#Olympias mother of Alexander the great

[lunamond]

RIP Olympias of Macedon

Myrtale would have loved Alicent hightower and Lady Jessica.

[evilasiangenius]

Crowley scowled as he came in, shaking off the snow. The ends of his himation were frozen stiff, and ice crusted the cloth where he had wrapped it around his face. If there weren’t humans all around, he would have miracled it all off, but instead he walked over to a nearby brazier to try to warm up. Sure, this was a fire, but it wasn’t much of a fire; it was too drafty in this hallway. With a scowl he headed toward the inner palace.

There were some ladies of the court standing outside of Asmodeus' chambers when Crowley returned, but he thought nothing of it, it wasn't like he hadn't seen something like this before. The door was open, so Crowley went inside without a thought.

“Sorry to come barging in like this, lord, but it is quite literally snowing sideways outside right now and I thought I’d come in to warm uhhh?!” Crowley paused, mid-step as he realized Asmodeus was not alone. “Erm, oh. Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry! Didn’t mean to interrupt-”

“It’s all right. Come in, dear Akakios,” Asmodeus said, and Crowley’s eyes darted from the disguised Prince of Hell to the human that was sitting with him by the desk covered with astrological scrolls.

A young woman sat swathed a himation of fine wool but the fibula was made with a fortune in gems and gold, and just the bracelet on her wrist could have probably fed Athens for a week and Crowley’s eyes widened; he was almost completely certain that this was the Queen.

“Erm. I uh, didn’t realize you had company,” Crowley stammered. “D-did you want me to go?”

“It’s all right. I’ve heard many good things about you,” Olympias said, gesturing graciously.

Unsure what to do or what to do with himself, Crowley did the most reasonable thing and sat down immediately upon a nearby stool, trying not to tip over as he sat down. Like most human furniture it was too short, and so Crowley ended up with his knees almost by his ears, and he struggled for a minute to settle his chiton and himation in a way that looked properly dignified instead of awkward and uncomfortable, nearly hissing when the cold frozen edge of the himation passed over a bit of bare flesh where the chiton had ridden up.

Crowley looked up and realized that both Asmodeus and Olympias were staring at him.

"Oh erm, greetings your majesty," Crowley said, realizing he should bow or something and then trying to do that as he sat awkwardly on this too-short stool.

"Akakios, brother of Akakios the children’s nanny. How interesting that your parents gave the two of you the same name.”

“Yeah, well. You know. Parents. They erm, uh. Make decisions.”

“Hmm, you look very much like her. Neither of you have aged a day since the first day I saw her among my women, how fortunate.”

“Ah…”

“I would daresay that if we put you in her clothes, you and she would look exactly the same.”

“Well, yes, you know how twins are. Look the same except when they don’t-”

“How very interesting. Especially since I have never seen either you or your twin together in the same place,” Olympias smiled in a way that seemed as if the all the knives were being gently swathed in a pretty piece of silk, possibly in a way that would polish the knives into a brighter, shinier edge before the cutting began.

“Oh well, that would be silly wouldn’t it? Akakios – er, my sister, she’s totally a different person and not me at all, in fact half the reason that we weren’t in the same company was because you know, as a woman it would be untoward-”

“And yet a person might almost think you were the same person. And doesn’t one of my son’s tutors look just like you too? The literature tutor, the one with the little beard.”

“Erm, a c-cousin, on my mother’s side. You could say Mother’s influence was er, heavy-handed to say the least-”

“Then it’s a good thing that your sister did not have your mother’s personality. She was kind and well-spoken of by our children. They miss her company. I hope she's happy now that she's married?"

"Oh yes, quite.” Crowley breathed a sigh of relief as Olympias changed the subject and if he didn’t know any better, it seemed as if she had chosen to be merciful and not press the issue when she could have easily continued. “G-good dowry, good husband. Back in Ionia...erm, with this uh, rich merchant, nice guy. I hear she’s got some kids now too? Haven’t seen them yet. And uh, she thanks you for the opportunity..."

x

[nymph-of-water]

I wanted to say that Olympias was girlbossing before the word even existed, but should I say Polyxena-Myrtale-Olympias-Stratonike was girlbossing before the word even existed.

[pluvi0se]

its always fun to hear about the ancient greco roman world and 19th century historians losing their shit over someone who by modern standards is a fairly typical alt girl

[floatyflowers]

Dark! Platonic Alexander the Great x illegitimate! Daughter reader?

He had you when he was really young, barely fifteen years old.

Even though many men back then had children younger than his age.

Alexander didn't give you up, in fact, he insisted that you stay by his side, not caring for the criticism lashed towards him.

