Tuesday, October 4, 2016

The golden crown and the golden larnax of Philip II, the ancient Greek King and father of Alexander the Great.


Originally shared by Macedonia is Hellas

The golden crown and the golden larnax of Philip II, the ancient Greek King and father of Alexander the Great. Museum of Royal Tombs of Aigai, Macedonia, northern Greece.

The crown
The crown bears 313 oak leaves and 68 acorns. According to Greek mythology, Zeus' sacred tree was the oak.
The crown dates back to 350-325 BC and it was found inside the Tomb of Philip II in Vergina, Macedonia, northern Greece.

The larrnax
A heavy solid gold casket from the rich, unplundered tomb of Greek King Philip II of Macedon, which contained the assassinated king's burnt bones, was found at the Macedonian Royal Tombs in Vergina, Macedonia, northern Greece.
The symbol on the top is the Sun of Vergina, an ancient Pan-Hellenic symbol which was widely used in the Kingdom of Macedon. It consists of 16 rays; 12 of them represent the 12 Greek gods and the remaining 4 represent the 4 elements (air, water, fire and soil).

Philip II reigned from 359 to 336 B.C., expanding his kingdom to include Greece's perennially squabbling city states. His son and successor, Alexander the Great, who distinguished himself in Philip's Greek campaigns, expanded Macedonian rule at the head of a Greek army, reaching as far as the borders of India.

Image source: http://en.discoververia.gr/mouseio-vasilikon-tafon-verginas/

#Macedonia #Philip #Vergina #Aigai #Hellas #Greece #Macedon #History #Archaeology #AlexandertheGreat

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