to this sense of shared identity and tempting his neighbors with his intended, glorious campaign to the West, Alexander convinced the Chaonians and Thesprotians to join him. At Passaron an alliance was agreed; Alexander would be their leader. For the first time ever, Epirus was united and its borders secure; the constant worry and threat of barbarian raids from the North seemed a distant memory. Alexander’s preparation for his great conquest was taking shape. Alexander made sure that the Epirotes would not regret selecting him as their commander. His time learning the art of war from formidable generals such as Philip, Parmenion and Cleitus in Macedonia had turned him into an ambitious, charismatic and, most of all, a skilled young leader. All Alexander had to do now was prove himself to the Greek world; gaining great success on an intrepid military campaign was therefore a must. Yet for him to gain this success, Alexander knew he had to first address one other issue. The Epirote army Due to both its geography and its suffering from the constant threat of barbarian raids, Epirus’ armies were much less-organised than it’s Greek counterparts further south. Their individual skill as fighters, however, was unmatched in all of Greece. Disorganised, ill-disciplined and backward. Three words that summed up the state of the Epirote forces upon Alexander’s accession....article continues, click on link to view.
   
2. Title: Wikiwand - Olympias of Epiras
   Author: Primary sources Plutarch, Alexander, Parallel Lives, online at Perseus Project. Secondary sources Heckel, Waldemar (2006). Who's who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander's empire. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 1-4051-1210-7. Waterfield, Robin (2011). Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 273 pages. ISBN 9780199647002.
   Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Olympias;
   Note: Olympias (Greek: Ὀλυμπιάς; c. 375–316 BC) was a Greek princess of the Molossians, and the eldest daughter of king Neoptolemus I of Epirus, the sister of Alexander I of Epirus, the fourth wife of Philip II, the king of Macedonia and the mother of Alexander the Great. She was extremely influential in Alexander's life and was recognized as de facto leader of Macedon during Alexander's conquests. After her son's death, she fought on behalf of Alexander's son Alexander IV, successfully defeating Adea Eurydice. After she was finally defeated by Cassander, his armies refused to execute her, and he finally had to summon family members of those Olympias had previously killed to end her life. According to the 1st century AD biographer, Plutarch, she was a devout member of the orgiastic snake-worshiping cult of Dionysus, and he suggests that she slept with snakes in her bed. Olympias Queen of Macedon Tenure c. 357–316 BC Born 375 BC Molossia, Epirus, Ancient Greece Died 316 BC (aged 59) Macedonia, Ancient Greece Spouse Philip II of Macedon Issue Alexander the Great Cleopatra of Macedon Ancient Greek Ολυμπιάς House Molossians Father Neoptolemus I of Epirus Religion Ancient Greek religion Origin Olympias was the eldest daughter of Neoptolemus I, king of the Molossians, an ancient Greek tribe in Epirus, and sister of Alexander I of Epirus. Her family belonged to the Aeacidae, a well-respected family of Epirus, which claimed descent from Neoptolemus, son of Achilles. Apparently, she was originally named Polyxena, as Plutarch mentions in his work Moralia, and changed her name to Myrtale prior to her marriage to Philip II of Macedon as part of her initiation into an unknown mystery cult. The name Olympias was the third of four names by which she was known. She probably took it as a recognition of Philip's victory in the Olympic Games of 356 BC, the news of which coincided with Alexander's birth (Plut. Alexander 3.8). She was finally named Stratonice, which was probably an epithet attached to Olympias following her victory over Eurydice in 317 BC. Queen of Macedonia When Neoptolemus I died in 360 BC, his brother Arymbas succeeded him on the Molossian throne. In 358 BC, Arymbas made a treaty with the new king of Macedonia, Philip II, and the Molossians became allies of the Macedonians. The alliance was cemented with a diplomatic marriage between Arymbas' niece, Olympias, and Philip in 357 BC. It made Olympias the queen consort of Macedonia, and Philip the king. Philip had allegedly fallen in love with Olympias when both were initiated into the mysteries of Cabeiri at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, on the island of Samothrace, though their marriage was largely political in nature. One year later, in 356 BC, Philip's race horse won in the Olympic Games; for this victory, his wife, who was known then as Myrtale, received the name Olympias. In the summer of the same year, Olympias gave birth to her first child, Alexander. In ancient Greece