Not only that, but also tried to convince his father to legalizes you.

But his father refused to do so.

However, when King Philip II gets assassinated, and your father becomes king at twenty-one, the first thing he does is claim you as his true-born child.

For the Macedonian Greek king, you were not just a child related to him by blood...

You are the daughter he spends long nights telling about his glorious fights and hunts.

Unlike his father who belittles his achievements, you always seem excited to listen to him.

Also, you have the same interests as him, you love to always learn and improve even as a young child.

Alexander decided to bring you with him on his conquests, even though his mother, Olympias objected to the idea, stating that war is no place for a girl.

But your father insisted that you shall come with him because you are his daughter.

Of course, he kept you protected away from the battle field.

One time, Cleitus, one of the generals, flirted with you during the celebration of one of your father's victories.

Alexander got word of that and killed his friend with his own hands in drunken fury.

As years pass by, your health becomes more frail, and you start to pass out during long journeys.

Alexander appointed the highest physicians to cure you, but they failed to even find out what is making you so weak in the first place.

On your deathbed, you keep mumbling your father's name while Alexander keeps holding your hand, pleading for his gods to save you.

"Father...Father"

"Don't leave your father alone, (Y/n), don't be so cruel" the conqueror choked out the words, with tears falling down his face

But unfortunately, you passed away at the age of seventeen, leaving your father heartbroken and feeling great guilt.

Alexander also died a few months later from typhoid fever.

His last request was that they move your body to his tomb, so he can find you again in the afterlife.

[damian-lil-babybat]

DAMIAN WAYNE IS A GREEK TRAGEDY

When I say Damian al Ghul Wayne has almost all the ingredients of a classical Greek Tragedy, it is not an empty claim.

1. Tragic Hero: The hero facing his destiny with dignity. His virtuous character forms a bond with the audience, while his tragic flaw results in the audience’s fear for him, and his terrible punishment reveals a sense of pity.

Damian is the hero of his own story. In his mind, he was given a destiny, a standard to live up to. It came from his grandfather, as Hafid al Ghul, son of the Demon. It came from his mother, as her Alexander, with Talia deluding herself as Olympias. It came from his father, as the son of Batman.

He thought himself perfect on all those role, mighty ones they might be, heavy and overwhelming even, but he persevered in ways that should be impossible and ultimately achieved the pinnacle of a perfect heir for all of them.

2. Tragic Flaw: The human limitations of the hero or an error in judgement leading to the downfall. He attempts to escape from his destiny; however, he unknowingly runs toward it. His attempt leads him to his “damnation”.

But what he thought was perfection, was his downfall. For even if he was designed and raised to be perfect, those roles are fashioned by imperfect mortals. As the son of the Batman, he was all too much of a monster to even be treated as child, let alone a son. As the son of the Demon, he was too soft, kind, and all too human, to sit upon the al Ghul's immortal throne. As the great Alexander, he was deemed as a mere pawn, a victim of circumstance, and not a victor of his own fate.

He was set up for failure before his story even began.

3. Catastrophe: The horrible ending of the play: death, suicide, ruin etc. Upon the truth being revealed about Oedipus’ origin, Queen Jocasta commits suicide by hanging herself, Oedipus stabs his eyes with the pin on Jocasta’s dress and pleads to be exiled from the city.

And just like all tragedies, it ends up in death...so many deaths and sacrifices. Repeat and rinse, the cycle continues with each redeeming arc punctuated by his death or ruin.

And just like Sisyphus, one must imagine him to be happy. For how else could he endure these unending trials?

4. Central Belief of Destiny: The belief of the fact that the actions were preordained by the gods and the flaw was inevitable. Even though Oedipus attempts to flee from his preordained destiny, the belief in inevitable destiny becomes the reason for his destruction.

How else could he keep harking on to his destiny? Desperately clinging to it like a promise gold once he touched it like Midas' cursed hands? But no, everything he touches turns to dust, every height he scale would be pushed down reverting him back to his old bare bones of an unwanted worthless child from both side of his parents, even how much he tries to make things right. Every person or thing he treasured is another ammunition for plot purposes to make him more tragic than he already was.

Damian had tried to flee before, but fate always brings him back. Because Batman needs a Robin. But Bruce already has a Robin, doesn't he? Because Damian needs to be Robin? Just cause, who would he be then? When all those titles he earned has been discarded and thrashed in the light of Batman's justice?

And the only one title he could be proud of is always threatened to be taken away if he just as much cross an invisible line that keep on changing depending on whims of the doomed narrative.

5. The Chorus: Approximately twelve masked men, forming a specific group, make comments on the ongoing play by singing and dancing.

