Myrtle wreath at Vergina ( el, Χρυσό στεφάνι της Βεργίνας, Latin: corona Verginae) made of gold myrtle (''

Myrtus communis ''Myrtus communis'', the common myrtle or true myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It is an evergreen shrub native to southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian Subcontinent, and a ...

'') leaves and flowers, is one of the most valuable finds from the

antechamber A vestibule (also anteroom, antechamber, or foyer) is a small room leading into a larger space such as a lobby, entrance hall or passage, for the purpose of waiting, withholding the larger space view, reducing heat loss, providing storage space ...

of the royal

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...

tombs at

Vergina Vergina ( el, Βεργίνα, ''Vergína'' ) is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Laus ...

, Greece. From the

Hellenistic period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 3 ...

(300-30 BC), the gold wreath is thought to belong to

Meda Meda may refer to: Places * Meda de Mouros, a parish in Tábua Municipality, Portugal * Medas, a parish in Gondomar Municipality, Portugal * Meda-Ela, Sri Lanka * Međa (Leskovac), village in the municipality of Leskovac, Serbia * Meda, Lombardy ...

, the Thracian princess and fifth wife of

Philip II of Macedon Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...

. Which was theorized by Greek archaeologist

Manolis Andronikos Manolis Andronikos ( el, Μανόλης Ανδρόνικος) (October 23, 1919 – March 30, 1992) was a Greek archaeologist and a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Biography Andronikos was born on October 23, 1919 at ...

, whom excavated the tomb of Philip II, father of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

in 1977. This theory today is still in debate on whether this tomb actually belongs to these royals.

Meaning and symbolism

Myrtle and attire

A plant sacred to the goddess

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...

, myrtle was a symbol of love. Greeks wore wreaths for special events and received them as athletic prizes and honors. The wreaths were made of gold foil, they were created to be buried with the dead but too fragile to be worn for everyday attire. The myrtle leaves and blossoms on the myrtle wreath were cut from thin sheets of gold, stamped and incised details, and then wired onto the stems. Many that survive today were found in graves.

The myrtle wreath

After

restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

, there are 80 leaves and 112 flowers. The main wreath, from which the small twigs sprouted, consists of a narrow cylindrical rod, whose two ends are flattened by twisting together. The internal diameter of the main tube is 0.18 - 0.16 m. while the external is 0.26 - 0.23 m. The gold myrtle wreath was exposed at

Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki ( el, Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης ) is a museum in Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece. It holds and interprets artifacts from the Prehistoric, Archaic, Classical ...

until 1997, when it is moved to Museum of Vergina.

References

{{Reflist Art of Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Culture of Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Myrtus Headgear Visual motifs Plants in culture