Is Alexander the Great Greek?
Alexander the Great
Alexander III was born in 356 BC in Pella, capital at the time being of the Macedonian kingdom. He was son of the Macedonian king Philip II and Olympias, princess of Molossians in Epirus.
The Macedonian Royal House
The Macedonian royal house was called “Argeads” or “Temenidae“. According to the tradition, the founder of the royal house Perdiccas – even if the name of the founder differs in reference with the ancient source used – along with his brothers, the “Temenidae” came to the place called Macedonia from the Greek city of Argos. These Temenidae were descendants of Heracles, through Temenus, thus they were called also ‘Heracleids‘.
Since the time of Alexander I, who was better known as the “Philhellene“, Macedonian kings participated in Olympic games, which as we all know only Greeks could take part. The Argive origin of the Macedonian royal house was well-attested and widely believed both from Macedonians, as well as the rest of Greeks. Rifles like the political intricasies of Demosthenes against Philip is the tenuous exception to the general rule.
Philip II, father of Alexander, was son of the Macedonian king Amyntas III and Eurydice, a Lyncestian princess. Lyncestians were incorporated earlier to Molossians, hence we could find them in ancient sources [1] as ‘Molossian Ethne’ or as Lyncestian Macedonians. A strong Illyrian influence can be recognised in the nearby Lyncestian kingdom but their royal house was widely believed in the ancient world to be descedants of the Greek Bacchiades coming from Corinth. Eurydice was daughter of a Lyncestian princess, daughter of Arrabaios, king of Lyngos and Sirras – a person shrouded in great darkness – since his ethnicity is obscure. There are conflicting theories which identify him either as Illyrian or as a native Lyncestian [2]. We can only conclude, Philip’s greek ancestry is proved beyond doubt by the traditions of the greek royal houses both in Macedon and Lyngos.
Molossian Royal House
Now we will analyze the lineage coming from the mother of Alexander, the Molossian Olympias. Her original name as a child was called Polyxena and then, at marriage, Myrtale; later in life she was also known as Olympias and Stratonice. [3] The name Olympias was given to her, according to the tradition, after her husband Philip won in Olympic games.The members of Molossian royal house , the so-called ‘Aeacidae‘ thought of themselves as descendants of Acchiles’ son, Neoptolemus and Andromache. They both took refuge in the area in the aftermath of Troy’s fall. Their son was Molossus, the founder of Molossians. Olympias herself, was daughter of Neoptolemus, king of Epirus and most likely of an Epirotan woman, Anasatia [4]. In the early 6th century, the tyrant of Sicyon Cleisthenes wished to find a suitable husband for his daughter Agariste. He invited “the best of the Greeks” in order to decide which one would marry his daughter. Among the Greek contestants was the Molossian king Alkon. Conclusion of the above is that the members of the Molossian royal house considered themselves as Greeks and were viewed as such by the rest of Greeks.
So far we have examined the lineages of the royal houses connected with Alexander. What remains is another crucial question to our issue. What did Alexander perceived himself to be?
From all the ancient sources we are receivers of the same message. Alexander the Great never missed a chance to verify his pride for his Greek ancestry. His parents had Greek origins. Alexander considered himself as a Greek. He spoke Greek. He grew up and was educated from famous Greek teachers like Aristotle and had as his favourite book Iliad of Homer. He worshipped the same gods like the rest of Greeks. He undertook and accompliced to a military campaign based on the long-term hostility between Greeks and Persians, as leader of the Greeks. Both he and his army spread the ancient Greek language and culture to the fringes of India and therefore Alexander has justifiably been used for centuries as a symbol of Greek civilisation.
[1] Hecataeus
[2] Kapetanopoulos ‘Sirras – Eurydice’
[3] Waldemar Heckel “Who’s Who In The Age Of Alexander The Great: Prosopography Of Alexander’s Empire” p. 181
[4] Favorinus ap. Jul Val 1.7 (frg. 49)
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Mr Igor (if I can Call you like this), please answer me few quastions, what lanquage Alexander was speaking?. who was he teacher? what lanquage is written on all the singns he left behind not only in Greece but everywhere was found? wherw was your country ( got no regognise name yet from the world ) all those years to claim our history ?
VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Why do we bother teaching these morons about Ancient Macedonia? This argument is like this..
Greek person: The colour of a clear blue sky is blue.
FYROM person: No its not blue its purple.
Do you bother???