Due to its form of media, Damian has no twelve singing and dancing masked men. XD

BUT If I have a say on this, I'll give Damian his own set of bardic troupe narrating his life story, and maybe somehow DC writers would finally admit he was loved and wanted, and was never alone and actually have family, companions and friends along the way!

https://www.byarcadia.org/post/ancient-greek-tragedy-101-the-introduction

AND THAT IS WHY it makes more sense for writers to like and, or dare I say, even love Damian's character.

A lot of great fanfictioners in AO3 actually root for this little guy. So it's nice ✌️

[aliciavance4228]

Apparently Zeus Isn't the Biggest Whore...

I made a Top 3 Malewhores from Greek Mythology out of curiosity, and apparently Zeus isn't the first one.

3rd Place: Apollo! 🥉

Bodycount: 52

Goddesses (4)

Hecate

Calliope

Urania

Thalia

Nymphs (15)

Aethusa

Acacallis

Chrysothemis

Corycia

Cyrene

Leuconoe

Melaena

Melia

Ocyrrhoe

Othreis

Urea

Rhetia

Sinope (depending on the myth version)

Stilbe

Syllis

Mortal Women (24)

Acalle or Acacallis

Amphissa

Euboia

Aria

Deione

Arsinoe

Dryope

Evadne

Erginos

Hecuba

Hyria

Celaeno

Chione

Coronis

Creusa

Cyrene

Leucippus' wife

Manto

Parthenope

Phthia

Procleia

Psamathe

Thero

Thyia

Male Lovers (9)

Hyacinthus

Hymenaeus

Cyparissus

Adonis

Admetus

Branchus

Helenus

Hyppolytus

Phorbas

2nd Place: Zeus! 🥈

Bodycount: 56

Goddesses (16)

Aphrodite

Demeter

Dione (unless Aphrodite is motherless)

Eurynome

Gaia

Hera

Hybris (depending on the myth versions)

Calliope

Leto

Metis

Mnemosyne

Nemesis

Persephone (again, depending on the myth versions)

Selene

Styx (when she's the mother of Persephone)

Themis

Nymphs (18)

Aegina

Aix

Borysthenes' daughter

Deino

Electra

Himalia

Hora

Io

Callirhoe

Carme

Maia

Nymphe African

Nymphe Sithnis

Nymphe Samothrakian

Othreis

Plouto

Taygete

Thalia

Mortal Women (21)

Alcmene

Antiope

Danae

Dia

Elara

Europa

Eurymedusa

Callisto

Calyce

Cassiopea

Lamia

Laodameia

Leda

Lysithoe

Niobe

Olympias (Yes, mother of Alexander of Great!)

Pandora

Pyrrha

Phthia

Semele

Thyia

Male Lovers (1)

Ganymede

1st Place: Poseidon! 🥇

Bodycount: 71

Goddesses (4)

Amphitrite

Aphrodite

Demeter

Gaia

Nymphs (25)

Alcyone

Anippe

Arethusa

Ascra

Beroe

Eidothea

Euryte

Celaeno

Celusa

Chione 1

Chione 2

Cleodora

Corcyra

Medusa (I know she's a gorgon but this is the closest category she could've been included in)

Melantheia

Melia

Mideia

Nymphe Khias

Nymphe Tarentine

Peirene

Pero

Pitane

Salamis

Thoosa

Tritonis

Mortal Women (40)

Agamede

Aethra

Alope

Althaea

Amphikriton's daughter

Amymone

Anippe

Arene

Arne or Antiope

Astydameia

Astypalaea

Europa (not that Europa, another one; now I'm starting to believe that Poseidon tries to copy Zeus...)

Euryale

Eurycyda

Eurynome

Helle

Hyppothoe

Iphimedeia

Caenis

Calyce

Canace

Celaeno

Chalcinia

Chrysogeneia

Cleito

Larissa

Leis

Lena

Libya

Lysianassa

Mecionice

Melantho

Mestra

Molione

Oenope

The wife of Prince Ornytion

Periboea

Themisto

Theophane

Tyro

Male Lovers (2)

Nerites

Pelops

[reimenaashelyee]

New Alexander Comic update!! 🐏

The Queen seeks advice from the Egyptian priest, and he's got some interesting ideas...

