Macedonia: What’s in a Name?

[TrueLight]

just wanted to post this up, cause i was reading it and found it very interesting

heres the link http://www.greekcity.com.au//content.cfm?id=4565

Macedonia : What’s in a Name?

It’s been a long time since I last wrote an article on Macedonia . Like most of the Greeks abroad, we carry Macedonia in our hearts, and back in my student days I campaigned on the issue. It was a constant feature of the Greek magazine we produced. However, I drifted from the campaign. It wasn’t until a recent visit to Thessaloniki from London in 2008 that the historian in me awoke from its slumber – like a great bear after a long sleep.

Should I be writing on Macedonia ? It’s an emotive issue and I would merely be another Greek providing his thoughts on the matter. BUT I’m also a historian and my job over the years has been to produce fact and ignore fiction, to produce a real account and consign myth to the storytellers. I do not want to offend the people to the north of Greece , however if I was a lawyer arguing a case to the Court, the following would be my closing statement.

Sitting at the airport in Thessaloniki, I thought about the beauty of this truly amazing city – a place of Byzantine and Ottoman monuments, the buzzing nightlife, the charm of the people and its proximity to the spectacular interior of Macedonia . This is the state and home of arguably the most famous Greek of all, the self-proclaimed ancient God and King, Megas Alexandros whose name seemingly creates controversy in the Balkans. So why is that, I ask?

Let us journey back to a time before border disputes and the invention of frappe. To a time of the Macedonians.

The Monarchy

The first King of Macedon was Perdicas. To the naked eye, your typical Greek sounding name. His dynasty was to be called the Argead, translating to the people from Argos (the Greek town and nemesis of Sparta in the Peloponnese). Perdicas’ reign was during the middle of the 8th century BC. According to tradition, Hercules was the forefather of the dynasty. The name Macedon means ‘tall people’ in the Doric Greek.

King Perdicas, just like this writer, had an affinity with the sun. The 16 pointed star of Vergina can be traced back to his reign and was a result of his settling in the region – appropriating land that was lit by the sun. The star of Vergina, is not only a Greek symbol from antiquity but it appears to have been used by FYROM in recent decades. It is always flattering to see the use of Greek symbols across the world. Usually it’s the ‘meandro’ however it is rare that Greek symbols are used on national flags (perhaps the ultimate tribute), thankfully the flag of FYROM has officially changed in recent years.

The early Macedonians settled around the rivers of Axius and Haliacmon, before expanding to the north. Macedonia and its immediate neighbour Epiros differed to most of the Greek speaking territories to the far south. It was an absolute monarchy and its dialect of the Greek language was different to that of the Athenians who viewed them as ‘uncouth.’ They also tended to veer from the politics of the Greek city-states.

This isolationist policy reaped its rewards, with the state gradually expanding under various kings until it held roughly the equivalent of today’s Macedonia in Greece . By the 4th Century BC it was an emerging power in the Greek world, and under Amyntas who died circa 370 BC, the state was unified and ready to conquer its neighbours to the north, the Paionians.

The Paionians are an interesting group. ‘Settled’ barbarians would have been an appropriate term and they occupied most of the territory of what is known as FYROM. Yes that is correct, the ancient name of FYROM was Paionia. This region, along with large areas in Illyria to the east and Thrace in the west, was conquered by one of the greatest generals in history. Philipos – otherwise known to us as Philip II of Macedon.

4th Century

Philip, was a genius in every sense. Not only did he conquer the neighbouring territories but he spread the Greek culture and language to the ‘barbarians,’ earned the wrath of Demosthenes in Athens, defeated the Athenians in diplomacy and battle, created the first ever professional military force based around the phalanx, indulged in bisexual activities (just to show what a true Greek he was) and unified most of Greece by 338BC after the battle of Chaeronea. He also devised the plans to invade Persia . This was his revenge for their invasion decades earlier and to free the Greek cities of Asia Minor.

Philip would most likely have gained the same pantheon in history as Alexander, his son, had he not been murdered in 336BC. The story of his murder is of no concern to us here, suffice to say it paved the way for Alexander, a Greek man claimed by FYROM as one of its own. In fact Alexander was to be revered by so many cultures and people at his death, however they were people and cultures that he had contact with during his lifetime.

