logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2019
42m 54s

Queen Olympias & Alexander the Great's W...

Kate J. Armstrong, Carly A. Quinn
About this episode

Season 2, Episode 12. In Part 1 we met Olympias, Alexander the Great's mother, and saw her navigate some savage drama to get her and her son to the top. Now let's see what she does when he goes off conquering. When he dies, she and several of Alex's women will battle with the men around them for power - often a battle to the death - in a war for an empire that would put Game of Thrones to shame. Get ready for a whole lot of stabbing.

Check out the show notes for a transcript, images, a list of my research sources, and more. To support the show, become a patron or go and nab something from my brand-new Exploress Etsy shop.

Up next
Aug 5
Heroines of the Harlem Renaissance with Victoria Christopher Murray
Season 6, Episode 11. Welcome back to Exploress Book Club! Join me in talking to Victoria Christopher Murray, author of the historical fiction novel Harlem Rhapsody, as she talks about the unsung heroine of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, Jessie Redmon Faucet. In this conversation, ... Show More
37m 33s
Mar 2025
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age: The Goddess Freyja
Season 6, Episode 1. In this series, we're going to explore what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. But first, let's meet Freyja, a powerful Nordic goddess, who will introduce us to the Viking religious pantheon. We'll hear some of her more famous stories and lear ... Show More
15m 37s
Feb 2025
Love and War in Ancient Rome with Jenny Williamson
Season 6, Episode 1 -  It's Exploress Book Club time! Join me for this excellent chat with Jenny Williamson, one half of the podcast Ancient History Fangirl, about her debut steamy ancient Roman romantasy novel, Enemy of My Dreams. We'll discuss her inspiration, how much of the t ... Show More
41m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Ancient History Fangirl's Boudicca 1: the Seeds of Rebellion
Liv's off to the UK and realized she's never covered Boudicca! Presenting episode 1 of Ancient History Fangirl's 2021 series on Britain's warrior queen. The story of Boudicca’s revolt is as epic as you can get. It’s got murder and pillage, Romans behaving badly, cities on fire, a ... Show More
1h 10m
Sep 2024
Women Leaders, part 4: Why Boudica (Literally) Burned London Down (Rerelease)
It's a rerelease of a classic Vulgar History episode, now with better editing! Boudica was Queen of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe during the Roman conquest of Britain. She led a rebellion of united tribes against their Roman invaders, leaving a path of death and bloodshed in her wake ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2024
Alexander the Great | Conqueror of the World (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode and discussion on Alexander the Great originally aired on January 31, 2022. ___ He looked out across the field and then back at his formations. The wind was ... Show More
52m 2s
Dec 2024
521. Warlords of the West: Killer Queens (Part 2)
Following the death of the legendary Frankish King Clovis, his son Clothar I divided the mighty realm his father had hacked out from the warring warlords of Europe between his four sons. But peace was not to reign…the most ambitious of his brood - Chilperic - seized Paris, his br ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 2024
Pyrrhus: Warlord of Ancient Greece
It’s 279 BC. On a large plain in Southern Italy near the town of Asculum, a famous Greek warlord likened to Alexander the Great faces down the legions of the Roman Republic. His name was Pyrrhus of Epirus. And the victory that he won at Asculum would come to define his legacy. In ... Show More
1h 7m
Sep 2024
Love, Betrayal, and the Battle for Rome (Replay)
HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes starting September 16th! In the meantime, listen to a favorite classic from the archives. September 2, 31 BCE. Two camps prepare for battle off the coast of Greece. On one side is Octavian, Julius Caesar’s heir apparent. On the other, M ... Show More
44m 48s
Feb 2025
The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon
490 BC. On the plains of Marathon, Athens faced down a mighty army of the Persian Empire - the superpower of the time It was an underdog clash that would echo throughout history. But how did it all begin? In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes kicks off an epic two-parte ... Show More
58m 21s
Jun 2023
History of Everything: The Mad Queen of Madagascar
In 1828, after the death of her husband, Queen Ranavalona I. came into power by killing all other potential regents (wives, sons, mothers). At that time, she was between 30 and 40 years old. Ranavalona I. went down in history rather ingloriously and bears the surname “the cruel”. ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 2024
Most BRUTAL Warriors Of War History: Alexander The Great Vs. Genghis Khan ft. Abhijit Chavda | TRS
Check out my Mind Performance app: Level SuperMind Android - https://install.lvl.fit/wqn9l1exy8twrg3z3p4lm iOS - https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1623828602?pt=124995957&ct=Ranveer59&mt=8 Join the Level Community Here: https://linktr.ee/levelsupermindcommunity Check out B ... Show More
1h 27m
Feb 2025
Introducing History's Greatest Battles | New Podcast
Vicious civil wars. Gruelling sieges. Rebellious provinces, galling betrayals and tribes seeking revenge… Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Battles, where we’re heading back to the Roman empire. Emily Briffett is joined by historian Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to look ... Show More
1m 15s