A webcomic about the life and legends of Alexander the Great. 👁‍🗨 About the comic 📕 Read from the beginning 🛍 Get the print or ebook edition of Book 1

Historical footnotes under the cut:

... Time flies when one isn't paying attention, doesn't it? (or rather, when one had a final semester of postgrad, two out-of-state weekend festivals and a flu to deal with)

I am just going to give up on consistent updates for the time being in favour of updating whenever I have something new. @_@ The next two months and a half are going to be another whirlwind of activity. Some of the relevant pieces of those two months:

I will be tabling at Emerald Hill Comics Festival in South Melbourne on September 15, 11 am to 4 pm. More info about the festival on Squishface Studios' instagram. As for me, I will be selling my usual wares: Seance Tea Party, My Aunt is a Monster, and Alexander Book 1.

I am currently working on completing the script of Book 2 in preparation for a 2 week long group residency (Comic Art Workshop). If you can believe it, I have been struggling through the script for this Book since late 2019, as the story for this Book is structurally challenging aka it's above my skill level. Things are slowly starting to look up though, which means I am more confident about proceeding with updates.

Footnotes:

The serpentine dalliances referenced are:

Peniarth MS 481 30r (National Library of Wales)

Andreas Boscoli, Olympias, Mother of Alexander, Visited by Zeus in the Guise of a Serpent (Art Institute of Chicago)

BNF Fr. 50 120v (Bibliothèque nationale de France)

[jeannereames]

What was Alexander’s relationship with his sisters like?

Short answer: We mostly don’t know.

Longer answer: We have some clues that he may have got on well at least with Kleopatra and Thessalonike. Kynanne is more of a crap-shoot, as she was married to his cousin and rival, Amyntas. But as Philip arranged that marriage, she had little/no say in the matter, so we just don’t know what she thought of her husband-cousin versus her brother. (Not addressing the infant Europe, as she died at just a few weeks.)

First, let me link to an article by Beth Carney, and at the end, I’ll add some links to my own prior entries that address the question too.

Elizabeth Carney, ���The Sisters of Alexander the Great: Royal Relics” Historia 37.4 (1988), 385-404.*

Beth’s article discusses Argead marriage policies, and the fate of the women after ATG’s death. I know she’s changed her mind about a few things, but it’s still well worth reading.

Also, a general reminder to folks who may be new to Alexander/Macedonia … Macedonian kings practiced royal polygamy: e.g., they married for politics, not love, and had more than one wife at the same time. Philip married 7 women (the most of any Macedonian king), although there weren’t 7 wives living in the palace at once. There may have been as many as 5 at times, however.

Because of royal polygamy, they did not use the term basilissa (queen) until after Alexander’s death. The chief wife was the mother of the heir; she had the most power. Because of the rivalry inherent in such courts, a woman’s primary allegiance was to her son, not her husband. Her secondary allegiance would be to her father (if living) and/or brothers. This was not unique to Macedonia, but a feature of most courts with polygamous structures.

These are not love matches, although our later sources may present them as love matches. (These authors had their own ideological reasons for such characterizations.) Did love never come after marriage? Perhaps. It would have depended. Also, within the women’s rooms, wives may have allied with each other at points, particularly if several of them. If only two (as seems more characteristic in Macedonia, aside from Philip), they’d have been rivals seeking to produce the heir.

I state all that to explain why Alexander’s sisters may have courted their brother’s affection (and protection), after Philip’s death. Only Kleopatra had a son, and he was 12 at most at Alexander’s death.

In his final year, Philip married off Alexander’s older sister, Kynanne (d. of Audata, ergo half- Illyrian), and Alexander’s younger and only full sister, Kleopatra (d. of Olympias). Kleopatra’s wedding was literally the day before Philip’s assassination. The timing of Kynnane’s marriage is less clear, but Philip married her to Amyntas, his nephew (her cousin), some time after his own marriage to his last wife, Kleopatra Eurydike. Kynnane had a daughter by Amyntas, Hadea (later Hadea Eurydike). We’re not sure if she was born before or after her father’s execution by Alexander, but it does let us nail down her age to c. 12/13 at Alexander’s death.

After he had Amyntas executed, Alexander planned to marry Kynnane to one of his trusted allies, Langaros, king of Agriana, which lay north of Macedonia, between Paionia and Illyria. Agriana was arguably Paionian, but similar to Illyria. Ergo, this may show a bit of thoughtfulness on Alexander’s part, to match his sister to a man who wouldn’t attempt to trammel her. Recall that Illyrian women wielded more power and even fought in battle. Yet Langaros died (perhaps of injury) before Alexander could make good on that.

It would be the last time Alexander planned any nuptials for his sisters. In part because he invaded Persia not long after, but it wouldn’t have stopped him from summoning one of them if he’d really wanted to marry her off.

