Classical Wisdom Litterae - October 2021

Litterae/48 watery death. If they told the mermaid that the great Macedonian was alive, Thessaloniki would leave them to go on their way. If they told her the truth — that he was long dead — she would become furious and turned into a demon or Gorgon, depending on the myth. She would then sink the ship and all the sailors on board would drown. The best-known version of this myth is found in the works of Pausanias. The Real Thessaloniki Like so many more myths, this one was based on an actual stepsister of Alexander the Great, the half-sister of the great king. The daughter of Phillip and a Thessalian woman, it appears that she was raised by Olympias — the mother of Alexander — and had little contact with her older half-brother. After the death of Alexander, she supported Olympias in the struggle for control of Macedonia. After the execution of Olympias, she married Cassander, who had ordered Olympias’ death. She had three sons with Cassander, and he treated her with respect and named the port city of Thessaloniki after her. After the death of her husband, she tried to end the feud between two of her sons for the throne of Macedonia but was murdered by her youngest son, Alexander. Conclusion There are many myths surrounding the life of Alexander the Great. The legend of his mermaid stepsister is one of the most amazing and it is still extremely popular in Greek folklore. This tale illustrates how myths are often based on some truth: in this case, Alexander’s real-life step-sister, who became Queen of Macedonia and was tragically killed. The sea was a means of connection, and a danger, and a travel for the ancient Mediterranean. Reconstruction of Ptolemy’s World Map