HELLO FROM GREECE

[ruthaki]

Hello everyone, I'm in Greece for the summer and just finished a wonderful tour of all the Alexander sites up north. I've been many times before, but this time was tour-guide for my best friend from Canada. And one big thrill was finally getting to Mieza. (Thanks for the instructions how to get there, wm.pank) We were staying in Veria and took the bus to Naoussa for the day, then a taxi from the Naoussa bus depot (only 2 and half kilometers) to Mieza, the school of Aristotle. A gorgeous setting and so fascinating the way it was built incorporating the caves. I must also say that I am tremendously impressed with the new museum which is incorporated into the tombs at Vergina. I was astounded at the work that the archaeologists have done, especially in sorting out all the individual offerings from the funeral pyre. I'd seen many of the other tomb treasures several times from the first time they went on display in Thessaloniki in '78 up til recently. Most of them are now in the new museum; the rest should be there within the next couple of months. And one huge surprise and point of interest was the identification of the young woman buried with Philip. They have rec onstructed the funeral bed from her tomb and now believe her to be Mina, one of his foreign consorts, likely a Thracian as they had the custom of offering themselves on their husband's funeral pyres. All quite fascinating! Much more to tell when I return to Canada in September. Now I'm off to Turkey for a look at the site of ancient Halicarnassus. Not much left of the mausoleum there (I've seen it in the British Museum) but just to be in the area will be of interest to me as it's one part of Turkey I have not visited before.

[anna]

Yay!!!! I'm IN again. What a forum...But i digress.
As long as i'm allowed to post - Ruth, what a great trip. I envy you, really. And about the tomb - didn't someone mention here already that this is not actually Phllip's tomb? What do you think?

[marcus]

Hi Ruth,So now we know why you haven't been writing in the forum for a while!I'm still waiting for the opportunity to do a Macedonian holiday. By the sound of it it's a good idea to wait for a bit longer anyway, until the Vergina museum has got everything in it!Have fun at Halicarnassus. I haven't been there (managed to do most of Turkey *except* the West Coast), but as I work about 20 mins from the British Museum I can, theoretically, pop in and gaze at the mausoleum whenever I want to (which means I never get to do it, of course) :-)All the bestMarcus

[wmp]

Good to hear from you in Greece, Ruthaki, - &
glad you made it this time to Mieza. I was there
in May (damp & chilly - but I didn't go for the
weather!), and was pleased to see that they'd
tidied up the site a bit - although the disabled
access ramp looked a bit like a roller-coaster
ride to me...In May, the Vergina tombs had a few of the
exhibits missing since my previous visit there
(about a year before) - the armour & gorytos
from Tomb II - & no explanation of where they'd
gone or for how long . . . So, Marcus, even if you
do delay visiting, some of the exhibits may have
wandered :)Enjoy Halicarnassus!wmp

[maciek]

Hi Ruth!
Great trip indeed! I will be in Turkey in September so I guess You will leave until then:-(
I'm also curious when the armor, golden goryto and other most interesting stuff will be there because the year ago I've got the information in Thessaloniki that everything is in Vergina and in Vergina they said to me that it is under preparation to put it into exposition. So if it is strange that it's still not there.
Maciek

[jan]

Greetings Ruthaki,Have a great summer exploring and writing your book. I enjoyed reading your post. Sounds like you have quite a schedule, and little time for us. Hope I can do the same soon.Jan

[agesilaos]

It is almost certainly the tomb of Philip Arrhidaeos and his consort the Illyrian Eurydike.

[Kate]

Hi Ruthaki,Your post has made me go quite green with envy! It's about eight years since I was at Vergina and I'd love to go back, especially if they have been expanding the museum. It's even longer since I visited Harlicarnassus when I "did" all the major sites on that coast. The area around Bodrum is beautiful, though I believe Bodrum itself is now something of a tourist ghetto, and I'm sure you will enjoy your trip.
Interesting to hear too about the body thought to be Mina: I'd like to believe that the tomb is that of Philip rather than his son.Cheers,
Kate

[susan]

Philip's wife was Meda - but it's quite likely that it is not Philip but Arrhidaeos in the tomb, in which case the woman is probably Adea Eurydike, Philip's grand-daughter and Arrhidaeos' wife. It is this royal blood that would grant her a place in the royal graves.Susan

[ruthaki]

Hello again, Well I have to go along with the Greek archaeologists who insist this is Philip's tomb and that the other body was that of one of his foreign consorts. I have also viewed the skeleton a couple of times (it's not on display in the new museum as yet) and feel it is really Philip. As for the missing items I was informed they are in the lab and will be on display within a couple of months.About Halicarnassus: The mausoleum in the British Museum must just be a copy because evidently the knights of St. John destroyed the real one and used the stones from it in the building of their castle at Bodrum. By the way, the castle contains one of the most amazing museums I've ever seen: the world's only undersea archaeological museum with displays of cargo and wrecks dating back to 1400 BC. Well worth a visit!

[maciek]

That's very interesting news Ruth!! I'm curious why then the information about the tomb was so loudly placed in medias. I also always preferred this version that the tomb is Philip's so I'm interested in watching how this will end (if ever will be). Also I will try to visit Bodrum so thanks for those info. Will You be in Antalya Region (Side, Aspendos, Perge and so on)? If so I'm very interested in Your conclusions from there as I will be there for sure from 8 or 10 of August! Have a nice trip Ruth! I'm waiting impatiently for Your next info here!Maciek