NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 41knew an alliance with Olympias could be useful.
She refused for several years, not trusting any
of the successors, but relented out of fear that
Philip III Arrhidaeus and his Argead wife, Ad-
ea Eurydice (allies with Cassander), would kill
Alexander IV.
In fall of 317, Olympias appeared in Macedonia
at the head of an army with Polyperchon and her
nephew Aeacides, and Adea Eurydice met her
with her forces: Greek historian Duris of Samos
called it the first war between women. Suppos-
edly Olympias dressed as a Bacchant, and when
the Macedonian army saw her, it threw its sup-
port to her. She killed Philip and Adea Eurydice,
as well as a number of Cassander’s supporters.
Olympias’s success did not last because
Polyperchon proved a bad general and Cas-
sander an excellent one. His victories eroded
public support for Olympias and Alexander IV.
Cassander besieged Olympias at Pydna, and she
surrendered, Cassander put her on trial, refused
to let her speak, and had her executed. Olym-
pias went to her death with courage. The Argead
dynasty, for practical purposes, ended with her
death, although Cassander waited a few years
before he murdered Alexander IV.
Standing at the beginning of a long line of
powerful women, Olympias set a precedent for
women in Hellenistic monarchies: It became
almost the norm for women to appear with
armies, co-rule, and engage in fierce succes-
sion battles. Cleopatra III of Egypt co-ruled with
one son, expelled him and co-ruled with anoth-
er, who subsequently murdered her in 101 b.c.
Cleopatra VII (the Great) fought two of her
brothers, secured the throne of Egypt for herself,
and lost it to Rome in 30 b.c.—ending the line
that started with Olympias centuries before.DEA/ALBUMCRADLE OF A
CONQUEROR
The site of Pella,
the capital of the
ancient kingdom of
Macedonia, today lies
in northern Greece.
Here, Olympias lived
as a wife of Philip II
before giving birth to
Alexander in 356 b.c.PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, ELIZABETH CARNEY IS ONE OF
THE WORLD’S FOREMOST AUTHORITIES ON OLYMPIAS.