Alexander the Great is a figure of such historic importance it can be easy to forget where he came from. His father, Philip II, makes himself known by his own achievements. But what about his mother, Olympias?

Dynamic, ruthless, and determined; by force of personality, and the fact that the crown prince of ancient Macedonia was her son, Olympias did her utmost to bend the world to her will.

In this episode of Spearpoint, Malcolm and Frances explore Olympias’ origins, her relationship with Alexander after the beginning of his war against the Persian Empire, and what part she played in Alexander’s understanding of his divinity. They also look at whether Olympias conspired to assassinate Philip II and what happened to her after Alexander’s death in 323 BCE. From court politics to clashing personalities; power struggles and assassinations, Olympias’ life has it all.

Resources

on-line texts for the Alexander Historians:

Arrian

Curtius

Diodorus

Plutarch

Justin

About Malcolm and Frances

Malcolm spends his days with his head in books and his heart in faraway lands, especially ones conquered by Alexander. When he looks at maps of Alexander’s empire, his go-to response remains “Crikey”.

Frances is an academic who specialises in Hellenistic numismatics. She is currently writing a novel about Alexander’s first wife, Roxane, bringing life to the woman who existed in the shadow of a man who was larger than life.

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Malcolm

Instagram: @thesecondachilles

Facebook: @alexander.of.macedon

Frances

Instagram: @futuristichistorian

Email: spearpointatg@gmail.com

Intro + Outro Music

Epic by Hot_Dope (pixabay.com)

Audio Engineer: Renee LeBoeuf, Green Frog Productions, LLC, Seattle WA

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In the winter of 331 BCE, Alexander the Great visited the famed Oracle at Siwa in the Egyptian desert. There, it is said, he discovered an amazing truth: he was not the son of Philip II but of the god Zeus-Ammon.

This news did not come out of the blue. Alexander had grown up close to the gods. Through his ancestors Herakles and Achilles, they were even part of his family.

In The Man Who Became a God, Malcolm and Frances explore these links, what Alexander made of the Oracle’s news, and Alexander’s connection to Dionysus. Their conversation takes them from a snake in the Macedonian palace to a drunken revel in India, from war against Tyre to a scandal in Bactria. Stepping beyond the literary sources, they also dive into what Alexander’s coins say about his supposed divinity and how it was used by his successors after Alexander’s death.

Resources

on-line texts for the Alexander Historians:

Arrian

Curtius

Diodorus

Plutarch

Justin

About Malcolm and Frances

Malcolm spends his days with his head in books and his heart in faraway lands, especially ones conquered by Alexander. When he looks at maps of Alexander’s empire, his go-to response remains “Crikey”.

Frances is an academic who specialises in Hellenistic numismatics. She is currently writing a novel about Alexander’s first wife, Roxane, bringing life to the woman who existed in the shadow of a man who was larger than life.

Spearpoint Socials

Facebook

Instagram: @spearpointATG

Threads: @SpearpointATG

X: @SpearpointATG

Malcolm

Instagram: @thesecondachilles

Facebook: @alexander.of.macedon

Frances

Instagram: @futuristichistorian

Email: spearpointatg@gmail.com

Intro + Outro Music

Epic by Hot_Dope (pixabay.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexander the Great not only conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, but also many nations in Central Asia and parts of ancient northwest India. In ten years of campaigning, he did not lose a single battle. He became the richest man in the world, and was regarded by many as a god.

Despite this, none of his men, indeed, no ancient Macedonian, ever called him ‘the Great.’ So, where did this title come from? What was Greatness when it came to a king? What role might a monk in his cell during the age of Charlemagne might have played in its story? And is it appropriate for us today to still call Alexander, ‘the Great?’

All of these questions, and more, are answered as Malcolm and Frances explore the origin and history of Alexander’s enduring epithet.

Resources

on-line texts for the Alexander Historians:

Arrian

Curtius

Diodorus

Plutarch

Justin

About Malcolm and Frances

Malcolm spends his days with his head in books and his heart in faraway lands, especially ones conquered by Alexander. When he looks at maps of Alexander’s empire, his go-to response remains “Crikey”.

Frances is an academic who specialises in Hellenistic numismatics. She is currently writing a novel about Alexander’s first wife, Roxane, bringing life to the woman who existed in the shadow of a man who was larger than life.

Spearpoint Socials

Facebook

Instagram: @spearpointATG

Threads: @SpearpointATG

X: @SpearpointATG

Malcolm

Instagram: @thesecondachilles

Facebook: @alexander.of.macedon

Frances

Instagram: @futuristichistorian

Email: spearpointatg@gmail.com

Intro + Outro Music

Epic by Hot_Dope (pixabay.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.