people believed that the birth of a great man was accompanied by portents. As Plutarch describes, the night before the consummation of their marriage, Olympias dreamed that a thunderbolt fell upon her womb and a great fire was kindled, its flames dispersed all about and then were extinguished. After the marriage Philip dreamed that he put a seal upon his wife's womb, the device of which was the figure of a lion. Aristander's interpretation was that Olympias was pregnant of a son whose nature would be bold and lion-like. Philip and Olympias also had a daughter, Cleopatra, who later married her uncle, Alexander I of Epirus, to further diplomatic ties between Macedonia and Epirus. According to primary sources, their marriage was very stormy due to Philip's volatility and Olympias' ambition and alleged jealousy, which led to their growing estrangement. Things got more tumultuous in 337 BC when Philip married a noble Macedonian woman, Cleopatra, the niece of Attalus, who was given the name Eurydice by Philip. At a gathering after the marriage, Philip failed to defend Alexander's claim to the Macedonian throne when Attalus threatened his legitimacy, causing great tensions between Philip, Olympias, and Alexander. Olympias went into voluntary exile in Epirus along with Alexander, staying at the Molossian court of her brother Alexander I, who was the king at the time. In 336 BC, Philip cemented his ties to Alexander I of Epirus by offering him the hand of his and Olympias' daughter Cleopatra in marriage, a fact that led Olympias to further isolation as she could no longer count on her brother's support. However, Philip was murdered by Pausanias, a member of Philip's somatophylakes, his personal bodyguard, while attending the wedding, and Olympias, who returned to Macedonia, was suspected of having countenanced his assassination. Alexander's reign and the Wars of the Diadochi After the death of Philip II, which Olympias was believed to have either ordered or been an accessory to according to some ancient historical accounts, Olympias was allegedly also involved in overseeing the execution of Eurydice and her child in order to secure Alexander's position as the rightful king of Macedonia. During Alexander's campaigns, she regularly corresponded with him and may have confirmed her son's claim in Egypt that his father was not Philip but Zeus. The relationship between Olympias and Alexander was cordial, but her son tried to keep her away from politics. However, she wielded great influence in Macedonia and caused troubles to Antipater, the regent of the kingdom. In 330 BC, she returned to Epirus and served as a regent to her cousin Aeacides in the Epirote state, as her brother Alexander I had died during a campaign in southern Italy. After Alexander the Great's death in Babylon in 323 BC, his wife Roxana gave birth to their son named Alexander IV. Alexander IV and with his uncle Philip III Arrhidaeus, the half brother of Alexander the Great who may have been disabled, were subject to the regency of Perdiccas, who tried to strengthen his position through a marriage with Antipater's daughter Nicaea. At the same time, Olympias offered Perdiccas the hand of her and Philip's daughter, Cleopatra. Perdiccas chose Cleopatra, which angered Antipater, who allied himself with several other Diadochi, deposed Perdiccas, and was declared regent, only to die within the year. Polyperchon succeeded Antipater in 319 BC as regent, but Antipater's son Cassander established Philip II's son Philip III (Arrhidaeus) as king and forced Polyperchon out of Macedonia. He fled to Epirus, taking Roxana and her son Alexander IV with him, who had previously been left in the care of Olympias. At the beginning, Olympias had not been involved in this conflict, but she soon realized that in the case of Cassander's rule, her grandson would lose the crown, so she allied with Polyperchon in 317 BC. The Macedonian soldiers supported her return and the united armies of Polyperchon and Olympias, with the house of Aeacides, invaded Macedonia to drive Cassander out from power. After winning in battle by convincing the army of Adea Eurydice, the wife of Philip III, to side with her own, Olympias captured and executed the two in October 317 BC. She also captured Cassander's brother and a hundred of his partisans. Cassander soon blockaded and besieged Olympias in Pydna and one of the terms of the capitulation had been that Olympias's life would be saved, but Cassander had decided to execute her, sparing only temporarily the lives of Roxana and Alexander IV (they were executed a few years later in 309 BC). When the fortress of Pydna fell, Cassander ordered Olympias killed, but the soldiers refused to harm the mother of Alexander the Great. In the end, the families of her many victims stoned her to death with the approval of Cassander, who is also said to have denied to her body the rites of burial.