The Influential Women that Surrounded and Aided Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was lucky to have very supportive women at his side throughout his life. Historical records show that he was well-protected by them and that they were his secret source of power as well.

The most important woman in Alexander’s life was his mother Olympias, but Barsine and Roxana also seem to have had key influences on him. Some of the Macedonian king’s shorter romances also affected his life positively. It is worth wondering if he would have been such a successful person if he had not had the strong women who took care of him at his side.

Olympias – Mother, Protector, and Best Friend

Olympias was Alexander’s mother, protector, and best friend. She was a woman who fought like a lion to protect her son and even sacrificed her husband, king Philip II of Macedonia, to support Alexander.

Her birth name was Myrtle, and she was a daughter of Neoptolemus, the king of Epirus. Legend says that she had relatives who fought in the Trojan War.

A statue of Alexander and Olympias, Schönbrunn, Vienna. (CC BY SA 3.0)