FYROM Falsified Claim ‘Thessalia was the northern region of ancient Greece’

Propagandists of FYROM tend to provide a falsified version of ancient sources like Strabo’s. In particular the quote taken out of context they provide is:

The Thessalians in particular wore long robes, probably because they of all the Greeks lived in the most northerly and coldest region. Strabo[11.14.12].

This quote is used by skopjans as a ‘proof’ of the alleged non-greekness of Macedonians but if someone examines it a little better he will find its deliberately taken out of context.

Here is the complete text.

[12] There is an ancient story of the Armenian race to this effect: that Armenus of Armenium, a Thessalian city, which lies between Pherae and Larisa on Lake Boebe, as I have already said,26 accompanied Jason into Armenia; and Cyrsilus the Pharsalian and Medius the Larisaean, who accompanied Alexander, say that Armenia was named after him, and that, of the followers of Armenus, some took up their abode in Acilisene, which in earlier times was subject to the Sopheni, whereas others took up their abode in Syspiritis, as far as Calachene and Adiabene, outside the Armenian mountains. They also say that the clothing of the Armenians is Thessalian, for example, the long tunics, which in tragedies are called Thessalian and are girded round the breast; and also the cloaks that are fastened on with clasps, another way in which the tragedians imitated the Thessalians, for the tragedians had to have some alien decoration of this kind; and since the Thessalians in particular wore long robes, probably because they of all the Greeks lived in the most northerly and coldest region, they were the most suitable objects of imitation for actors in their theatrical make-ups. And they say that their style of horsemanship is Thessalian, both theirs and alike that of the Medes. To this the expedition of Jason and the Jasonian monuments bear witness, some of which were built by the sovereigns of the country, just as the temple of Jason at Abdera was built by Parmenion.

Strabo, Geography

Strabo talks about the story of Armenus who accompanied Jason in Armenia. In other words at the time of Argonautic expedition which of course happened centuries *before* the Macedonian migration from Pindos and *obviously* at the time being, Thessalians were “in the most northerly and coldest region” since Macedonia didnt exist. Its really embarrasing for them since Strabo is more than clear that ancient Macedonians were Greeks and Macedonia was “of course a part of Greece“