There is no need to go into his achievements here except to say Megas Alexandros was born to an Epirote Princess and Macedonian father. Like all the monarchs before him, Alexandros spoke Greek, worshipped the Greek Gods, before deifying himself, claimed to be a descendent of Achilles and significantly spread Greek culture all over the known world. This last point is crucial. He did not spread Phoenician, Slavic, Latin or Icelandic culture. He spread the Greek culture – his own. He created 33 Hellenic cities with Greek sounding names.

The teacher of Alexandros was a man who can arguably be known as one of 10 greatest Greeks of all time. Aristotle. His philosophy that there are Greeks and then there are barbarians is true to his time. When people try to claim Alexandros as being Slavic, they should consider this point. Aristotle would never have taught a ‘barbarian.’ A barbarian to the Greeks was anyone not Greek. Interestingly, Aristotle was born in a town not far from Alexandros’ Pella. Aristotle was born and died a Macedonian (he only spent about 20 years in Athens). A poignant reminder of the Greek identity of Alexandros came when he sent a message to Athens after liberating the Greek cities of Asia Minor – that he was the King of and friend to his fellow Greeks, except of course the Spartans!

And on the subject of Gods, did you know that Mount Olympus is in Macedonia ? My recollection of mythology points to the Greek Gods sitting on Mount Olympus – in Macedonia !

Hellenistic Age

The death of Alexandros in 323 BC ushered in a brilliant period known as the Hellenistic Age. By the nature of the term it is easy to work out that the epoch was Greek. How could this be? Alexandros’ empire was divided up by his generals. Ptolemy took Egypt founding the Ptolemaic dynasty ruling from Alexandria (305BC), Antigonus established the Antogonid dynasty in Greece ruling from Macedonia (306BC), Seleucus established the Seleucid dynasty in Syria and Mesopotamia (305BC), Philetaerus established the Attalid dynasty in Pergamon in Asia Minor (282BC). Each of these kingdoms was ruled by a Macedonian general, and they perpetuated the Greek culture and language. Had the ancient Macedonians not been Greek they would not have done this.

So back to Macedonia proper, it was conquered by the Romans in 146BC after extensive provacation by Philip IV, bringing an end to free Greece. Under the Roman hegemony, northern Greece was known as the province of Macedonia.




Byzantine Rule

With the transformation of the Roman empire to the Greek medieval empire of Byzantium in the east, Macedonia did not shine as brightly as it had done in antiquity. However, there were times that it produced a number of exceptional individuals who transformed the course of history. These names include Cyril (Constantine) and Methodius, the Greek brothers who were born in Thessaloniki. The brothers would become saints and are revered across the Balkans for spreading christianity to the new arrivals in the Balkans, the Slavs. Cyril and Methdodius dedicated their lives during the middle decades of the 800’s AD to spreading christianity and devising a new language based on Greek characters.

Byzantium’s greatest period was that known as the Macedonian Dynasty from 843 AD under emperor Michael until the late 11th Century AD. Whilst the ancient state of Macedonia had little correlation with the medieval Byzantine theme (province), it is poignant that the renaissance of the empire and certainly its final Greek re-awakening was named after Macedonia. Empress Irene had created the Macedonian ‘theme’ and some of its great emperors include Basil I and Basil the Bulgar slayer. Other notable Byzantines to have been born in Macedonia include Justinian and Belisarius.

Slavic Migration

During the 500’s AD the Slavs began the process of migration, continuing until the 700’s AD, settling in areas such as the former republics of Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania and even Greece. None of these people have any direct connection to Greece and it  important that they have their own identities. The people of FYROM were invariably linked to Bulgaria and Serbia. It wasn’t until early last century that they began agitating for the name Macedonia as a means to creating their own country. Before the coming of the Ottoman Turks, modern FYROM was a theme called Bulgaria and was at various times from the late 1200’s AD ruled by the growing power of Bulgaria and Serbia.