“Both Herodotus and Thucydides describe the Macedonians as foreigners, a distinct people living outside of the frontiers of the Greek city-states” – Eugene Borza, In the Shadow of Olympus p. 96″
Both Herodotus and Thucydides DON’T describe the Macedonians as foreigners,but exactly as people who live outside the frontiers of the Greek city-states.That happens,because Macedonians don’t have the same political system like the city-states.The Macedonians had kept the old Greek ways and they still had king.The same happens with the Thessalians (for some time) and with the Epirotans.People of Epirus,like the Molossians (from which is Olympias,the mother of Alexander) had still kings.By that means of course the Macedonians weren’t like the rest of the Greeks.But only the political means(It’s like saying that eastern Germans weren’t Germans because they had communism,instead of capitalism like western Germany).By means of religion,language,education,consiousness (they had the ability to know that they were Greeks descending from the dorian Argeads through Caranus the Macedon,instead of you who don’t accept your slavic origins) they were GREEKS.
If FYROMians are Macedonians why don’t they speak the same language as ALexander the Great?Why are we still posting in this site in English and not in Greek as Alexander?
How difficult is it for you Slavic creatures to understand?
These macedonian pretenders are usurping and distorting history. They say there ‘macedonians’ linking there ancestry to antiquity, yet when you ask them to provide some proof or evidence they can’t and when they can’t they become flustered, defensive, aggressive and very loud to the point of bulling. All they offer is rhetoric brainwashed by there ignorant uneducated parents and there government, which lets not forget whose 1/3 of the population is albanian (are they also descendants of Alexander?). You skopjians just answer me this, what language did the ancient macedonians speak (is it ur current slavic language), what alphabet did they use (surely not your current alphabet which was created for the slavs during the 9th century AD), what gods did they worship (zeus, apollo etc, gee weren’t they greek gods) and who were there ancestors (achilles, heracles, weren’t they also famous greek demigods). Please give me some evidence not just rambling, ‘we are macedonians’. What nonsense, u people are just a 20 th century politically motivated creation, with no history. I feel sorry for u. Go to google and do some reading so u can become informed and accept that the ancient macedonians were greek. Oh and one last comment, the new testament (to u uneducated slavs, the bible), was written in greek and christianity spread b/c greek was the universal language at the time of christ and his apostles. This was one of Alexander the Great’s legacy to the world, the spread of greek culture.
“Both Herodotus and Thucydides describe the Macedonians as foreigners”
That’s just wrong though. Entirely wrong for Herodotus who, in separate passages, describes both the Temenids and the Macedonians in general as Greek and partly for Thucydides who separates “Macedonians” from “Greeks” but also from “barbarians”. T’s classification is a bit more complex than the above statement makes it seem.
“Alexander’s father was Macedonian, therefore Alexander WAS MACEDONIAN!”
So? What kind of silly argument is that?
Leonidas father was Spartan, therefore Leonidas was a Spartan! Yet both Alexander and Leonidas were Greeks!
Too complicated for your mind? Take deep breaths and re-read it till you finally grasp the obvious.
“Modern Slavs, both Bulgarians and “Macedonians” [Bulgarians pretending to be Macedonians], CANNOT ESTABLISH A LINK WITH ANTIQUITY, as the Slavs entered the Balkans centuries after the demise of the ancient Macedonian kingdom. ONLY THE MOST RADICAL SLAVIC FACTIONS—mostly émi-grés in the United States, Canada, and Australia—even attempt to establish a connection to antiquity.”
Eugene Borza, “Macedonia Redux”
Seems you are the one who lives in Denial!!
“Both Herodotus and Thucydides describe the Macedonians as foreigners, a distinct people living outside of the frontiers of the Greek city-states” – Eugene Borza, In the Shadow of Olympus p. 96
Alexander’s father was Macedonian, therefore Alexander WAS MACEDONIAN!
Ancient Greeks acknowlege this… It is the modern Greeks that are in denial!
macedonia was a province of greece, after the slavs invaded european countrys, a portion of northern macedon wanted to become yougoslavia, they were very mixed with slavic people and had developed into taking on the language of those people. northern greece is still macedonia as 2 thirds never was never influenced and remains greece. tito decided stupidly to call the country macedonia, BUT IT IS ABOVE A STATE OF GREECE CALLED MACEDONIA. it is a greek name with a greek history -- not slavic or with a macedonian culture, the state of macedonia should be owned by greece and never macedonia the country as it now has nothing to do with greece. Alexander the great spoke greek, looked greek, had a greek name, parents from mainland greece with greek names. macedonia the culture or people did not exist, they were all greek, alexander the great was greek living in a greek province called macedonia, just because they decided to keep the ancient greek name, and geographically he was born in what is now the country of macedonia. he is not macedonia and it is stupid to claim him as that because macedonians -- the yugoslavian mixture of people that is, did not exist. so all arguments are flawed regarding him being a macedonian -- considering what they are today. if macedonia was taken over by africans, would he then become african? no .
in every history book around the world in which greeks and macedonians are in involved,
depicts one strange encounter and in goes like this,
” alexander the greek from macedonia fought the greeks, and won.
end of quote.
i ask you all, is this not clear ?