Kynanne raised her daughter Hadea in traditional Illyrian ways, which Alexander allowed (although he probably couldn’t have stopped her). After his death, she took off to Asia to see Hadea married to her uncle, (Philip III) Arrhidaios. Kynanne was murdered by Perdikkas’s brother Alkestas, because Perdikkas (then regent) didn’t want the marriage. BUT the army (who liked and respected Kynanne) forced Alkestas to allow it anyway. Hadea (now) Eurydike and Philip III Arrhidaios eventually fell under Kassandros’s authority/possession, where she/they opposed Olympias and baby Alexander IV (and Roxane).

It was inevitable that the co-kingship that followed ATG’s death wouldn’t hold, and Hadea, who clearly wore the pants, wasn’t about to step aside for her cousin Alexander IV. Nor did Kassandros want them to, as he could control them. He couldn’t control Olympias. Yet none of that would necessarily reflect how Kynanne and Hadea had felt about their brother/uncle during his lifetime.

So, we must say the jury is out on Kynanne’s relationship with Alexander.

But for Kleopatra and Thessalonike, I do believe we have enough hints that they cared for him and he for them.

Kleopatra’s husband (another Alexander, of Epiros) died in combat in Italy in 332—around the time Alexander was besieging Tyre and Gaza, or four years after their marriage. In that time, Kleopatra produced two children, a girl (Kadmea) and a boy (Neoptolemos). The girl was named to honor her uncle’s victory over Thebes,** which happened at the tail-end of 335. As Alexander of Macedon and Alexander of Epiros both left on separate campaigns in 334, the boy would have to have been fathered not long after Kadmea was born. (It’s possible that Alexander of Epiros didn’t get to Italy until 333.)

After Alexander of Epiros’s death, Kleopatra did not marry again, although after her brother died, she had a couple marriage offers/offered marriage herself. She was THE prize during the early Successor wars…the full sister of Alexander.

Two titbits might suggest she was close to him (even if he didn’t marry her off again). First, the name of her first child is for his victory, not one by her husband. Sure, Alexander of Epiros didn’t have a battle victory at that point to name her for…but he could have insisted on a family name. Instead, he let Kleopatra give the child a name celebrating Alexander of Macedon’s victory. I suspect she fought for that.

Second, an anecdote reports that when Alexander was told his sister was having an affair some years after she’d become a widow, he reportedly replied, “Well, she ought to have a little fun.” This, btw, was viewed as a bad answer…e.g., he didn’t properly discipline her. As Alexander was constantly used for moral lessons (good or bad), we should take it with a grain of salt. But it’s possible his approximate reaction was preserved and became fodder for moralizing about those wild, half-barbarian Macedonians from the north…couldn’t keep their women in check!

As for Thessalonike, data here is also circumstantial. She stayed with Olympias after Alexander’s death and was never married until after Olympias herself was killed by Kassandros—who then forced her to marry him to cement his claim to the Macedonian throne. She had a sad life, at least in her latter years. Her eldest son (Philip) wasn’t healthy and died not long after he became king. Her second son (Antipatros) and her last son (Alexandros) apparently hated each other. After Philip’s death, Thessalonike argued that Antipatros should co-rule with the younger Alexandros. So Antipatros killed his mother! (Matricide, folks, is SUPER-bad.) Then Alexandros killed Antipatros, and was eventually killed in turn by Demetrios Poliorketes.

Well, if Justin can be trusted, and there are problems with Justin. Ergo, it’s possible that internecine spate of murders didn’t go the way Justin reports.

Yet the naming of her youngest boy may tell a story, along with her insistence that he co-rule with his brother.

There’s also the legend of Mermaid Thessalonike, but we can’t take that as any sort of evidence.

Here are some additional posts that also talk about the sisters:

“Writing Kleopatra and Alexander’s Other Sisters” — Although aimed primarily at the novels, it obviously must deal with the girls as historical persons. Pretty short for me.

“What Philip Thought about His Other Children” — A sideways take on this same question. Not long.

“On Amyntas” — About Alexander’s older cousin, his real rival for the throne when Philp was assassinated. Also discusses Kynanne as a matter-of-course. Not long.

“On Kassandros” — Mostly about Antipatros’s son Kassandros, who had Alexander IV murdered, but also discusses Thessalonike, who he forced to marry him. Relatively long.

--------------------------------------------

* The link takes you to academia.edu, where, by clicking on Beth’s name, you can find more of her articles. Keep in mind the woman has something north of 150, many on women, PLUS a bunch of books. Not everything is uploaded due to copyright, but several of her older articles are, such as this one.

** It was something of a “thing,” at least in Macedon, for daughters to be named in honor of their father’s victories. Kynanne not so much, but Kleopatra means “Glory of Her Father,” and both Thessalonike (Victory in Thessaly) and Europe (Victory in Europe) reflected their father’s triumphs.

