They say that behind every great man is an even greater woman, and Alexander the Great’s mother was no exception. Like all fun historical characters from Ancient Greece, Olympias claimed descent from the Gods and was determined to forge a legacy for her son worthy of his heritage. But her story is a worthy tale completely on its own.

From bewitching the King of Macedonia in a mysterious cult initiation ceremony, to bedding snakes and poisoning rivals to her son’s position in the line of succession, Olympias is the ultimate femme fatale. She was as cunning as she was ruthless, and as clever as she was bold. This story has all the elements of a classic difficult damsels tale: incest, betrayal and murder.

And also way too many people with the same name to make things all the more confusing.