Who was Alexander's mother?

Olympias was Alexander the Great’s mother. She was an Epirite princess from the Molossian royal house and married Philip II of Macedon around 357 BC, strengthening the political alliance between Epirus and Macedon.

Alexander was born in 356 BC, probably at Pella, the Macedonian capital. Ancient writers surrounded his birth with dramatic omens, including stories of dreams, lightning, and divine ancestry. These legends helped portray Alexander as destined for greatness, but Olympias’ historical importance was already substantial as a member of a powerful royal family.

Her marriage to Philip became strained, especially after he married Cleopatra Eurydice, a Macedonian noblewoman. Olympias and Alexander temporarily withdrew to Epirus during the resulting succession tensions. After Philip’s assassination in 336 BC, Olympias supported Alexander’s position as king and remained an influential, politically active figure.

After Alexander died in 323 BC, Olympias fought to protect the succession of her grandson, Alexander IV. She defeated Adea Eurydice in 317 BC but was later captured and executed by Cassander. Cleopatra, one of the listed alternatives, was both Alexander’s half-sister and the name of Philip’s later wife—not his mother.