Not so! The history books say that Alexander fought the Thebans and Athenians and won. What of his many allies from otehr Greek states?
is a perfect example which illustrates very well the brainwashing that Skopjans go through. He just goes around saying "we are macedonian" and when you ask him a few questions about ancient Macedonia he cannot answer. Way to go retards…
Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, 356 BCE -- 323 BCE:
"There are Greek troops, to be sure, in Persian service — but how different is their cause from ours! They will be fighting for pay — and not much of at that; we, on the contrary, shall fight for Greece, and our hearts will be in it."
(Addressing his troops prior to the Battle of Issus, as quoted in Anabasis Alexandri by Roman historian Arrian, Book II, 7)
Battle of Chaeronea, a CIVIL WAR:
1.
Alexander the Great, addressing the dead Greeks of the Battle of Chaeronea:
"Holy shadows of the dead, Im not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and brother people, to fight one another."…
2.
…"I do not feel happy for this victory of mine. On the contrary, I would be glad, brothers, if I had all of you standing here next to me, since we are united by the same language, the same blood and the same visions."
(Historiae Alexandri Magni, 6.3.11, by Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus)
Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, 356 BCE -- 323 BCE:
"Your ancestors came to Macedonia and the rest of Greece and did us great harm, though we had done them no prior injury. I have been appointed leader of the Greeks, and wanting to punish the Persians I have come to Asia, which I took from you…"
(Alexander's letter to Persian king Darius in response to a truce plea, as quoted in "Anabasis Alexandri" by Roman historian Arrian, Book II, 14, 4)
Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, 356 BCE -- 323 BCE:
"Now you fear punishment and beg for your lives, so I will let you free, if not for any other reason so that you can see the difference between a Greek king and a barbarian tyrant."
(Kallisthenes, Historia Alexandri Magni, 1.37.9-13)
FYROMians, can you explain me why ancient Macedonians -whom you worshipped as your ancestors- identified themselves as Greeks, you brainwashed idiots??
Here, have a good look and learn, because I doubt they teach you that stuff in your schools…:
Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 498 BCE to 454 BCE:
"Men of Athens… In truth I would not tell it to you if I did not care so much for all Greece; I myself am by ancient descent a Greek, and I would not willingly see Greece change her freedom for slavery."
(From the speech of Alexander I of Macedon when he was admitted to the Olympic games, Herodotus, "Histories", 9.45)
Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 498 BCE to 454 BCE:
"Tell your king (Xerxes), who sent you, how his Greek viceroy of Macedonia has received you hospitably."
(Herodotus, Histories, 5.20.4, Loeb)
A reply to my friend Igor Naumski. Bravo bravisimo. I see that someone from the neighbouhr country opened a BOOK .Not bad not bad at all , its a good start.
Step 2…Open a history book and read about MACEDONIA ( ancient or modern ) it guides you automatically to look at a page which starts exactelly like this ( GREECE. History of GREECE ).. My friend take this step and then i will guide you for the next you will have to do and slowelly but steady you will start seeing the truth.
As for your remarc ( Greeks do not steal macedonian history) my reply is ( I CAN NOT STEEL SOMETHING THAT IS MINE.I ALREADY HAVE IT .ALEXANDER CALLS HIMESELF A HELLEEN .WHY SHOULD I SAY THAT HE IS WRONG. HE KNOWS BETTER ) I believe Alexander,dont you, and if you dont please reply whith facts.
OPEN A BOOK,,,,,PLEASE……
Alexander was most definatley Maceedonian BORN IN MACEDONIA HEIR TO THE MACEDONIAN THRONE SON OF THE MACEDONIAN KING PHILLIP. Phillip and Alexander brought the Greeks to their knees who at the time were killing each other and u call Macedonians barbarians??? how do u figure that explain? Alexander brought stabilisation and peace to the region after he slaughtered thousands of greeks ancient macedonians and modern day macedonians share the very same dna, dna which isnt even REMOTELY CLOSE to that of greeks the truth is he is Macedonian u greeks get ur head around it a nation of people that killed eachother athenians spartans etc Alexander THE MACEDONIAN made greece he cud have wiped all greeks out if he wanted to but he wanted to belive that the world cud be ruled by one king A MACEDONIAN KING he was proclaimed pharoah in Egypt conquered ASIA do they claim he was Egyptian or ASIAN??? GREEKS do not steal Macedonian history
Leonidas was definately a Spartan, born in Sparta, heir to Spartan throne AND a Greek like Alexander, but then again you are from FYROM. Like the average FYROM’s Slav, your comment is ignorant and downright stupid.
