Hannah Draplin

Professor Alec Thomson

History 134
27 May 2016
Biography: The Life of Olympias
A red-haired women with intoxicating beauty and a fiery temper led an alluring life and
was a great influence on the ancient empire she was a part of (Wasson). Her name was Olympias.
Although she didnt have a specific position in the Macedon empire, she was a strong female
figure, a daughter, mother and wife.
Life of Olympias
From the beginning, Olympias was born into a family of higher power. Born in 375 BCE
(Britannica) she was the daughter of the King of Epirus, Neoptolemus I (Alexander). Her birth
name was Myrtle (Wasson). The name Olympias was actually the third or fourth name she was
given (Olympias). It is suppose that she gave herself this name after Philip won the Olympic
Games in 356 BCE (Olympias). The young Olympias would continue to stay in high power for
the rest of her life because she met Philip II. Some historians believe they met on an Island called
Samothrace located between Macedonia and Troy (Wasson). When he saw her there he instantly
fell in love with her. Olympias at age eighteen and Philip age twenty-eight, they tied the knot and
got married in 357 BCE (Wasson). Philip II was the King of Macedon. It was a strong empire
with a good military force. Eventually, Olympias would go on the have a child with Philip who
we know by the name of Alexander the Great.
During this time period it was very common for men to have multiple wives. One of the
marriages in particular that affected Philip and Olympias marriage was the marriage between
Philip and Cleopatra; she was also known by the name Eurydice (Olympias). Alexander was
affected by their marriage as well so he stayed and supported his mother. Olympias even had

Cleopatra and her daughter killed (Britannica). In my opinion, I believe she ordered them to be
killed because of jealousy. Others say she could have done it to secure Alexanders spot as King.
(Olympias).
Influence on the Kingdom
Olympia seemed like a woman that knew what she wanted and never failed to get it.
Maybe it was her beauty, her devious personality, or maybe people were naturally fond of her
and this gave her leverage. Whatever the reason was, she was a powerful force of her own. At
first through her marriage to Philip she was only valued as an alliance with Epirus. Then after
she had a baby boy, Alexander, she provided him an heir. To make sure she continued to hold
value to Philip, it has been suggested that Olympia poisoned his younger, half-brother so that he
was not a threat to Alexanders place on the throne (Wasson). If she hadnt had done this cruel
act, history could have been very different because Alexander might have never became the King
of Macedon. Olympias was one of the most influential people in Alexanders life; her main goal
was to make him king (Wasson).
Alexander was able to inherit the throne after his fathers questionable assassination.
Olympias is believed to have aided in her husbands death as well. According to Pothos.org, a
young man named Perdiccas sided with Olympias against Philip on an alliance. This was one of
the factors historians have believed was a motive for his death. She may have offered Perdiccas
protection once the act was done and he was murdered. Perdiccas later became a commander of
the army during Alexanders rule. Alexander went on to be a great leader of the Macedonian
Empire. He had a strong military force. If it wasnt for his mother securing his spot on the
throne, he would have never been able to create the legacy he is remembered for today.
Her Death

Eventually Olympias would have to pay for the lives she took and karma would come
back to bite her. These deaths and executions Olympias is said to have been a part of finally
came to an end. Olympias was murdered by the relatives of the people she killed in 316 BCE
(Britannica). They got their revenge. In a Wikipedia article about Olympias, her death is
explained, the families of her many victims stoned her to deathand denied her body the rights
of burial.
Olympias was a very powerful woman for her time. She had a very interesting life and
impacted the Macedon Kingdom. Although some were cruel acts that she ordered to be done,
they still were influential.

Bibliography
"Alexander the Great." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 May 2016. Web. 27 May 2016.
This article gives facts about Alexander the Greats life in ancient times. Multiple sources
are given for this article that back the evidence of these finidings.
"Death of Philip: Murder or Assassination?" Pothos.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2016
The link for this website was given in the Module 7. The site is dedicated to and all abut
Alexander the Great. It provides evidence for whether Philip was assassinated or
murdered.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Olympias." Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 28 May 2016.
The author The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, are editors and experts of this wellknown encyclopedia. It provides information about many subjects. This article
documents events in Olympias life.
"Olympias." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 9 May 2016. Web. 27 May 2016.
This article gives facts about Olympias and her life in ancient times. The primary source
of information is from the biography Parallel Lives.
Wasson, Donald L. "Olympias." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 1 June 2013. Web. 27 May
2016.
The author is a professor at Lincoln College. He teaches Ancient and Medieval History as
well as U.S. History. This article gives information about the life of Olympias. It was
written for the Ancient History Encyclopedia.