Olympias and Pausanias

[agesilaos]

Having read Luc's interesting link concerning the bones found at Vergina it occurred to me that a similar confusion may have arisen concerning the stories of olympias' treatment of Philip's killer; did the sources conflate her actions towards Philip III Arhidaeos' killer with the assassination of Philip II?Unfortunately, I haven't a copy of the apposite passage in Justin, does he name Pausanias or just say 'Philip's killer'? Even if he does say Pausanias it could be a gloss.My point is that, as is generally agreed, it is unthinkable that Olympias could have behaved in the way claimed to the body of Philp II's assassin but later she is responsible for the death of Philip III and Eurydice, no trial is mentioned but the sources are hostile to Olympias, Hieronymos'patron, Antigonos Monopthalmos was her enemy. Could she have been showing the Macedonians by honouring the killer of Philip III that it had been a legal killing Eurydice was in league with Kassander against Alexander IV after all sounds like treason. It is not mentioned that Kassander executed the executioners 'certain Thracians' but surely that is a reasonable assumption. Any thoughts?

[maciek]

Hi!
My opinion is that there are some clues that she could plan to kill Philip II.
First was her ambitions and new Philip's wife. Yes he had wifes befor and after Olimpias, but never bride father was so importand as Atallos man with so huge ambitions as to have greanson - descendat of macedonian kingdom.
Second that - Philip was unpredicteble. Alexander as the king geve her comfort - she was secure and noone could hurt her.
Third that she after assasination of Philip was able to grow in power (if i could say so), maybe she was convinced that Alexander will make her regent of Macedonia- but he new that it would be big mistake.Maciek

[agesilaos]

I agree that there is nothing unfeasable about Olympias wishing Philip dead but it was the stories of her garlanding and kissing the killer's corpse to which I was referring: she may have hated Philip but the Macedonians loved him and such actions cannot have happened at that time, it would have undermined Alexander's succesion