Third Wave Travel - Alexander The Great

In the eastern part of Central Macedonia is Emathia, a region which includes the fertile plain of the longest river in Greece, Aliakmon and a big part of the forested mountains of Pieria and Vermion. This was the region where the Macedonians established the first capital of their kingdom, the ancient city of Aigai, which is identified with Vergina, and which was also the burial place of Macedonian kings.

Vergina lies 80 km west of Thessaloniki. Professor Manolis Andronikos excavated the site and brought to light the city of Aigai with its fortifications, palace, theatre and sanctuaries dedicated to Eukleia and to Cybele. The royal palace unearthed on a plateau above the ancient city is the most imposing palace so far discovered in Macedonia. You can see the theater where king Philip was assassinated in 336 BC while celebrating the wedding of his daughter and where his son Alexander was declared a king and two years later became the leader of the Greeks against the Persians.

The Royal Cemetery was excavated in the region containing a number of Macedonian Tombs. It was a great Tumulus, that is an enormous mound with a diameter of 110m and an average of 12 m which contained three royal tombs. The most brilliant of them was the tomb of king Philip II. For the preservation of the Royal Tombs a subterranean structure was built to encase and protect the ancient monuments. Externally the structure has the appearance of an earth mound. Inside it are the treasures found in the Royal Tombs.

As you descend into the underground area you will see only the ancient artifacts lit up in a dark neutral setting. The façade of the tomb of Philip reminds us of a doric temple, but the pediment is replaced by a large frieze painted with a hunt scene. Here in front of the tomb are the weapons of the king, the gold larnax (coffin) that contained the bones of king Philip and the gold oak crown worn by him as well as two gold and ivory couches, unique masterpieces of Greek minor art, among other items.

Close to Vergina another big city of the ancient Macedonian kingdom was located, Mieza. The area was excavated systematically but the most imposing monument was found by chance in 1954. It is a Macedonian Tomb which has two vaulted rooms and an imposing façade with painting depicting a man led to Hades by Hermes, where he is awaited by the judges of the underworld, Aiakos and Radamanthys. Because of this painted decoration it is called the Tomb of the Judgement.
You can visit two more Macedonian Tombs nearby, the Tomb of the Palmettes and the Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles.

Plutarch records that king Philip sent Alexander and his teacher the philosopher Aristotle to the idyllic site of the Nymphaion, near the city of Mieza. You can visit the Nymphaion, a sanctuary dedicated to the nymphs of the water in an idyllic setting of rich vegetation and see where Alexander’s school was for three years and where he learned how to “live well”.