Tito, that so called benevolent ‘socialist’ of Yugoslavia, officially renamed southern Serbia, ‘Macedonia’ after World War II. The Greek government was either too busy drinking ouzo, or more realistically burdened by a civil war and the need to pander to Tito (the US wanted to placate Tito during the late 1940’s to neutralise him against Russia, so Greece would not have been ‘allowed’ to stir up diplomatic tensions). The majority of the territory of FYROM is on the site of ancient Paionia. Perhaps a change to this name should be considered, but hey its not as sexy as being connected to a handsome Greek king such as Alexandros!

Modern Times

Many who know me will realise that I do not vote for conservative governments. However, I have to acknowledge a proud moment in Greek politics (well before the recent riots), when conservative Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis told the world that he is a Macedonian, born in that state. He promised that a ‘false solution’ to the modern owenership of the name will never happen. Greece has given up so much over the years to placate its ‘Allies,’ but I know that they will stay true to history and protect the cultural heritage of Greece and that includes Macedonia, the premier state of Greece.

There are 2.7 million Greeks in Macedonia and a further 1.4 million worldwide. There are 2.04 million people in FYROM (a further 200 000 worldwide), however approximately 35% of the population is made up of Albanians, Serbians, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Vlachs, Greeks. It is estimated that within 2 generations the Albanians will be the dominant group of that country due to their high birth rates.

I stress that Greece must be a leader in the region and a friend to FYROM, no matter what the circumstances. Lets hope there is a solution based on history, rather than name dropping – the Skopjian international airport is named after Megas Alexandros who has no Slavic connection whatsoever, hence causing offence to Greeks and historians alike. Surely they could have named it after one of their own!

So flying out from Macedonia Airport from the city that Casander had established in 316BC in honour of his wife, I realised that I had to present a case. I have chosen not to highlight the Greek ruins and churches, the fact that the people of ancient and medieval Macedon spoke Greek, were Greek, felt Greek and adhered to the Greek religion. I haven’t told you about the myriad of Greek artists, poets, leaders, visionaries from the past until the present. I have simply provided you with the a timeline of the Greek presence in the region and some of its most accomplished names. There is more to say, alas time restricts this activity. Your Honour, I remind you that Athens shone brightly for 2 centuries but it was the Macedonians who took the Greek culture and civilisation to a new level. Cultural preservation is what my ancestors want and that is what they will receive!



Map of Ancient Macedonia


Billy Cotsis (in London)

[amyminchin]

Totally off topic but I read "Macadamia: What's in a Name"

hungry? yes. yes i am.


Interesting read as well!! too brain dead and hungry to make any interesting comment on it, however. Carry on.

[TrueLight]

here is some more i found... May 18th, 200 Classical Scholars from around the world, sent a letter to the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.



Dear President Obama,

            We, the undersigned scholars of Graeco-Roman antiquity, respectfully request that you intervene to clean up some of the historical debris left in southeast Europe by the previous U.S. administration.

            On November 4, 2004, two days after the re-election of President George W. Bush, his administration unilaterally recognized the “Republic of Macedonia.”  This action not only abrogated geographic and historic fact, but it also has unleashed a dangerous epidemic of historical revisionism, of which the most obvious symptom is the misappropriation by the government in Skopje of the most famous of Macedonians, Alexander the Great.

            We believe that this silliness has gone too far, and that the U.S.A. has no business in supporting the subversion of history. Let us review facts.  (The documentation for these facts [here in boldface] can be found attached and at: http://macedonia-evidence.org/documentation.html)

            The land in question, with its modern capital at Skopje, was called Paionia in antiquity.  Mts. Barnous and Orbelos (which form today the northern limits of Greece) provide a natural barrier that separated, and separates, Macedonia from its northern neighbor.   The only real connection is along the Axios/Vardar River and even this valley “does not form a line of communication because it is divided by gorges.”

            While it is true that the Paionians were subdued by Philip II, father of Alexander, in 358 B.C. they were not Macedonians and did not live in Macedonia. Likewise, for example, the Egyptians, who were subdued by Alexander, may have been ruled by Macedonians, including the famous Cleopatra, but they were never Macedonians themselves, and Egypt was never called Macedonia.     

