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DAY EXCURSIONS
armosphere is particularly
emotive as the place is dark
with selective lighting on the
exhibits. Past the entrance
there are funerary steles,
finds from tombs of locals
of that time and the ruins
of a 3 rd c. BC tomb (tomb
IV), consisting of parts of
walls and pillars as well as the
façade’s superstructure. Next
is the Memorial, a monument
dedicated to the memory of
distinguished persons and
after that there is a cist tomb
(tomb I of Persephone) that
belonged to one of the wives
of Philip II. In the next section
lie the tomb of King Philip
II with exquisite murals and
friezes on display as well as
arms and his suit of armour
decorated with gold; the
remains of the funeral pyre;
the gold larnax that weighs
11 kg and contained the bones
and the golden oak wreath
of the dead king, decorated
with the macedonian star (or
Vergina Sun); the gold larnax
of the royal wife; the cloth
embroidered with gold threads
which covered the two larnakes
(chest-shaped coffins); and
the two gold and ivory beds.
The last part consists of
what is believed to have
been the tomb of Alexander
IV, son of Alexander the
Great and Roxanne, who was
assassinated by Cassander in
310 BC; a silver urn containing
the bones of the dead person,
framed with the ivory relief
motifs of the funeral bed.
In a separate room, visitors
can watch a video where M.
Andronikos takes them on a
tour of the monuments. Other
excavations in the wider area
of the Aiges necropolis have
unearthed archaic tombs, pit
and cist tombs (6 th and 5 th c.
BC), as well as temple-shaped
macedonian tombs one of
which apparently belonged
to Queen Eurydice, the mother
of King Philip II
Palace. It covers a 12,500
m 2 area and it used to be
the largest and the most
important construction (next
to Parthenon, Athens) of the
Hellenic Classical Antiquity.
This two-storeyed edifice
is presumed to be the work
of Pytheos who was the
architect of the Mausoleum
of Halicarnassos [modern-day
Bodrum, Turkey], one of the 7
wonders of the ancient world.
The palace’s architectural style
is considered avant-garde for
that time and it was built of
limestone during the 2 nd half
of the 4 th c. BC on a plateau;
this made it visible from
any point of the surrounding
area. The palace interior
included a large peristyle
surrounding the courtyard of
the palace and a propylaeum
(a monumental gateway), a
temple dedicated to Hercules
Patroos [Macedonians believed
Hercules was their Ancestor],
luxury rooms paved with
mosaic floors, and reserved for
symposia, as well as auxiliary
rooms (stables, warehouses
and so on).
Theatre. It was built circa
340 BC, north of the Palace,
and is one of the oldest stone
theatres of the Hellenic World.
It contained nine rows of seats
and today the foundations are
all that’s left of the stage. King
Philip II was assassinated here
in 336 BC.
Temples. The religious site
dedicated to goddess Euclea
(4 th c. BC) is to be found near
the theatre. It comprises
two temples, an altar, a stoa,
a building with a peristyle,
and the remaining bases of
royal votive offerings, with
inscriptions. Closeby, you
will see the temple of Kyveli
[Cybele] (2 nd half of the 4 th c.
BC), the mother of the gods;
a building of the Hellenistic
period was unearthed at a
short distance, dating to the
2 nd c. BC.
Acropolis. Excavations have
brought to light five towers
that were part of the Acropolis,
and at a short distance there
are ruins of the 3-metre
thick fortification walls; in
the vicinity you will see the
remains of house foundations
dating to the period from the
5 th to the 1 st c. BC.
2.1 Veroia.
This beautiful and historic
town in the North of Greece
is located 8 km NW of Vergina.
It used to be the second most
important town for ancient
Macedonians, after Aiges;
prosperity times went on
during the Roman and the
Byzantine period. Veroia was
one of the places visited by
Apostle Paul and a Podium
was constructed in 1995
to commemorate this event.
In the past the town was also
known as Little Jerusalem
because of the numerous
Byzantine and post-byzantine
churches out of which more
than 50 have survived. There
is also a centuries-old Jewish
presence in town; Barbouta
(on the banks of Tripotamos
River) is today the only
DAY EXCURSIONS
87
101 102
103
101, 102 &
103.
The Royal
Tombs of
Vergina: (left)
the golden
larnax of
Meda, wife of
King Philip II;
(middle) the
King’s burial
place; (right)
the urn bearing
the gold wreath
of Alexander IV.