Vergina Sun

HANDMADE BRONZE PLAQUE WITH THE VERGINA SUN .

The Vergina Sun (Greek: Ήλιος της Βεργίνας, romanized: Ilios tis Vergínas, lit. ‘Sun of Vergina’).  Also known as the Star of Vergina, Vergina Star or Argead Star, is a rayed solar symbol . It was first appearing in ancient Greek art of the period between the 6th and 2nd centuries BC. The Vergina Sun proper has sixteen triangular rays, while comparable symbols of the same period variously have sixteen, twelve, eight or (rarely) six rays.

The name “Vergina Sun” became widely used after the archaeological excavations in and around the small town of Vergina, in northern Greece, during the late 1970s. In older references, the name “Argead Star” or “Star of the Argeadai” is used for the Sun.  As the possible royal symbol of the Argead dynasty of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia. There it was depicted on a golden larnax found in a 4th-century BC royal tomb.  It belonged to either Philip II or Philip III of Macedon, the father and half-brother of Alexander the Great, respectively.

Tentatively interpreted as the historical royal symbol of ancient Macedonia, rather than just a generic decorative element in ancient Greek art. The Vergina Sun came into popular use ,among Macedonian Greeks since the 1980s.  And became commonly used as an official emblem in the Greek region of Macedonia, and by other Greek state entities during the 1990s.

Antiquity

Early representations of the symbol go back to at least the 6th century BC. Some hoplites depicted as bearing sixteen-pointed and eight-pointed sunburst symbols on their shields and armor.  And the same symbols being represented on coins from both island and mainland Greece from at least the 5th century BC.  The Iliad describes the first panoply of Achilles as having star motifs.

During his excavations at Vergina, the site of the ancient Macedonian capital of Aegae, the archaeologist Manolis Andronikos found the symbol on the coffin (larnax).  He believed that belonged to Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. The “sunburst” symbol was already well known as a symbol used both by the Macedonian royal dynasty (e.g. on coins).  As well as being present in the Hellenistic civilization more generally. The symbol might represent the Sun god (Helios), whose was a patron deity of the Argead dynasty .