As its name indicates, the Spanish Cape of Finisterre (finis terrae) was considered in Antiquity as the westernmost limit of the known world. But where was the eastern border located at that time? It was Alexander the Great who, in 329 BCE, established this boundary—at least in its northernmost part—of the Greco-Roman world, which remained […]
Macedonia
Posted inArt, Bronze Age Archaeology
A Macedonian Vase Found in a Bronze Age Sanctuary Reveals the Origin of the Protogeometric Style in Northern Greece, Not in Athens
A recent archaeological study challenges conventional notions about the origin of the Protogeometric ceramic style in Greece, suggesting that its starting point was not Athens, as traditionally believed, but the region of Macedonia in northern Greece. The research focuses on a Macedonian vase decorated with concentric circles drawn with a compass, found in Eleon, Boeotia, […]
Posted inAncient Rome
Marcus Valerius Laevinus, the Roman general who persuaded the senators to donate their assets to fund the war against Hannibal
The name Marcus Valerius Laevinus doesn’t mean much to most history enthusiasts, not even to those interested in Ancient Rome, as he remains overshadowed by other contemporaries who achieved lasting fame due to their roles in the Second Punic War, such as Hannibal Barca, Scipio Africanus, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, or Quintus Fabius Maximus. But Laevinus […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Sacred tunic of Alexander the Great identified in one of the Macedonian tombs at Vergina in Greece
A recent discovery in Tomb II at Vergina, Macedonia, Greece, has revealed what appears to be the sacred “chiton” or tunic of Alexander the Great, a finding that could change the historical understanding of artifacts associated with the famous conqueror. A group of archaeologists, led by Antonis Bartsiokas from Democritus University of Thrace, identified a […]
Posted inAncient Egypt, Ancient Greece
The Frenzied Life of Ptolemy Ceraunus, the Man Who Ended the Last Successor of Alexander the Great
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 […]
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 […]