[paganimagevault]

Marriage of Alexander and Roxana by Il Sodoma, 1517 CE

"Roxana (c. 340 – 310 BC, Ancient Greek: Ῥωξάνη; Old Iranian: *Raṷxšnā- "shining, radiant, brilliant, little star"; sometimes Roxanne, Roxanna, Rukhsana, Roxandra and Roxane) was a Sogdian or a Bactrian princess who Alexander the Great married after defeating Darius, ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, and invading Persia. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but she was probably in her early teens at the time of her wedding.

Alexander married Roxana despite opposition from his companions who would have preferred a Macedonian or other Greek to become queen. However, the marriage was also politically advantageous as it made the Sogdian army more loyal towards Alexander and less rebellious after their defeat.

To encourage a better acceptance of his government among the Persians, Alexander also married Stateira II, the daughter of the deposed Persian king Darius III.

After Alexander's sudden death at Babylon in 323 BC, Roxana is believed to have murdered Stateira. According to Plutarch, she also had Stateira's sister, Drypetis, murdered with the consent of Perdiccas.

By 317, Roxana's son, called Alexander IV lost his kingship as a result of intrigues started by Philip Arrhidaeus' wife, Eurydice II. Afterwards, Roxana and the young Alexander were protected by Alexander the Great's mother, Olympias, in Macedonia. Following Olympias' assassination in 316 BC, Cassander imprisoned Roxana and her son in the citadel of Amphipolis. Their detention was condemned by the Macedonian general Antigonus in 315 BC. In 311 BC, a peace treaty between Antigonus and Cassander confirmed the kingship of Alexander IV but also Cassander as his guardian, following which the Macedonians demanded his release. However, Cassander ordered Glaucias of Macedon to kill Alexander and Roxana. It is assumed that they were murdered in spring 310 BC, but their death was concealed until the summer. The two were killed after Heracles, a son of Alexander the Great's mistress Barsine, was murdered, bringing the Argead dynasty to an end."

-taken from Wikipedia

[my-chiliarch]

Sooo, I started watching Porus (TV), an Indian series that aired in 2017/2018, available for free on YouTube. It's a story created from the Indian perspective, where Porus is the protagonist and Alexander the Great the main villain. Despite that, the series shows the Macedonian side as well, and it's not simply "one side is all good, the other all bad".

The show is 299 episodes (I know, I know!), and the version with English subtitles has the episodes put in videos 11 hours long. You can watch it here.

I only watched a few episodes at the moment I'm writing this post, and for now both Porus and Alexander's mothers are pregnant, so the main characters haven't appeared yet. It's… well, pretty entertaining to me, but also very much a soap opera most of the times LOL Basically, if you want something historically accurate, that's NOT the series I'd recommend. However, if you are curious about something from the Indian side where Alexander is the villain, or you're just easily entertained when it comes to ancient history, Alexander the Great and Porus, then I'd give it a chance! The few fight scenes I saw were ridiculous, but they used a lot of money for the setting.

Regarding possible Alexander/Hephaestion moments: I saw one clip out of context that was very shippy (not explicitly gay, but definitely homoerotic on purpose). That said, if Wikipedia is correct, apparently the second guy was not Hephaestion, but an original character like him that takes his place, because Hephaestion doesn't exist. I think the reason may be related to some spoilers I read… Without revealing too much, it looks like I'm not really going to like the developments there. BUT I also don't trust Wikipedia, so I'll have to see it by myself! Edit: never mind, I misunderstood that part. Hephaestion definitely exists as Hephaestion:

Another note: the few scenes I saw from the Macedonian side looked influenced by Oliver Stone's movie. That's not necessarily a bad thing to me, especially if we get homoerotic Alexander/totally-not-Hephaestion, but I admit that when I saw Philip and Olympias, I was hoping to see a different characterization for a change. I'm still at the start though, so we'll see!

[wishesofeternity]

When one looks at Olympias’ entire career, several themes recur, some of them interrelated. Many royal women married foreign rulers and never saw their homelands or families again, but Olympias returned to her homeland, resided there for many years, and derived political and military support from it. Even more important than her Molossian identity, though, was her identity as an Aeacid and the dynastic ties and pride her famous lineage offered her. [...] Her heroic lineage may have shaped her public conduct at critical moments in her life (and perhaps that of other royal women), that epic and tragic images of royal women functioned as models and a script of sorts for how this woman, who believed herself to be the linear descendant of Achilles, Andromache, and Hecuba, shaped her public presentation. Epic and tragedy often deal with the rise and fall of dynasties, family curses, heroic deaths, and cycles of vengeance worked out over generations. Many of these elements are central in Olympias’ life. More particularly, what may have begun as a personal dispute between Olympias and Antipater, the man her son had left in some sort of administrative charge over Greek and Macedonian affairs, was transformed into a multi-generational vendetta between the Aeacid and Antipatrid clans. Finally, throughout her life, the position of women in the Hellenic world limited Olympias’ accomplishments, requiring her, like other royal women, to do indirectly what royal men could do directly. In an era where command of troops was critical, no royal woman managed to maintain control over a large body of troops for any significant length of time. The result was the ultimate limitation: male generals or kings murdered not only Olympias but all of Alexander’s sisters and wives.

