Thessalonike of Macedon

Thessalonike (; 342? – 295 BC) was a Greek Macedonian princess, the daughter of King Philip II of Macedon by his Thessalian wife or concubine, Nicesipolis. History links her to three of the most powerful men in Macedon—daughter of King Philip II, half-sister of Alexander the Great and wife of Cassander. Life Thessalonike's date of birth is unknown. While there is a consensus that her name commemorates her father's victory in Thessaly (it is a composite of "Thessaly" and "nike," the Greek word for "victory"), it is unclear which victory it specifically references. Some historians cite her birth as being as early as 353 or 352 BC, but 346/5 may be more accurate. According to one narrative, to commemorate the birth of his daughter, which fell on the same day as the armies of Macedon and Thessalian league won the significant battle of Crocus Field in Thessaly over the Phocians, King Philip is said to have proclaimed, "Let her be called victory in Thessaly." Nicesipolis did not live long after Thessalonike's birth. According to Stephanus of Byzantium, Philip gave the baby to a woman named Nice to raise. Olympias, who may have been a friend of Nicesipolis, may have taken Thessalonike to be raised as her own daughter following her mother's death. Little is known about Thessalonike's early life. Philip II did not arrange Thessalonike's marriage, as he did for her sisters, likely due to her youth at the time of his death. Thessalonike appears to have been brought up by her stepmother Olympias, through little is recorded about her youth. Thessalonike was, by far, the youngest child Olympias' care. Her interaction with her older brother Alexander would have been minimal, as he was under the tutelage of Aristotle in "The Gardens Of Midas" when she was born, and at the age of six or seven when he left on his Persian campaign. She was only twenty-one when Alexander died. Alexander did not arrange a marriage for Thessalonike, likely to avoid creating political rivals. After Alexander's death, Olympias tried to arrange marriage for her own daughter, Cleopatra of Macedon, but did not do the same for Thessalonike (already old for a royal bride), likely also for political reasons. Thessalonike returned to Macedon in 317 BC with Olympias. She, along with Olympias, Roxana, Alexander IV of Macedon, and Alexander's betrothed, Deidameia, sought refuge in the fortress of Pydna on the advance of Cassander in 315 BC.