Was Alexander the Great the son of a mortal king or the god Zeus?
In short: Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, was a formidable figure who shaped her son's destiny. This video examines her life, from her origins as a princess of Epirus to her influence on the education and divine self-conception of one of history's most famous conquerors.
Born as Myrtle, the daughter of King Neoptolemus of Epirus, Olympias became the second wife of Philip II of Macedon. Known for her beauty and fiery temperament, she was driven by a single ambition: to secure the throne for her son, Alexander. She ensured he received a rigorous education, first under her relative Leonidas and later under the philosopher Aristotle.
Olympias cultivated a sense of greatness in Alexander by linking his ancestry to the hero Achilles. Before he began his military campaigns, she famously claimed his true father was Zeus, the king of the Greek pantheon, urging him to live up to his divine heritage. Though they remained in constant contact through letters during his conquests, their relationship was marked by Alexander frequently disregarding her advice.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Olympias: Mother to Alexander the Great and Second Wife of Phillip II of Macedon
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