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 FYROM Slavmacedonians, 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 Philippos' remains. That appearance of the 16-ray star is possibly the only appearance on ancient findings.
The Macedonian Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles at Leucadia. The 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-Hellcnic 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 Greek world…………
From Acropolis...Athens 5th BC..........
The below picture is from the Spartan Archaelogical museum and show figuirines dated 7th-8th BC (soldiers,horses,shields, birds e.t.c.). These figuirines found in the temple of the Artemidas Orthias.
Please give your attention in four thinks- The Artemis was also a Godness that worship from the Macedonians
- The shields that showed in figuirines and clearly you can see the 8th or 16th star ancient Greek symbols.
- The date of those figuirines 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 Cratere of 6th cent. Of course you can see clearly the 16 star or Vergina Star.Located now in Louvre Museum.
More artifacts 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,1 984
3-Macedonia, Stavros Theofanides, 2006
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