Fessalonika Fessalonika Half-sister of Alexander the Great, daughter of the Macedonian king Philip II from his mistress Nikesipolis. Country: Greece

Biography of Thessalonica, Half-Sister of Alexander the Great

Thessalonica (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη) was the half-sister of Alexander the Great and the daughter of Macedonian King Philip II and his mistress Nicesipolis from the Thessalian city of Fera. She was born around 342 BC, possibly named after Philip II's victories in Thessaly, as her name is derived from the Greek words "Thessalia" and "nika," meaning victory.

Little is known about the fate of Nicesipolis and the other mistresses of Philip II. It is believed that Thessalonica was raised under the care of Olympias, Philip's main wife and the mother of Alexander the Great. When Alexander embarked on his conquest of Asia, Thessalonica was only 8 years old. She probably lived with Olympias for some time in Epirus.

Thessalonica reached marriageable age before Alexander's death, but during the ensuing chaos of the Diadochi, there was no one capable of finding a suitable husband for her, someone worthy of marrying into the royal bloodline. Her name first appears in historical records in 316 BC, among those accompanying the Queen of Macedonia, Olympias, when she sought refuge in the fortress of Pydna from the forces of the Diadoch Cassander. After a long siege, Olympias surrendered and was soon executed. Thessalonica became the wife of the victorious Cassander, the new ruler of Macedonia.

All the Diadochi sought to marry into the Macedonian royal family to legitimize their aspirations to become kings, and it seems that Cassander's marriage to Thessalonica was not only a political move but also a genuine attachment to Philip II's daughter. Cassander named a new city, founded on the site of the ancient city of Thermi, after her, which is now known as Thessaloniki in Greece.

Thessalonica bore Cassander three sons: Philip, Antipater, and Alexander. Philip succeeded to the throne of Macedonia after Cassander's death in 298 BC but died soon after due to illness. Thessalonica retained significant influence as her sons came of age and could govern the state independently. A power struggle ensued between her remaining sons, and to deprive Alexander of influential support, his brother Antipater killed their mother in 295 BC.

The people were outraged by the heinous murder, and Alexander, with the support of Epirus King Pyrrhus, expelled his mother's murderer. Antipater fled to his father-in-law, Thracian King Lysimachus, but they eventually quarreled, and Antipater was executed.

In modern Greece, there is a legend that has emerged about a mermaid who has inhabited the Aegean Sea for centuries. This mermaid is said to be the same Thessalonica, the sister of Alexander the Great. When the mermaid encounters a sailor, she always asks one question: "Is King Alexander alive?" The correct answer is "He is alive and still reigning." The mermaid then releases the ship with blessings. Any other answer provokes her anger, and she transforms into a Gorgon, causing the ship and everyone on board to perish. (from a Greek children's book)