Olympias and state visits

[Laura]

Are there references in any of the histories of Olympias ( or any of Philip's wives for that matter) having attended state visits or entertained guests along with her husband? I'm still in the process of best-drafting my A Level coursework on " What role did women play in Alexander's life and career" and this is vital background information!
Thanks,
Laura

[NickWelman]

Hello Laura -
I like the question - and yes, I can see the importance of knowing if Olympias or other women of the court were involved in state affairs in this manner.
From memory, I know of no such occasion. But others here have far more knowledge about the court of Philip. Maybe Tre wants to answer your question? Alternatively, search the web for Jeanne Reames-Zimmerman's website about Hephaistion and ask her if she could answer. Still, I would like to see your findings posted here.
http://home.earthlink.net/~mathetria/hephaistion.html
Regards -
Nick

[geo]

Hi, I don't know that Olympias played any role in those affairs, however she did lead an army out of Epirus to Macedonia to reclaim it in the name of her son, in full armor she went against the Macedonians who could have killed her and her army, but they threw down their arms at the sight of the banners of Alexander...Of course this was years after her son's death, but i would consider that by this overt act that we have no idea what role she played behind the scenes covertly!

by the way does anyone know what the banners of A looked like?
G

[John]

Yes, apparantly Olympias was quite active "behind the scenes." While Alexander was away on his campaigns, Antipater sent letter after letter from Macedonia complaining about her "meddling." She was obviously involved in a power struggle with Antipater and his son Cassander, who, after Alexander's death, ended up having Olympias killed, along with Alexander's wife Roxanne and their teen-aged son Alexander IV. - Yet there are some people who can find no motive for Antipater's son Iollaus poisoning Alexander, as Olympias memorably accused him of doing when she found out about it years later by knocking over his tomb and scattering his ashes to the wind. Good job! Her wrath wouldn't be lost to history.John

[ruthaki]

Most of the time the women were not at state functions such as symposiums (unless they were heteiras) but it seems the Olympias for sure 'entertained' the Egyptian shaman Nectenabo when he came to Macedonia because of the many stories (legends?rumors?myths?)about how she was involved with him in more ways than just cult rituals. And of course there was the young upstart Adea-Eurydike who help start the civil war. I've had a lot of fun working with these women and giving them a strong 'voice' in my work-in-progress novel "Shadow of the Lion" (about the fall of the dynasty). His sister, Kleopatra, for instance, went off to Syria to meet with Perdikaas in hopes of getting him to marry her so she could seize the throne). But there isn't much in the sources to go on so how much of this is fictionalized? (I'm having fun fictionalizing some of it!)

[tes.t]

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http://books.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n6/ ... thorid=550
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