Olympias
The area from which Olympias came was considered barbaric, and her practice of Dionysian rituals did little to convince Philip and other Macedonians otherwise.
She probably had fair skin, and was probably red- or auburn-haired, according to Renault. She was also known to be jealous and vindictive, and very protective of Alexander. She did not appreciate Philip's polygamy and wanted to see Alexander become heir to the throne. She would usually take Alexander's side in family disputes, and some writers even claim that she helped inspire Pausanias' plot to kill Philip.
Olympias and Alexander had deep feelings for each other, perhaps more substantial than normal mother-son connections. She was especially jealous of Hephastion, Alexander's very intimate friend since boyhood. She felt that he was keeping Alexander from her and a potential wife. Olympias frequently tried to arrange for women to attempt to seduce Alexander, but never succeeded.
A short time after Alexander's death, Olympias and Alexander's widow, Roxane, were both murdered by Cassander, a one-time friend of Alexander.
