He was disinherited from the Egyptian throne, organized an expedition to overthrow his brother-in-law in Thrace, murdered the ally who helped him, married his own stepsister, killed her children, briefly ruled in Macedonia, and ultimately lost his life because, in his reckless impetuosity, he did not wait for reinforcements in his last battle, ending with […]
Macedonia
Posted inAncient Greece
Lamian War, the Conflict that Marked the End of Athens’ Independence and the Decline of Greek City-States
322 B.C. was one of the most disastrous years in the history of Athens, if not the worst. Two of its most distinguished sons, the philosophers Demosthenes and Hyperides, died within a week, and thousands of Athenians followed them to that tragic fate due to a severe famine. Eleven thousand others were stripped of their […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Head of a Statue of Apollo from the End of the 2nd Century AD Unearthed at Philippi
In September 2023, the excavations conducted by the Aristotle University team in Philippi (the Macedonian city founded by Philip II, after whom it was named) concluded under the direction of Professor of Byzantine Archaeology Natalia Poulos, with the collaboration of Associate Professor of Byzantine Archaeology Anastasios Tantsis and Emeritus Professor of Byzantine Archaeology Aristotle Mendzo. […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Tomb of a Macedonian Hetairoi and his Wife Discovered in Aigai
During the construction of a sewage network, another tomb of a local noble, buried with his wife, was found in the area of Aigai, the ancient capital of the Macedonian kingdom. It is the 14th tomb discovered at the site. This and other significant findings unearthed by last year’s archaeological excavations at the Aigai necropolis […]
Posted inAncient Greece
Crateros, the General who May Have Been Denied the Succession to Alexander Because of a Phonetic Error
«Tôi kratistôi». Diodorus of Sicily recounts in his Historical Library that this was the laconic response given by Alexander the Great on his deathbed to his friend Perdiccas when asked who he left as heir. The expression means “to the strongest”, but it was ambiguous – or very explicit, depending on how you look at […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Art
The Lion of Amphipolis, the Sacred Symbol of the Macedonians
On the banks of the Strimon River, about two kilometers south of the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Amphipolis, in Greek Macedonia, stands today the monument known as the Lion of Amphipolis, whose enormous dimensions are not well appreciated in images. Although its discovery is relatively recent, it constitutes a symbol of Macedonia […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
New Evidence in the Identification of Philip II and his Family in the Royal Tombs of Vergina
The Royal Tombs of Vergina in northern Greece date back to the 4th century BC and are believed to belong to members of the Argead dynasty of Macedonia, including King Philip II and his son Alexander the Great. The debate over the identity of the occupants has continued since their discovery in 1977. The tombs, […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
The Tumulus of the Tomb of Amphipolis, Erected as a Tribute to Hephaestion, Restored with 25 Recovered Original Architectural Elements
The restoration of part of the ancient precinct of the Tomb of Amphipolis (also known as the Kasta Mound, discovered in 2012 in central Macedonia, Greece), carried out by the Directorate of Restoration of Ancient Monuments of the Ministry of Culture, has concluded within the framework of the monument’s stabilization and restoration project. Based on […]
Posted inAncient Greece
The Nymphaeum of Mieza, the place where Aristotle instructed Alexander the Great.
When Alexander the Great was already at war in Asia, strange news reached him from his homeland: his tutor Aristotle had made public his teachings, those same doctrines with which he had imbued the mind and soul of the young Macedonian, allowing the whole world to know them. Alexander’s displeasure is reflected in the alleged […]
