Vergina Sun

by akritas, 28th December 2006

http://ancient-medieval-macedonian-history.blogspot.com/

The 16-pointed star "Sun of Vergina" as also named discovered in recent

excavations as the symbol of the royal Macedonian dynasty of ancient
Greece, and which is now being claimed as their own by the
FYROMacedonians, was widely used in Attica during the classical period,
long before its adoption by the Macedonian royal house.

The star, identical with the one decorating the larnax discovered in the
tomb of Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, at
Vergina in Northern Greece, has been found as one of the elements of
decoration on at least four temples of the classical era, including two on
the Acropolis of Athens.
The 16-ray star as it was designed on the golden larnaka that contained
Philip’s' remains. That appearance of the 16-ray star is possibly the only
appearance on ancient findings.

The Macedonian Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles at LeucadiaThe tomb is

dated to ca. 200 B.C. The tomb was accidentaly discovered in 1942 at
Leucadia Emathias and subsequently excavated by Ch. Macaronas. The
results of the investigation were published in a book by his collaborator,
Stella Miller, in 1993.
Pan-Hellenic Sun in the rest of the Greek World

The "Macedonian Star" or "Sun of Vergina" is the continuation of the

oldest ancient Greek symbol of the Sun, which also predominated on the
Acropolis of Athens.

The Sun was also the most important symbol of the origin and
continuation of all Hellenes: Arcadians, Athenians, Thessalians
Macedonians - their first God, before the Olympian Gods. The choice of
this symbol was obvious and natural: one of the most vital elements on
earth is the Sun - the source of life.

Many people call it "the Sun of Vergina" or the "Macedonian Star» but
this is only a partial truth. This symbol has a history of more than three
thousand years. It was the original logo or sign which the Proto- Hellenes
used as their emblem for many centuries. The Macedonians simply
continued the ancient Proto-Hellenic heritage or tradition of their
forefathers.

From the late 17th century AD, and in particular the 18th century,
classical Greek civilization began to attract the ever-growing interest,
curiosity and imagination of western Europeans. One manifestation of this
was the numerous “journeys of discovery” undertaken by various scholars
to the soil of “rediscovered Hellas” itself, which was then still part of the
Ottoman Empire. Two such individuals were the young architects James
Stuart and Nicholas Revett, who in 1751 arrived in Attica and immediately
set about accurately recording the architectural details of surviving
buildings of classical Athens and its surroundings.

In what follows, I present some samples of the "Pan-Hellenic Sun" from

temples all over ancient Greece………………………………………………………….
The below picture is from the Spartan Archaelogical museum and show
figurines (soldiers,horses,shields, birds e.t.c.).These figurines found in
the temple of the Artemidas Orthias.

Please give your attention in four thinks

-The Artemis was also a Goodness that worship from the Macedonians
-The shields that showed in figurines and clearly you can see the 8th or
16th star ancient Greek symbols.
-The date of those figurines estimated at 8th-7th cent, a close date
years) that estimated the Greek settlement (Karanos) in Emathia.
-The connections of the Spartan Symbols with the Macedonian Symbols.
Actually both were Dorians.
Below is a picture from a Lacon Crater of 6th cent. Of course you can see
clearly the 16 stars or Vergina Star. Located now in Louvre Museum
More artefacts regarding the Pan-Hellenic sun located in

- Vase found in an ancient Greek city in Sicily and is displayed in a

museum in Naples. On this vase a woman is illustrated who
according to the inscription is Hellas. Along with Hellas are Dias
and Athena and on both sides of the gods the "sun of Vergina" is
drawn.

- Column's capital of Ionic order (5th century BC, Museum of

Kavala), from a temple of an Athenian colony, Naples (present day
Kavala), carries in the middle an exact duplicate symbol to that of
Vergina. This temple (of Diana or Artemis) has been chronologically
dated at 5th century BC, before the Macedonians expanded beyond
the Paggaion mountain and a century before Philip's death.

- Amphora from Milos (650 BC, National Archaeological Museum of

Athens), on which Apollo and Artemis (Diana) are illustrated and on
its neck Achilles and Memnon are fighting. Next to Artemis is a 16-
ray symbol.

- Cup (485-480 BC, museum of Louvre, Paris), where Agamemnon

leads Brisida (for the possession of whom Achilles left the Trojan
war) to his tent accompanied by Takthyvios and Diomedes.
Agamemnon wears a royal collar with two 16-ray symbols.

- Coin from Syracuse (260 BC, National Archaeological Museum of

Athens). One side has the head of tyrant Ieron and on the other
side goddess Nike riding a chariot driven by 4 horses. There is an
inscription "BASILEOS IERONOS" (King Ieron) and above the
word "BASILEOS" is the 16-ray symbol.

- Crater (435 BC, British Museum, London). The Sun, Moon and Stars
in humanoid form are riding a chariot. The head of the Sun
resembles that of Vergina.

- Crater (480 BC, Kunsthistoisches Museum, Vienna). Poseidon fights

Polyvotis, who has a 16-ray symbol on his left breastplate.
 - Crater (4th century BC, Staatlishe Antikensammlungen, Munich),
Eos (Aurora), the morning star, rides her chariot accompanied by
the sun. There are six 16-ray symbols here.
- Pitcher (490 BC, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). Danae carries her
baby Perseus. There is also an urn with lionlike legs carrying two
16-ray symbols exactly the same as that of Vergina.

- Part of a kalpis, a pitcher with three handles (460 BC, Ermitaz

museum, Petroupolis). Amphiaraos, mythical hero of Argos, bids
farewell to his wife Eriphyle. The 16-ray symbol is on his
breastplate.

- Crater (4th century BC, Staatlishe Antikensammlungen, Munich),

where Orpheus is in Hades. The only 16-ray symbol there is exactly
the same as the one from Vergina.

- Water-jug (480 BC, museum of Louvre, Paris) baby Hercules

wrestles the snakes. His cradle is adorned with a 16-ray symbol
exactly the same as the one from Vergina.

- Amphora (515 BC, Staatlishe Antikensammlungen, Munich).

Hercules is on Olympus and there are five 16-ray symbols.

- Sicilian crater (350 BC, Archaeological museum, Lipari, Italy).

Adrastos separates the quarreling heroes Polynice and Tideas. The
palace is adorned with 16-ray symbols.

Sources:
1-Istoria ton Ellinon (History of the Hellene),Domi, 2006
2-Andronikos, Discover the Vergina,1984
3-Macedonia, Stavros Theofanides ,2006