Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Episode: Alexander the Great's Mummy Issues: Olympias
Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Dr. Kate Lister
Guest: Tristan Hughes (Host, The Ancients Podcast)

Overview

This episode dives into the extraordinary life of Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great, exploring her rise to power, enduring reputation, and notorious ruthlessness within the Macedonian Empire. Dr. Kate Lister is joined by ancient history podcaster Tristan Hughes for a frank, often irreverent conversation about Olympias’s origins, her complicated marriage to Philip II, her maternal ferocity, and her lethal maneuvering after Alexander’s death. The discussion unpacks propaganda, legends (including infamous snake stories), and what it meant to wield power as a woman in the ancient world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Olympias's Origins and Marriage to Philip II

[08:31–14:29]

• Non-Macedonian Royalty: Olympias was a princess from Molossia, a Hellenized kingdom seen as on the periphery of "civilized" Greece. As Tristan puts it:

  “The kingdom of Molossia… was viewed like the kingdom of Macedonia… as being more on the periphery of the Greek world and so nearer the barbarians.” (09:08)

• Diplomatic Pawn: Olympias married Philip II as part of a strategic alliance, one of his many diplomatic marriages.

  “She’s being used to secure a marriage alliance between Philip’s kingdom of Macedonia to stabilize his kingdom and Aribas, Molossian kingdom. Aribas, Olympias’s uncle, the king.” (13:13)

• Polygamous Power Struggles: Philip had seven wives, fostering court factionalism and dangerous rivalries. Olympias’s position was both elevated (as the mother of a male heir, Alexander) and precarious (as a foreigner).

  “One of the big problems with polygamy is… you get these factions developing at court… you can’t call her the top wife.” (15:13)

Scandal, Snakes, and Divine Conception Myths

[24:05–27:24]

• Snakes and Cults: Olympias’s association with snakes and Dionysiac cult mysteries fueled her exotic, dangerous image.
• The Snake Legend:

  “Philip is peeking through the keyhole… and he sees inside Olympias having sex with a snake… the snake is supposedly the great Egyptian God Ammon in the guise of a snake.” (25:09–25:39)

• Myth-Making: Such stories reflected ancient discomfort with powerful women and were used to claim divine descent for Alexander.

  “It’s amazing how often strange births and strange conceptions turn up in sources for legendary figures… It’s almost like we can’t imagine that they just had a normal birth.” (26:54)

Olympias as Mother: Stage-Mother, Strategist, or Both?

[29:26–33:21]

• Fierce Advocacy for Alexander: Olympias maneuvered relentlessly to protect Alexander’s succession, seeing all other potential heirs, even children, as threats.

  “She was very happy to kill if it meant that Alexander became the next king. Family is very important to her. Only if it’s the immediate family.” (19:12)
  “Did Olympias poison him [Arridaeus] when he was younger?” (32:29)

Philip II’s Assassination and Olympias’s Possible Role

[33:21–38:23]

• Fatal Wedding Snafu: Philip’s last marriage, to a Macedonian noblewoman, threatened Alexander’s legitimacy. A dramatic toast at the feast implied Alexander was illegitimate, triggering a major rift.
• Murderous Motives: Philip was assassinated, possibly with Olympias’s complicity:

  “There is certainly motive there… She decides to act, but through the agency of this jilted lover.” (37:19–38:23)

• Violence As Political Survival:

  “You should never pity Olympias… she was very happy to kill if it meant that Alexander became the next king.” (19:11)

Olympias’s Role During Alexander’s Reign

[41:03–47:43]

• Queen Mother, Not Regent: Olympias held significant sway while Alexander campaigned abroad. She corresponded often, at times jealously warning him about his favorites.

  “There’s clear jealousy… she’s a bit jealous of how much prominence certain figures close to Alexander are getting, including the man who becomes his best friend and almost certainly lover, Hephaestion.” (41:31–43:43)

• Feud with Antipater: A protracted rivalry with Alexander’s viceroy in Macedonia, each lobbying Alexander for greater influence.

  “Letter after letter apparently being sent by Olympias and by Antipater to Alexander, and effectively they’re bitching about each other.” (44:35)
  “…One tear from my mother wipes away 10,000… words written against her.” - Plutarch, cited by Tristan (46:23)

Olympias After Alexander: Bloody Succession Wars

[49:21–64:04]

• Fight for Her Grandson: After Alexander’s death, Olympias fiercely maneuvered to secure the throne for his infant son, Alexander IV, forming alliances and engaging in political marriages through her daughter Cleopatra.

  “You see Olympias and Cleopatra forming this extraordinary mother-daughter team where they start to align… with generals who are coming back west following Alexander’s death.” (51:25)

• First "War of Women": Olympias marched into Macedonia against another queen, Eurydice, gaining the upper hand and quickly eliminating rivals—including orchestrating the killings of Arridaeus and Eurydice herself.

  “She confines Eurydice and Arridaeus to a small chamber. She has the incapable Arridaeus killed… And then a few days later, someone enters her cell, offers her a dagger, a noose, and some hemlock… and basically says, you choose which way you want to die.” (58:41–59:54)

• Downfall and Death: Olympias’s continued purges alienated the Macedonian aristocracy. She was besieged by Cassander’s forces, surrendered expecting mercy, but was condemned to death by the families of her victims.

  “She berates them so hard that… they walk away. They can’t go through with the actual… [assassination]. So Cassander’s just like, damn, that didn’t work. Fortunately, Olympias has shot herself in the foot. She’s killed quite a few people. And their family members are still lurking about… and that is the end of Olympias’s story.” (62:17–63:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“If you had to pinpoint the moment your relationship started to turn, it might be that one—[when] Olympias [was] having sex with a snake.”
— Kate Lister, (25:28)

“She is still an absolutely formidable woman in her own right.”
— Tristan Hughes, (66:04)

“It's very Cersei from Game of Thrones, isn't it? … I'll protect my family at any cost vibe.”
— Kate Lister, (59:54–60:02)

“One tear from my mother wipes away 10,000… words written against her.”
— Alexander the Great (via Plutarch, cited by Tristan), (46:23)

Timeline of Key Events

| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Segment | Summary | |---------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 08:31–14:29 | Olympias’s origins | Molossian princess; strategic marriage to Philip II | | 24:05–27:24 | Snake myths & divine conception | Olympias’s link to Dionysus cults and legends of Alexander’s parentage | | 29:26–33:21 | Mothering Alexander; polygamy politics | Elimination of rivals; stage-mother narrative; poisoning rumors | | 33:21–38:23 | Philip’s assassination | Political motives and Olympias’s possible involvement | | 41:03–47:43 | Olympias during Alexander’s reign | Influence, jealous correspondence, feud with Antipater | | 49:21–64:04 | After Alexander: succession chaos | Marital alliances, rival queen conflict, brutal killings, siege, and death |

Tone and Takeaways

The conversation is candid, witty, and often irreverent, with Kate Lister’s humorous asides and Tristan’s deep-dive expertise. Olympias emerges as neither straightforward villain nor feminist hero, but as a supremely capable, ruthless political operator shaped by a violent, patriarchal world. Her story highlights ancient anxieties about powerful women, dynastic politics, and myth-making.

Further Exploration

• Tristan Hughes: Find him at @AncientTristan and the Ancients podcast (History Hit).
• Next Betwixt Episode: “Biggest fuckboys in history”—email suggestions to betwixt@historyhit.com.

For listeners seeking a blend of scandal, genuine historical analysis, and sharp banter, this episode offers an enthralling portrait of one of antiquity’s most formidable mothers.