×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Tuesday
23
Dec 2025
weather symbol
Athens 16°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> Culture

National Geographic: Amphipolis is the Greek “Game of Thrones”

As archaeologists dig deeper…

Newsroom November 23 05:59

National Geographic web magazine made a long report on the family of Alexander the Great, “a tale of family drama and palace intrigue”.

Although the great discoveries in Amphipolis continue and the anticipation for the mystery of the identity of the deceased grows , National Geographic believes that the riddle of the funerary monument is the Greek “Game of Thrones”.

According to the article although is almost for certain that Alexander the Great was buried in Egypt, it remains unknown where the rest members of his family were buried.

As the article reports, over the past three months, Greek archaeologist Katerina Peristeri and her team have made a series of tantalizing discoveries in the tomb, from columns sculpted masterfully in the shapes of young women to a mosaic floor depicting the abduction of the Greek goddess Persephone. The tomb’s costly artwork all dates to the tumultuous time around the death of Alexander the Great, and points to the presence of an important person.

Alexander himself was almost certainly buried in Egypt. But the final resting places—and the rich historical and genetic data they may contain—of many of his family members are unknown. The excavation at Amphipolis is bound to add a new chapter to the history of Alexander the Great and his family, a dynasty as steeped in intrigue, conspiracy, and bloodshed as the fictional Lannisters in the popular television series Game of Thrones.

Z3A
As explained in the article, among Alexander’s family, “the king or ruler who ended up dying in his bed was rare,” says Phillip Freeman, a biographer of Alexander the Great and a classical historian at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

Alexander’s mother, Olympias, was a daughter of the king of Molossia, a realm that encompassed part of modern Albania, and she claimed descent from the legendary Greek hero, Achilles. She was one of Philip’s many wives, and according to ancient historians, she schemed relentlessly at court to put her son on the Macedonian throne. Some historians even suspect that she poisoned Alexander’s older half-brother, impairing his mental faculties.

Z3B

The article explains in detail the life of the family members of Alexander and his life as well as choises.

Also supports that in order to clear the path to the Macedonian throne, Cassander took Olympias prisoner during a siege and executed her. Then, like Alexander himself, he set about eliminating other potential plotters. He imprisoned Alexander’s most important foreign wife, Roxane, and his posthumous son, Alexander IV, at Amphipolis—and had them both secretly murdered in 311 B.C. With the dirty work done, Cassander ruled the kingdom of Macedonia until his death in 297 B.C.

Most archaeologists today are convinced, based on historical accounts, that Alexander himself was buried somewhere in Egypt, quite possibly in the city that bears his name today, Alexandria.

The article concludes by saying that researchers have yet to find the tombs of Olympias, Roxane, Hephaestion, and many of his generals. Perhaps the archaeological team clearing the mysterious tomb at Amphipolis will yet find the remains of one of them.

>Related articles

Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation: Awarded by the Academy of Athens for its contribution to culture and education

Singer Chris Rea dies at the age of 74

Ancient treasures unveiled: The Royal Palace of Pella opens to the public with stunning Hellenistic statues

Z3C

 

 

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

> More Culture

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

The world tour of Bofiliou with Haroulis was cancelled

December 23, 2025

Record passenger traffic for Athens International Airport – 34 million passengers by 2025

December 23, 2025

Weather Alert: Heavy rain and storms are incoming

December 23, 2025

Mitsotakis on farmers: The government will not yield to blackmail and the paradox of silence (updated)

December 23, 2025

Four names, four femicide cases: Conversations with the mothers of Dora, Garyfallia, Sofia, and Erato

December 23, 2025

Weather update: Rainy and mild Christmas across the country – What to expect for New Year – Meteorologists’ forecasts

December 23, 2025

War in Ukraine: Poland took off its aircraft after the morning Russian bombings

December 23, 2025

Properties linked to Jackie O’ Bar Mykonos face foreclosure procedures

December 23, 2025
All News

> World

War in Ukraine: Poland took off its aircraft after the morning Russian bombings

Damage to Ukraine's energy network and widespread power cuts in the country

December 23, 2025

Dead Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zambella, watch the moment of the fatal car accident with his Ferrari

December 23, 2025

In Damascus, Fidan and Kalin: Turkey-Syria relations on the table one year after the fall of Assad

December 22, 2025

Paramount insists on Warner Bros. takeover: $40.4 billion personal guarantee from Larry Ellison

December 22, 2025

Politico: Despite the war, France will build nuclear fuel in Germany with the help of a Russian company

December 22, 2025
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2025 Πρώτο Θέμα