Does in your Imaginary world “bringing down someone to his knees” define Ethnicity? Then sorry to break the news to you but Spartans brought down to their knees Atheneans, yet they were both Greeks.
I would go on but your further claims remain to the same low level.
Can a Slav from FYROM ever write down a comment which wont be among the list of the most moronic, one has ever read??? Sounds to me, impossible!
My dear Igor,you th Slavs, from the very north-east regions, where nothing else but barbarian behaviours have had attributed so far, dare to say about Alexander is a Makedonian, a Hellen with a Hellenic name, a descendant of Hercules ad Achilles, who have had read Homer just because Homer was a Hellen,(do you know where Homer tombeis located?), who vivited Troya just to ay honour to Achilles, who Aristoteles was his teacher; the only priviledge as Slavs descendants you have is tha you try to falsificate, yo try to steal the History of Hellas; You try to become HELLENES? ALEXANDER, PHILIP, OLYMPIAS, APPELAEOS, PEFKESTAS, KRATEROS, ANTIGONOS, PARMENION, …, ARE HELLENIC NAMES! WHAT´S ABOUT Igor, yours! my dear, is it Makedonian? out of question!? or, A slavic origin one???
Hellenic city states were always in a war status, just because for their city-state glory; kingdoms in Hellas there ere in SPARTA, MAKEDONIA,THESSALY, but in Thebes, Athens, korinthus; so what are you telling me? this is not something NEW! The only new-one is that since TITO era, you´ve changed from VARDARSKA into Macedonia…so you ARE BARBARIAN MY DEAR!!!
Dear lost soul, The league of Corinth fought the war against Philip, This was a war between Greeks. Only the Spartans didn’t fight. The reason the Macedonians were called Barbarians was that they had a Monarchy instead of the City State principal. Kings had slaves, where as the city state had citizens. Your people if you are a Bulgarian or an Albanian or even a Gypsy Slav, came to the area 1000 years after Alexander’s death. By the end of the Greek Civil war in 1946+ we kicked the communists into lands bordering our province of Makedonia. General Tito and Stalin had plans to open a sea channel through Greece and the city of Thessaloniki. He has brain washed a generation of your people into believing they are descendants of the ancient Greek Macedonians. Even your founding father Dolchev has stated “We are more Bulgarians then Bulgarians in Bulgaria”. I feel pity for you, and your lost peoples. All the Historians of the world have acknowledged that Macedonia was and is GREEK-SORRY for your delusion and by the way, your dna testing was a scam that was revealed by scientists and Laboratories. You truly are a poor people with little brains-so easily fooled!!!
IT IS SO SAD TO SEE PEAPLE TRYING TO DISCOVER THERE HISTORY BY SIMPLY ASKING THERE FATHER OR FRIEND
AND OFF COURSE THE ANSWER IS AS STUPID AS THE QUESTION < ARE WE MACEDONIANS> AND THE ANSER < OFFCOURS THE GOVERMENT SAID WE ARE>…..A SMALL CHILD IN SCHOOL ASKS THE TEACHER IN SCHOOL SOMETHING AND THE TEACHER ANSWERS <OPEN YOUR HISTORY BOOK,FOR MORE DETAILS OPEN AN ENCYCLOPEDIA AND WHEN YOU GROW UP OPEN GLOBAL BIBLIOGRAPHIE> IT WILL GUIDE YOU AND TELL YOU THAT ALEXANDER WAS .GREEK. IT IS VERY SIMPLE, SORRY MY FRIEND BUT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT THAT IS SIMPLY THE TRUTH…IF YOU DONT BELIEVE ME ASK YOUR TEACHER………
lol ALL U ''MACEDONIANS'' DONT KNOW A SHITT ABOUT ALEXANDER…..No offence guys im really sorry 4u….since 1944 Tito's propaganda has worked perfectly against u…..How can u claim you are descents of a man who FOUGHT 4 GREECE???? A man that WAS ALWAYS SAIN HE'S DESCENT OF HERCULES AND ACHILES???? THE MAN WHOS TEACHER WAS ARISTOTLE???? A MAN WHO SPOKE GREEK,WROTE GREEK WORSHIPED THE 12 GODS OF OLYMPUS???? for sure….i can go on and on andon whith that shit…..Y'ALL GOT NOTHIN 2 SAY…..oh….and before u start shittin on, IM LETTIN U KNOW THAT IM NOT EVEN GREEK…..