The Vergina Sun (also known as the Star of Vergina, Macedonian star, or Argead Star) is a
rayed solar symbol appearing in
ancient Greek art from the sixth to second centuries BC. It came to prominence following archaeological excavations in and around the small town of
Vergina, in
Macedonia, Greece, during the late 1970s. There it was depicted on a golden
larnax found in a fourth century BC royal tomb belonging either to King
Philip II of Macedon or
Philip III, father and half-brother of
Alexander the Great—respectively.
Since the discoveries at Vergina, the design has become a politically charged symbol associated with the
greater region of Macedonia. It has been a point of conflict between
Greece,
Cyprus, and the
Republic of Macedonia. The Republic of Macedonia used it on its national flag from 1991 to 1995, when it agreed to change its flag following Greek protestation. Greece regards it as an official national symbol and has asserted an exclusive right to its official use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_star