Editing Macedonia (ancient kingdom) (section)

===Religious beliefs and funerary practices===
{{main|Ancient Greek religion|Greek mythology|Hellenistic religion}}
{{further|Ancient Greek temple|Greek hero cult|Greco-Roman mysteries|Oracle of Delphi|Lion of Amphipolis|Lion of Chaeronea|Pella curse tablet}}

[[File:The Abduction of Persephone by Pluto, Amphipolis.jpg|thumb|A [[mosaic]] of the [[Kasta Tomb]] in [[Amphipolis]] depicting the abduction of [[Persephone]] by [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]], 4th{{nbsp}}century{{nbsp}}BC]]
[[File:Lion of Amphipolis BW 2017-10-05 09-38-25.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Lion of Amphipolis]] in [[Amphipolis]], [[northern Greece]], a 4th-century{{nbsp}}BC marble tomb sculpture<ref name="Sansone 2017 223">{{harvnb|Sansone|2017|p=223}}.</ref> erected in honor of [[Laomedon of Mytilene]], a general who served under [[Alexander the Great]]]]
By the 5th century BC, the Macedonians and the southern Greeks worshiped more or less the [[List of Greek deities|same deities of the Greek pantheon]].<ref>{{harvnb|Anson|2010|pp=17–18}}; see also {{harvnb|Christesen|Murray|2010|pp=428–445}} for ways in which Macedonian religious beliefs diverged from mainstream Greek polytheism, although the latter was hardly "monolithic" throughout the Classical Greek and Hellenistic world and Macedonians were "linguistically and culturally Greek" according to Christesen and Murray. {{harvnb|Christesen|Murray|2010|pp=428–429}}.</ref> In Macedonia, political and religious offices were often intertwined. For instance, the head of state for the city of Amphipolis also served as the priest of [[Asklepios]], Greek god of medicine; a similar arrangement existed at [[Cassandreia]], where a cult priest honoring the city's founder [[Cassander]] was the nominal head of the city.<ref>{{harvnb|Errington|1990|pp=225–226}}.</ref> The main sanctuary of [[Zeus]] was maintained at [[Dion, Pieria|Dion]], while another at [[Veria]] was dedicated to [[Herakles]] and was patronized by [[Demetrius II Aetolicus]] ({{reign|239|229|era=BC}}).<ref>{{harvnb|Errington|1990|p=226}}; {{harvnb|Christesen|Murray|2010|pp=430–431}}</ref> Meanwhile, foreign [[Ancient Egyptian religion|cults from Egypt]] were fostered by the royal court, such as the temple of [[Sarapis]] at Thessaloniki.<ref name="errington 1990 226"/> The Macedonians also had relations with "international" cults; for example, Macedonian kings [[Philip III of Macedon]] and [[Alexander IV of Macedon]] made [[votive offering]]s to the internationally esteemed [[Samothrace temple complex]] of the [[Cabeiri]] [[mystery cult]].<ref name="errington 1990 226">{{harvnb|Errington|1990|p=226}}.</ref>

In the three royal tombs at [[Vergina]], professional painters decorated the walls with a mythological scene of [[Hades]] abducting [[Persephone]] and royal hunting scenes, while lavish [[grave goods]] including [[Ancient Greek military personal equipment|weapons, armor]], drinking vessels, and personal items were housed with the dead, whose bones [[Cremation|were burned]] before [[Ancient Greek funeral and burial practices|burial in golden coffins]].<ref>{{harvnb|Borza|1992|pp=257–260}}; {{harvnb|Christesen|Murray|2010|pp=432–433}}; see also {{harvnb|Hammond|Walbank|2001|pp=5–7}} for further details.</ref> Some grave goods and decorations were common in other Macedonian tombs, yet some items found at Vergina were distinctly tied to royalty, including a [[diadem]], luxurious goods, and arms and armor.<ref>{{harvnb|Borza|1992|pp=259–260}}; see also {{harvnb|Hammond|Walbank|2001|pp=5–6}} for further details.</ref> Scholars have debated about the identity of the tomb occupants since [[Manolis Andronikos|the discovery]] of their remains in 1977–1978,<ref>{{harvnb|Borza|1992|pp=257, 260–261}}.</ref> and recent research and forensic examination have concluded that at least one of the persons buried was Philip{{nbsp}}II.<ref group="note">{{harvnb|Sansone|2017|p=224}}; {{harvnb|Hammond|Walbank|2001|p=6}}. <br />Rosella Lorenzi (10 October 2014). "[http://www.seeker.com/remains-of-alexander-the-greats-father-confirmed-found-1769168761.html  Remains of Alexander the Great's Father Confirmed Found: King Philip II's bones are buried in a tomb along with a mysterious woman-warrior] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118215400/http://www.seeker.com/remains-of-alexander-the-greats-father-confirmed-found-1769168761.html |date=2017-01-18 }}." ''Seeker''. Retrieved 17 January 2017.</ref> Located near Tomb{{nbsp}}1 are the above-ground ruins of a ''[[heroon]]'', a shrine for [[Cult (religion)|cult worship]] of the dead.<ref>{{harvnb|Borza|1992|p=257}}.</ref> In 2014, the ancient Macedonian [[Kasta Tomb]] was discovered outside of Amphipolis and is the largest ancient tomb found in Greece (as of 2017).<ref>{{harvnb|Sansone|2017|pp=224–225}}.</ref>