Cleopatra Eurydice
Eurydice (Greek: Εὐρυδίκη), born Cleopatra (Greek: Κλεοπάτρα) was a mid-4th century BC Macedonian noblewoman, niece of Attalus, and last of the seven wives[1] of Philip II of Macedon.
Biography
Cleopatra was a maiden whom Philip married either in 338[2] or 337[3] BCE.[4] As Philip's wife, Cleopatra was given the name "Eurydice". Although Philip was a polygamist, his marriage to Cleopatra greatly upset Olympias, his fourth wife and the mother of Alexander the Great, and threw Alexander's inheritance into question.
According to both Justin[5] and Satyrus,[6] Cleopatra Eurydice and Philip produced two children, Europa, a girl, and Caranus, a boy.[7] Following Philip's assassination, both children were murdered by Olympias, whereupon Cleopatra took her own life.[8] Peter Green strongly suggests that Alexander ordered the death of Caranus, but that the deaths of Europa and Cleopatra were the result of Olympias's vindictiveness.
Notes
- ^ Green, Peter. Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B.C: A Historical Biography
- ^ Green, Peter. Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B.C: A Historical Biography
- ^ Tarn
- ^ Plutarch, The Life of Alexander, 9
- ^ Junianus Justinus, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus, ix. 7
- ^ Satyrus of Athens (13.557e)
- ^ William Woodthorpe Tarn ignores Europa entirely and disputes even the existence of Caranus.
- ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, viii. 7. 7; Justin, ibid.; Plutarch, Parallel Lives, "Alexander" x. 4
References
- Green, Peter; Alexander of Macedon: 356-323 B.C. A Historical Biography; Berkeley & Los Angeles; University of California Press; 1991.