Olympias seemed larger than life to her contemporaries and has, over the centuries, continued to seem so.

-Elizabeth D. Carney, "Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great"

[evilasiangenius]

Time passed meaningless in the perpetual twilight within the tall jar, and it seemed like Crawly slipped in and out of a pleasant sleepy unconsciousness, occasionally waking for a moment when a human came into this room though they did not linger.

Sometimes footsteps could be heard. Even more rarely, someone’s voice. Strange, how few people came in here, and the snake wondered; what kind of personal room was this? How did the queen use this room? Crawly tried to remember the layout but it wasn’t an easy prospect, not when the snake had only caught a bare glimpse of hangings and furniture before being set down into a jar. One thing that Crawly was certain of however was that it was not a bedchamber or a sitting room, and given the warmth, Crawley wondered if it was some sort of special store room for snakes.

A snake store room, just as they had store rooms for books.

A snake library.

Crawly hissed in amusement, laughing silently as snakes do, before curling up once more, the tip of a long tail covering a cool nose before drowsing off again.

The rasping sound of the lid being moved as well as a cool draft that trickled down the tall sides of the jar stirred Crawly into waking. A light, nothing more than a little oil lamp whose brightness could not really chase away the shadows was set down on a nearby table, and Crawly tasted the faint scent of molecules of burning olive oil with a flickering tongue.

The demon looked up, yawning, wondering what time it was and if there was a drink of wine to be had and where in Hell Asmodeus was, if he had left the demon to sleep on the warm floor but then Crawly remembered being a snake in a jar.

Despite the darkness, Crawly could see clearly the figure of Olympias as she sat down, dragging the tall ceramic container close and the snake felt the hollow rasp of the bottom of the jar scraping along the floor, rattling through every rib and vertebrae.

And then, nothing.

Crawly looked up, curious, but there was nothing to see from here. The snake tried to crawl up the side of the jar, but it was too slick and so the snake yawned, settling back down in the warm darkness, wondering what to do. Couldn’t change shape, not while in the jar, would either get stuck or break something, and possibly not the jar. Maybe become a bit bigger to become long enough to slither out? Later, when there were no humans about. Probably should return soon to report in...

And while Crawly thought those demon thoughts, the queen sat for a long time quiet, her arm slung around the jar.

Finally, after about an hour by Crawly’s estimation, she sat up.

“Do you know what’s tedious, little snake?” Olympias leaned over the vessel, peering down at Crawly who gazed up at her with unblinking golden eyes.

Unable to shrug, Crawly did the second best thing, which was flick a long forked tongue and wiggle the tip of a thin tail.

“Everything. Every single day. If I didn’t have to do this, I wouldn’t. Fighting and scheming and strategizing… I’d rather read books and see plays and play games of strategy. Spend time only with my friends but know who I could really be friends with, and not suspect everyone who wants to get close. Be comfortable and not think constantly about dressing up and cosmetics and what to eat or what not to eat and how I look, and if I’m still desirable…and do you think I’m still beautiful, snake? Oh, what does it matter, why is it so important, that I’m even asking you? I hate that I have to think like this. It feels so shallow and insipid.

“If the world was different, I’d want to travel and see new places, meet new people all over the world, hear new ideas. And when I came back from all this traveling, I’d run the government better. Improve the economy. Build new cities. I have lots of ideas, but you don’t want to hear about my ideas for land reform or taxation or military budgets; no man does. Though are you male or female, snake? I never looked, but I suppose it doesn’t matter.”

Olympias sighed deeply.

“If...there’s something you ought to know, snake. It’s…” And the queen fell silent for a long time, and then she whispered her words into the jar, as if afraid of being heard. “It’s hard enough some days just sleeping and eating and drinking. Sometimes I think, wouldn’t it be easier to just pick someone like you up in my arms? And just...let you have a little bite. Just a nibble, right here, right along the neck. Enough so I don’t have to worry about sleeping and eating and drinking anymore.”