            Rather, Macedonia and Macedonian Greeks have been located for at least 2,500 years just where the modern Greek province of Macedonia is. Exactly this same relationship is true for Attica and Athenian Greeks, Argos and Argive Greeks, Corinth and Corinthian Greeks, etc.       

            We do not understand how the modern inhabitants of ancient Paionia, who speak Slavic – a language introduced into the Balkans about a millennium after the death of Alexander – can claim him as their national hero.  Alexander the Great was thoroughly and indisputably Greek. His great-great-great grandfather, Alexander I, competed in the Olympic Games where participation was limited to Greeks. 

            Even before Alexander I, the Macedonians traced their ancestry to Argos, and many of their kings used the head of Herakles - the quintessential Greek hero - on their coins.

            Euripides – who died and was buried in Macedonia– wrote his play Archelaos in honor of the great-uncle of Alexander, and in Greek.  While in Macedonia, Euripides also wrote the Bacchai, again in Greek.  Presumably the Macedonian audience could understand what he wrote and what they heard.

            Alexander’s father, Philip, won several equestrian victories at Olympia and Delphi, the two most Hellenic of all the sanctuaries in ancient Greece where non-Greeks were not allowed to compete.  Even more significantly, Philip was appointed to conduct the Pythian Games at Delphi in 346 B.C.  In other words, Alexander the Great’s father and his ancestors were thoroughly Greek. Greek was the language used by Demosthenes and his delegation from Athens when they paid visits to Philip, also in 346 B.C.

            Another northern Greek, Aristotle, went off to study for nearly 20 years in the Academy of Plato.  Aristotle subsequently returned to Macedonia and became the tutor of Alexander III. They used Greek in their classroom which can still be seen near Naoussa in Macedonia.

            Alexander carried with him throughout his conquests Aristotle’s edition of Homer’s Iliad.  Alexander also spread Greek language and culture throughout his empire, founding cities and establishing centers of learning.  Hence inscriptions concerning such typical Greek institutions as the gymnasium are found as far away as Afghanistan.  They are all written in Greek.

            The questions follow:  Why was Greek the lingua franca all over Alexander’s empire if he was a “Macedonian”?  Why was the New Testament, for example, written in Greek?

            The answers are clear:  Alexander the Great was Greek, not Slavic, and Slavs and their language were nowhere near Alexander or his homeland until 1000 years later.  This brings us back to the geographic area known in antiquity as Paionia.  Why would the people who live there now call themselves Macedonians and their land Macedonia?  Why would they abduct a completely Greek figure and make him their national hero? 

            The ancient Paionians may or may not have been Greek, but they certainly became Greekish, and they were never Slavs.  They were also not Macedonians.  Ancient Paionia was a part of the Macedonian Empire.  So were Ionia and Syria and Palestine and Egypt and Mesopotamia and Babylonia and Bactria and many more.  They may thus have become “Macedonian” temporarily, but none was ever “Macedonia”.  The theft of Philip and Alexander by a land that was never Macedonia cannot be justified.

            The traditions of ancient Paionia could be adopted by the current residents of that geographical area with considerable justification. But the extension of the geographic term “Macedonia” to cover southern Yugoslavia cannot. Even in the late 19th century, this misuse implied unhealthy territorial aspirations.

            The same motivation is to be seen in school maps that show the pseudo-greater Macedonia, stretching from Skopje to Mt. Olympus and labeled in Slavic.   The same map and its claims are in calendars, bumper stickers, bank notes, etc., that have been circulating in the new state ever since it declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.  Why would a poor land-locked new state attempt such historical nonsense?  Why would it brazenly mock and provoke its neighbor?

            However one might like to characterize such behavior, it is clearly not a force for historical accuracy, nor for stability in the Balkans.  It is sad that the United States of America has abetted and encouraged such behavior. 

            We call upon you, Mr. President, to help - in whatever ways you deem appropriate - the government in Skopje to understand that it cannot build a national identity at the expense of historic truth.  Our common international society cannot survive when history is ignored, much less when history is fabricated.


http://macedonia-evidence.org/obama-letter.html

[paulii]

file, den boro na to diabaso tora, but im gonna save it and read it later.

good stuff buddy.
ta leme.