ALEXANDER'S FAMILY E-G
Europa Half-sister
Daughter of Cleopatra and Philip. Born shortly before Philip’s murder in 336 BC and murdered with her mother by Olympias in 336/5 BC.
Eurydike Grandmother
Daughter of Sirras (married about 430 BC) and the daughter of Arrhabaeus I, the first king of Lyncestis (c 450 BC) of the Bacchidae clan from Corinth. Sirras was also a member of this clan as he was the guardian of Arrhabaeus II, grandson of Arrhabaeus I.
Eurydike was married to Amyntas III in about 393 or 391 BC. She bore him a daughter, Eurynoe, and three sons who each became king of Macedonia. Alexander II became king on his father's death in 370 or 369 BC. He must have been at least 18: Philip was about 12. Alexander was assassinated during a war-dance in 367 BC. Justin (7.5) claims Eurydike was responsible. Her second son Perdiccas was under-age and Ptolemy of Alorus, who had waged war against Alexander and may have been implicated in his murder, was appointed Perdiccas’s regent. Ptolemy may have been Eurynoe's husband.
It was rumoured that Ptolemy was Eurydike's lover, but if this was the case, it may simply have been politic for Eurydike to retain power and assure her sons' safety. Justin relates a tale that Eurynoe's husband and Eurydike were lovers before Amyntas's death and planned to assassinate him, and that Eurynoe prevented it by telling her father. However Amyntas forgave her for the sake of their children.
Perdiccas came of age in 367 BC (18) and Ptolemy died, possibly murdered by Perdiccas. In 359 BC Perdiccas was killed along with 4,000 Macedonians in a disastrous battle with the Illyrians. Perdiccas left a young son Amyntas IV, but Eurydike's youngest son Phillip II became king of Macedonia for the next 23 years.
An inscription has been found, proudly stating that Eurydike learnt to read after her sons were grown. Philip erected a statue of his mother, father, Olympias and Alexander at Olympia. Eurydike is believed to have died about 342 BC when Alexander was about 14. One of the tombs found at Vergina has been assigned as hers.
Eurynoe Aunt
Sister of Philip, daughter of Amyntas III and Eurydike. It is alleged that she told her father that Eurydike and Ptolemy of Alorus were having an affair and were plotting to murder him, but that Amyntas forgave Eurydike for the sake of their children. This story is doubtful. Ptolemy, who was a member of the royal family, became regent for Eurynoe’s brother Perdiccas III, but was eventually killed by him. Ptolemy had a son called Proxenus or Philoxenus, possibly by Eurynoe, who was sent to Thebes as a hostage, possibly one of the 30 youths that included Philip.
If Ptolemy married Eurydike after Amyntas’s death, that would imply that Eurynoe was dead by then, but if not she may still have been alive in Alexander’s lifetime.
Euxenippus Lover
A young favourite of Alexander’s, said by Curtius to rival Hephaestion in beauty but to be less charming because he was more effeminate than Hephaestion. In 329 BC he was sent to escort the returning Sacae ( a Scythian people from beyond the Iaxartes river) who had submitted to Alexander. Nothing further is known of him.
Gygaea Step-grandmother
Wife of Philip's father Amyntas III. Mother of Arrhidaeus, Archelaus and Menelaus who rebelled against Philip. She could still have been alive in Alexander’s childhood.