THE MOTHER Olympias

If you’ve heard anything at all about the Ancient Macedonian Queen Olympias, it’s probably that she’s the mother of Alexander the Great. If you’ve heard anything else about her, it’s probably about her, uh…fondness…for snakes. But there’s so much more to this remarkable woman than just sons and snake cults! Join us for the story of Olympias, a woman of remarkable courage, brilliance, loyalty, innovation, and confidence as we travel back in time with guest Kate Armstrong, host of the wonderful women’s history podcast The Exploress.

View Kate’s fantastic “ladycentric” maps, timelines, and more on her website, and check out her Patreon page here!

Oil portrait of Olympias in regalia awaiting the invading Cassander and his armies, who approach from the left. — Cassandre et Olympia
by Jean Joseph Taillasso

Painting of a female nude seated on a white sofa with a man with long curly hair, prominent musculature and a snake tail instead of legs. He reaches out to touch her face and leans toward her from between her legs. — Jupiter Seducing Olympias
by Giulio Romano, 16th century

A woman with pale skin and dark hair cradles a small child with curly dark hair, wearing a white nightgown. A man with dark hair, a light beard, and wearing a robe and dark hat looks on from the right of the portrait. — Roxana with Alexander IV_Aegus, the son of Alexander the Great
by Allesandro Varotari (Padovanino), 17th century

Copy of a Greek (near contemporary) bust in the British Museum — Copy of a Greek Bust of Alexander the Great in the British Museum
photo by Andrew Dunn

Kate Armstron’s amazing “Ladycentric Map of Ancient Greece” available on Etsy

Kate J. Armstrong is a writer, teacher, and nonfiction book editor who’s worked on beautiful books about everything from food to space to climbing Mount Everest. She’s also the producer of The Exploress, a podcast that time travels back through history to find out what life was like for women of the past. Season 1 explores mid-19th century Civil War era America, while Season 2 dives into the ancient world. An adventurer at heart, she hails from Virginia but currently calls Melbourne, Australia home.

Music featured in this episode includes

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