Manolis Andronikos: Remembering the Archaeologist Who Discovered the Royal Tombs of Vergina The Significant Discovery of King Philip II's Tomb in Vergina

Who Was Manolis Andronikos?

Manolis Andronikos was born on October 23, 1919, in Bursa, Asia Minor. After the Greco-Turkish War and the subsequent Greek Catastrophe of 1922, he and his family relocated to Thessaloniki.

He studied archaeology at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Thessaloniki (1936-1940), earning his doctorate in 1952 with his dissertation "Plato and Art."

In 1941, Andronikos worked as a teacher in Didymoteicho, but he soon escaped to the Middle East, where he participated in military operations against the Axis forces. After the war, he worked as a philologist at the Aglaia Schina girls' schools in Thessaloniki and was appointed to the Archaeological Service in 1949.

Between 1954 and 1955, Andronikos pursued postgraduate studies at Oxford University under the famous professor John Beazley, a leading figure in Greek vase-painting.

In 1957, he was appointed assistant professor of archaeology at the University of Thessaloniki, with his dissertation on Laconian Reliefs. By 1961, he became a professor of Classical Archaeology at the same institution, where he worked until 1983.

His archaeological work spanned various regions in Northern Greece (Veria, Kilkis, Halkidiki, Thessaloniki), but his most significant excavation project took place in Vergina, where he initially worked as an assistant to his mentor Konstantinos Romaios (1938-1940). From 1952, he conducted his own research, leading to the discovery of the royal tombs of Macedonia in 1977, including the probable tomb of King Philip II.

Andronikos' Account of the Discovery of King Philip II’s Tomb in Vergina

“I took the small trowel I’ve carried with me since 1952, bent over the pit, and began to dig stubbornly and anxiously under the archway's key. My collaborators were gathered around me. (…) I continued to dig and soon I was certain. The stone of the western wall was in its place, untouched, firm. (…) 'It’s undisturbed! It’s sealed!' I was deeply happy. I had found the first undisturbed Macedonian tomb. At that moment, nothing else mattered. That night – as every night afterward – I couldn’t sleep more than two or three hours. Around midnight, I took my car and went to make sure the guards were in their positions. The same happened at 2 and 5 a.m. I was thinking, there must be a wonderful surprise hidden inside the sarcophagus.

The only difficulty we encountered was when we lifted the lid. We clearly saw its contents, and we had to remain composed to continue our work, despite our eyes being dazzled by what we saw and our hearts racing with emotion. Inside the sarcophagus was a golden coffin. On its lid, an imposing relief star with sixteen rays, and at its center, a rosette. With great care and even more emotion, I lifted the lid with the star by grasping it at the two front corners. We all expected to see the burnt bones of the deceased inside. But what we saw when it opened took our breath away, blinded our eyes, and filled us with awe: indeed, inside the coffin, there were the charred bones. (…) But the most unexpected sight was a golden wreath of oak leaves and acorns, carefully folded and placed on the bones. I had never imagined such an incomprehensible image. I can vividly recall the reaction I had as I thought to myself: 'If your suspicion is true, that this tomb belongs to Philip, and the golden coffin only confirms this suspicion, then you hold in your hands the coffin with his remains. It is an incredible and terrifying thought, completely unreal.' I don’t think I have ever felt such turmoil in my life, nor will I ever again.”

Excerpt from Manolis Andronikos' book “The Chronicle of Vergina” published by the Educational Foundation of National Bank of Greece...

Contributions Beyond Archaeology

In addition to his archaeological and academic endeavors, Andronikos was deeply involved in education, literature, and the arts. He published studies and articles in numerous magazines and newspapers, many of which are collected in two volumes: "Education or Sleep-Education" and "History and Poetry." His scholarly works on archaeology include many publications in both Greek and international journals and standalone volumes. He also taught and gave lectures at universities across Europe and the United States.

Andronikos was a lifelong member of the Archaeological Society of Athens, a regular member of the Society for Macedonian Studies, the German Archaeological Institute of Berlin, AICA (International Association of Art Critics), “Art” of Thessaloniki, the “Explorer’s Club” of New York, an honorary member of the Spanish Society for Classical Studies Pastor, and the Society for Greek Studies in London. He served as president of the Archaeological Council (1964-1965), the State Theatre of Northern Greece (1974-1975), and vice president of the National Foundation for Research.

In 1980, the Academy of Athens elected him as an honorary member, and in 1982, he received the “Olympia” prize from the Onassis Foundation. In 1992, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Phoenix by President of the Republic, Konstantinos Karamanlis, who had supported his work during his early years as Prime Minister following the restoration of democracy.

Manolis Andronikos was married to philologist Olympia Kakoulidou. A permanent resident of Thessaloniki, he passed away on March 30, 1992, at the age of 73.