Crawly winced, but an impassive snake’s face gave nothing away, and so the snake moved about along the smooth bottom of the jar, unsettled.

“Don’t worry, I would never do it. I’m not so tired of life, just this life. Besides, I can’t let him win. After all, what would happen to my son if I wasn’t here to protect him? Tossed away, lost amidst his father’s growing army of children and bastards. No, I have a reason to live, even if I don’t feel like it all the time.”

Olympias hugged the jar, resting her chin against the lip.

“Somehow I doubt you’re magic. But then again, maybe you are. Would it matter? Even a magic snake is just a little snake at the end of the day. You can’t get rid of the dreams. I can’t get rid of the dreams. I can’t get rid of the past. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t go back to who I was. Do you feel like this sometimes too, snake?”

Crawly wiggled that tail a bit more, hoping that maybe she would understand what that meant, even though Crawly wasn’t even sure if it meant anything.

“Maybe you don’t. But at least you also know what it’s like to be named and unnamed all at once. If you wanted to ask me what that means, I...I would tell you the truth.” But Olympias said nothing.

The snake could feel the soft vibration of her breathing, of her heartbeat resonating through the walls of the jar.

Finally she sighed. “All right, and perhaps this is foolish to tell you. After all, if you’re a magical snake, sacred to the Egyptians, you probably already know this. But just in case. This...this isn’t my name. Not my real name. I’m not actually Olympias. I mean, I am. That’s what everyone calls me now. These days, no one is allowed to call me by the name that I chose for myself, Myrtale.”

Crawly stiffened, thinking about the name that had been attached to this form since those terrible times after the Fall, the one that had never really suited the demon well, and the new name that had been chosen that sufficed, lacking a better option.

“My initiate name. The name that was more me than the name that my father gave me.”

And Crawly wondered; was Crowley more of a name than the name that the Creator had bestowed? The one lost in the Fall, broken and shattered, never to be recovered. The snake wished that this physiology would allow for sighing; that was a question that could also never be answered.

“Now you know the secret, little snake. And that’s why I won’t name you, even if that astrologer tells me I should. Because you should have your own name, little snake. One that you choose for yourself. Not just one that someone changes on a whim or because he could or because he won a horse race, even if it was at Olympia.”

Crawly nodded emphatically, or as best as a snake could.

“You’re a very good listener. I would hold you if I dared, but I do not. After all, a tame viper is still a viper and I have too much work of my own to do without testing how strong your venom is. They say you can strengthen yourself against the poison with a little snake, but I don’t need any more poison in my life. Besides, all my snakes are not dangerous. Except for you.”

Crawly hissed in agreement.

“It’s too bad we can’t have a conversation properly. I wish I could know what you would have to say. Oh, but you are my guest here, where are my manners? All this time we’ve been conversing and I haven’t offered you any refreshments. Would you like some milk? A little mouse? Or a lizard? Or perhaps an offering of wine; the Dionysia is coming soon and along with it all the tragedies. You’ll come with me, won’t you? We’ll celebrate together, and then afterwards...well, we’ll see when the time comes what to do with you afterwards…”

x

[heroineimages]

Recurring villainess!

In our previous D&D Age of Antiquity campaign (set in 50 BCE) at the library that I ran last spring, I let the teens explore the tomb of Queen Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great. Deep within they found her sealed in a sarcophagus as a vampire sorceress. Probably wisely, they let her leave peacefully, rather than try to fight a vampire with lvl 5 characters. Within the tomb, they also found a pendant that turned out to be a magical prison containing Queen Adea Eurydice, niece of Alexander the Great.

In the current Antiquity campaign, I let them play as gladiators in 180 CE. Tonight, their ludus came under attack by mind-controlled legionaries. After helping fight the attackers and helping the PCs escape using a Teleportation scroll, their trainer at the ludus (who I haven't revealed yet is Adea) revealed that the legionaries were sent by none other than Olympias, who has been playing shadow-politics in Rome for a couple centuries now.

One of the players admitted his character now wants to travel back in time and kick his previous character in the head for freeing her.

[violet-moonstone]

listening to a hardcore history episode about alexander the great and dan's talking about how historians have maligned olympias, alexander's mother

hg wells described her as "a restless and evil woman"

and you know what? good for her

[bensbooks]

TBR Highlight: Fire from Heaven

Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three, leaving behind an empire that stretched from Greece and Egypt to India and a new cosmopolitan model for western civilisation. In Alexander's childhood, his defiant character was molded into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion, on whom he depended for he rest of his life, taught him trust, whilst Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations. He killed his first man in battle at the age of twelve and became the commander of Macedon's cavalry at eighteen - by the time his father was murdered and he acceded to the throne, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.