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'''Olympias''' (Greek: Ολυμπιάς) (d.
316 BC) was an
Epirote princess, a wife of
Philip II of Macedon and the mother of
Alexander the Great. According to several legends, Olympias was impregnated not by Philip, who was afraid of her and her affinity for sleeping in the company of snakes, but by
Zeus. Alexander was himself aware of these legends, and would refer to Zeus as his father, rather than Philip.
After Alexander's death, Olympias supported her grandson,
Alexander IV, and allied with
Polyperchon in an attempt to drive
Cassander from power in Macedon. Although she was successful in killing the rival king
Philip Arrhidaeus, her step-son, Cassander was ultimately successful, capturing and executing her.
By tradition Olympias was descended from another woman of the same name, daughter of
Neoptolemus and
Andromache and so grand-daughter of
Achilles. This formed the basis of Alexander's claims to be a new Achilles.
da:Olympias
de:Olympias von Epirus
fr:Olympias
pl:Olimpias
