Sailing in the Wake of
Alexander the Great
Sailing the path taken by Alexander the Great, from his birthplace to the port he departed from to conquer Asia, is not as tricky as it sounds — it simply needs planning, a knowledgeable guide and an excellent captain who knows the Northern Greek shores. Discover Pella, the Macedonian capital Aigai, the sacred city of Dion and the historic port of Amphipolis on this superyacht itinerary.
PELLA: THE BIRTHPLACE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
It was in the city of Pella, the capital of the ancient Macedonian state, that Alexander the Great was born. The historian and philosopher Xenophon described Pella as “the greatest city in Macedonia” and it remained an important commercial and craft centre until the fourth century AD.
Today, the city is now more than 20km from the Thermaic Gulf, but before the land crept forward over the centuries, Pella was a coastal town. Its seaside location led King Archelaos, in the late fifth century BC, to make it the capital of the growing Macedonian kingdom by transferring the seat of power from Aigai. In his palace — decorated by the renowned painter Zeuxis and visited by Euripides, the famed author of tragedies — both Philip II (382-336 BC) and his son, one of Macedonia’s most brilliant offsprings, Alexander III (356-323 BC) were born.
It is worth taking a stroll through this enormous city to see northern Greece’s oldest public baths, in constant use from the fourth to the first century BC. The city’s splendid houses, which ranged in size from 250-3,000m2, boasted superb mosaic scenes on their floors. One of the most spectacular depicts Dionysus riding a panther. Meanwhile, at 70,000m2, the ancient market (or agora) occupies an area equal to that of the palace and was the largest market square in the ancient world. Different products were sold on each side, from meat and fish to perfumes. On its north side, which is decorated with marble and bronze statues, were two-storey areas in which administrative functions were carried out.
Make sure you visit The Archaeological Museum on the site, which contains all sorts of important artifacts, from coins to sculptures, as well as some incredible mosaics. Also not to be missed are the six Macedonian tombs that have been identified under large burial mounds, representing a significant insight into Macedonian grave architecture.
DION: THE MACEDONIANS’ MOST IMPORTANT SACRED CITY
This is the city in which both Alexander the Great and his father celebrated their great victories with sacrifices to the king of the gods, Zeus, and his daughters, the Muses. And it was here that Alexander also sought help from Zeus before setting out on his Eastern campaign.
Located at the foot of Greece’s highest mountain, Mount Olympus — from where Zeus, the father of the gods, ruled the world — the city was founded in the late sixth century BC and lasted until the early fourth century AD. It is a place of enormous historical interest and is the site of one of the world’s most important archaeological parks, an area covering some 1.5 million m2. Once connected to the sea by the river Baphyrus, it was full of sites of worship, private dwellings, public buildings, shops, workshops and places of entertainment — scholars believe that Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae was presented for the first time in its theatre.
So what should visitors look at first, as they visit the site where Zeus and the Muses were celebrated with athletic and poetic contests? Should they see the incredibly preserved temple of Zeus? Or the temples dedicated to Demeter, sister of Zeus and goddess of fertility and vegetation, whose symbols were wheat and poppies? Or there is the beautiful temple complex dedicated to Isis, the Egyptian goddess of love, healing, fertility, magic, and the moon?
Meanwhile, the Megales Thermes (Great Baths), include impressive statues of the god of wine and theatre, Dionysus, as well as portraits of private citizens and some quite exquisite mosaic floors. There are also the well-built villas once owned by the wealthier townfolk, with their luxurious symposium chambers and mosaic “rugs”, the most important of which depicts the triumph of Dionysus with theatrical mask.
Make sure you don’t miss one of the rarest finds that has come to light so far: a hydravlis, a musical instrument that was an early ancestor of the organ and was played with the help of water.
AIGAI: THE CITY WHERE THE COURSE OF HISTORY CHANGED
The first city to be built by the Macedonians, Aigai is where Philip II was assassinated, paving the way for Alexander the Great’s ascent to the throne. Built on the foothills of the Pieria mountains, this first Macedonian urban centre was also the seat of power, where life approached an unprecedented level of sophistication and luxury. It experienced something of a “golden century” in art, with its unique royal tombs adorned with superb murals, true achievements of ancient painting. Known today as Vergina, Aigai has some of the world’s most intact ancient monuments and has been declared a World Heritage Centre by UNESCO. The palace, at three times the size of the Parthenon, is the largest building preserved from classical Greece — its columned courtyard alone could accommodate 4,000 seated people. It was in the orchestra pit of the nearby theatre that Philip II was murdered while celebrating his daughter Cleopatra’s wedding in 336 BC.
The necropolis is one of the site’s star attractions, with more than 15 richly decorated Macedonian tombs, accessed by marble doors. Among the most important of these is that of Philip II. Its famous gold urn, or larnax, contains the bones of Alexander’s dead father and was found together with the heaviest gold wreath found to date.
Weighing 714 grams, it is intricately decorated with 313 leaves and 68 acorns. Also important is the tomb of the Prince, with its beautiful ivory bas-reliefs, as well as that of Persephone, which has a superb representation of her kidnap by Hades, and that of Eurydice, perhaps the oldest known one, which has a marble gold-decorated throne.
AMPHIPOLIS: A PORT WITH A RICH AND IMPORTANT PAST
In one of the world’s most important historical finds for decades, the magnificent Kasta tomb was uncovered by archaeologists in 2012. Set in an enclosure 3m high, with a perimeter of 497m, this incredible monument contains marble sphinxes, caryatids and splendid mosaics, although speculation is still rife about who is actually buried within.
It’s not just the Kasta tomb, Amphipolis has far more to show than this recent discovery. Its rich history is inextricably linked with Alexander the Great: his fleet set sail from this port on his campaign to Asia in 335 BC and it’s where, after Alexander’s death in Babylon in 323BC, the self-proclaimed King Cassander of Macedonia murdered the great warrior’s Persian wife Roxana and their 13-year-old son Alexander IV in 310BC.
The city’s imposing fortification, the likes of which cannot be seen in any other major Macedonian city, is over 7km long and was a feat of technical engineering. The main symbol of Amphipolis, however, is its famous marble lion, which dates from the fourth century BC. It is more than 4m high and together with its pedestal, exceeds 8m. It is believed to have been built to honour one of Alexander the Great’s most important commanders, Laomedon from Lesbos, who settled in Amphipolis.
Before you leave, don’t miss a visit to the remains of the city’s ancient wooden bridge. This structure played a decisive role in the financial and commercial growth of Amphipolis, as it connected the Strymon River to the gold mines of Mount Pangaion. Dating back to the late fifth century BC, it was 275m long, although only 101 of its supporting piles have been preserved.
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