Pella-Vergina

After an early morning wake up in Thessaloniki we loaded our luggage into our pink BMW van and set off for Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great and once the capital of ancient Macedonia. Our first stop of the journey was at the Pella Museum and Archeological site.

Archeological Museum of Pella

Inside the museum, we were able to see many beautiful artifacts recovered from the ancient city. The floors included breathtaking mosaics, and cases were full of battle armor, pottery, figurines, and spiritual items used in funerals and burials.

Various Artifacts from the Pella Museum 

Most notably, our lovely and extremely intelligent tour guide gave us lessons on Alexander the Great and his legacy. He was the son of Phillip II and took the throne as a young man. Prior to his ruling, he was a student of Aristotle.

Throughout his reign, Alexander remained largely undefeated in battle, and some consider him one of the most successful leaders in ancient history. Because of his unmatched ability to fight and conquer, he created one of the largest empires, spanning from Greece to Eastern Asia.

When Alexander died, his son was meant to be the successor to his throne. However, since his son was just a child, Alexander's generals felt that they would be more fit to take the throne, starting a string of civil wars. Alexander's child and wife were then killed, ending his dynasty. After his burial, Alexander's remains were removed, and their whereabouts are still unknown to this day.

A bust of Alexander the Great

Following our tour of the museum, we went to the archaeological site on a part of the ancient city of Pella. We saw walls of the city, the foundations of homes, and what the inner workings of the city would have looked like. The floors of the homes were decorated with mosaics depicting the Gods.

Artifacts and parts of Pella

Lastly, we visited Vergina, the burial place of Alexander's father, Phillip II. Unfortunately, in this museum, we were not able to take pictures because the artifacts were so precious that light and temperature control was crucial.

We were able to stand in front of the tomb of Phillip, which was a chilling experience in itself, even more so knowing that Alexander once stood in the exact same place to visit the tomb of his father. An experience like that is something you simply cannot receive by reading about it in a classroom. When learning about history, it can often seem like just a story. However, when you get to stand in the middle of it all, you get the connection that all of it was real. We looked at the armor that Phillip was burned in, a custom at the time, and no picture on the internet I could have given me the same rush of shock and awe.

The tours, sites, and museums were more than I could have ever expected. The impact of receiving lectures at the places things actually happened is a sobering experience that personally makes me know I will always remember and hold on to that information so much more than I would if I had seen pictures in a book or watched a slideshow in a classroom.