Olympiade der Künigin inn Macedonia · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Olympiade der Künigin inn Macedonia
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Macedon; Epirus; Macedonia
Description: This engraving depicts Olympias of Macedonia on the right side of the engraving approaching a man hanging on a cross. The man being crucified is Pausanias, a man who helped Olympias with the murder of King Philip of Macedonia (husband to Olympias). Boccaccio explains that Olympias placed the golden crown that Pausanias is wearing on his head to honour him and reward him for the assassination. Along with getting her husband murdered, she also had her husband’s new wife and child murdered out of anger. Cleopatra, King Philip’s other wife, is pictured on the left side of the engraving hanging by her neck from a tree. Cleopatra’s child is depicted sitting on the ground as one of Olympias’ servants is bashing her head with a rock.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18365
Language: ger
Source Name: Ein schöne Cronica oder Hystoribuch von den fürnämlichsten Weybern [A beautiful chronicle or history book of reputable women]
Parent Collection: 1543 Stayner; 1543 Stayner
Image: mta_18365_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Olympias; King Philip II; Pausanias; Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; Cleopatra; Murder