A. Testimonia

(a) In a scene from the Attic comedy “Macedonians”, by the 5th-century writer Strattis, an Athenian asks ή σφύραινα δ‘ έ‘στι τίς;(’sled-fish, what do you mean?), and a Macedonian replies “κέστραν μεν ΰμμες ώττικοΐ κικλήσκετε“ (’wha ye Attics ca’ a hammer-fush, ma freen’). In order to appreciate the value of the Macedonian’s reply for the problem under dis­cussion, we must not forget that, as is clear from many passages in Aristophanes, the Attic comedians made their non-Greeks speak broken Greek with an admixture of bar­barian words (some of them imaginary), while Lacedaemo­nians, Megarians, Boiotians and other Greeks spoke in their own dialects (albeit with a number of inaccuracies). The Macedonian’s reply is in good Greek with dialect (ΰμ­μες, σφύραινα) and archaizing (κικλήσκετε) elements.

(b) The ancient Geographer Strabo in his description of Macedonia writes:

Strabo 7.7.8: “But some go so far as to call the whole of the country Macedonia, as far as Corcyra, at the same time stating as their reason that in tonsure, language, short cloak, and other things of the kind, the usages of the inhabitants are similar”

Interestingly, we learn from the account of Strabo that Macedonians spoke similar language to the people “as far as Corcyra”. Today we know Epirotes spoke a North-West Greek so obviously the North-West Greek dialect was also spoken by Macedonians.

(c) Plutarch tells us the story of the infant Pyrrhus when his companions tried to save Pyrrhus from Molossians and while heading to the court Of Glaucias, they came across Megara, a Macedonian village in the other side of where they were standing. Apparently the Macedonian peasants were able to read the message of the Epirotes guards of Pyrrhus since they spoke the same language, thus they helped them.

Plutarch Pyrrhus II.1: “one recollecting himself, stripped off a piece of bark from an oak, and wrote on it with the tongue of a buckle, stating the necessities and the fortunes of the child, and then rolling it about a stone, which was made use of to give force to the motion, threw it over to the other side, or, as some say, fastened it to the end of a javelin, and darted it over. When the men on the other shore read what was on the bark, and saw how time pressed, without delay they cut down some trees, and lashing them together, came over to them. And it so fell out, that he who first got ashore, and took Pyrrhus in his arms, was named Achilles, the rest being helped over by others as they came to hand.”

(d) Another piece of evidence connecting the North-West Greek lnaguage of Epirotans with Macedonians comes from Pyrrhus life. Pyrrhus planted some of his Epirotes into Macedonian army, retending to be Macedonians while urging Macedonians to get rid of Demetrius. This could be done only if Epirotes spoke the same Greek dialect as Macedonians.

Plutarch Pyrrhus XI.4: “But while he lay encamped there near him, many who came out of Beroea infinitely praised Pyrrhus as invincible in arms, a glorious warrior, who treated those he had taken kindly and humanely. Several of these Pyrrhus himself sent privately, pretending to be Macedonians, and saying, now was the time to be delivered from the severe government of Demetrius, by coming over to Pyrrhus, a gracious prince, and a lover of soldiers.”

(e) In the Philotas affair, it becomes even clearer Macedonian is a Greek dialect, since Philotas explicitely states that using the Koine would make his speech “easier to understand“, indicating that Macedonian dialect was not incomprehensible to the non-Macedonians, but a bit more difficult to understand. In fact, the whole incident shows the Macedonian dialect was not that different from the Koine and could be understood eventhough it had some difficulty by other Greeks. This also explains the quick disappearance of the Macedonian dialect and the quick adoption of the Koine from Macedonians.

Curtius VII 9.25 - 11.7: “Alexander speaks: “The Macedonians are going to judge your case,” he said. “Please state whether you will use your native language before them.”Philotas: “Besides the Macedonians, there are many present who, I think, will find what I am going to say easier to understand if I use the language you yourself have been using, your purpose, I believe, being only to enable more people to understand you.”

(f) Alexander the Great, having selected thirty thousand Per­sian youths, gave an order that they were ‘to learn Greek language and be trained in the use of Macedonian weapons’ From this it may be deduced that the Macedonian soldiers spoke Greek: it would be pointless to teach the young Persians who were fighting along with Macedonians in a language that the Macedonians did not understand.

Plutarch’s Alexander, 47,6: he also ordered that the troop of Persians “should learn the Greek language and be trained to use Macedonian weapons” (εκέλευε γράμματά τε ελληνικά μανθάνειν καί μακεδονικοίς όπλοις εντρέφεσθαι)

(g) In fact, Alexander and the Macedonians disseminated the Greek language throughout the world they conquered; Alexander gave an order that the inscriptions which were in a foreign language were to be explained in Greek, so that they would be comprehensible to his troops.

Plutarch’s Alexander, 69,2: After reading the inscription, he ordered it to be repeated below in Greek language (τήν επιγραφήν αναγνούς εκέλευσεν ελληνικοίς υποχαράξαι γράμμασιν)

(h) An Ambassador of Macedonia, speaking to the Aitolians in 200 B.C. says the Macedonians, the Aitolians and the Akrnanians that they spoke the same language.

T. Livius XXXI,29, 15: Aetolians, Acarnanians, Macedonians, men of the same language.

(i) In another Instance we learn about the Branchidae, a Greek people, who, on the orders of Xerxes, when he was returning from Greece, had emigrated from Miletus and settled elsewhere. While the culture of their forebears had not yet disappeared though they were now bilingual, the foreign tongue (Persian) had gradually eroded their own. Long afterwards while Alexander came to their place, we find in literary sources that Macedonians spoke the same Greek Language like the Greek-Speaking Branchidae!!

Curtius VII.5.29: “So it was with great joy that they welcomed Alexander, to whom they surrendered themselves and their city. Alexander called a meeting of the Milesians in his force, for the Milesians bore a long-standing grudge against the Branchidae as a clan. Since they were the people betrayed by the Branchidae, Alexander let them decide freely on their case, asking if they preferred to remember their injury or their common origins. But when there was a difference of opinion over this, he declared that he would himself consider the best course of action.When the Branchidae met him the next day, he told them to accompany him. On reaching the city, he himself entered through the gate with a unit of light-armed troops. The phalanx had been ordered to surround the city walls and, when the signal was given, to sack this city which provided refuge for traitors, killing the inhabitants to a man. The Branchidae, who were unarmed, were butchered throughout the city, and neither community of language nor the olive-branches and entreaties of the suppliants could curb the savagery. Finally the Macedonians dug down to the foundations of the city walls in order to demolish them and leave not a single trace of the city.”

(j) Their Greek speech is indicated further by Pausanias who says that the inhabitants of Messene recognized the intruders as Makedones, from their weapons and speech, which at the time suggest that the Macedonian speech was understood by the populace of Messene.

Pausanias Messeniaka XXIX, 3: “When day dawned and the inhabitants had realized the danger that beset them, they were at first under the impression that the Lacedaemonians had forced an entry into the town, and attacked them more recklessly owing to their ancient hatred. But when they discovered from their equipment and speech that it was the Macedonians and Demetrius the son of Philip, they were filled with great fear, when they considered the Macedonian training in warfare and the good fortune which they saw that they enjoyed in all their ventures.”

(k) Laomedon was a billingual Macedonian and furthemore Arrian informs us that he was speaking Greek and Persian. Therefore we have another indirect evidence of Macedonian being Greek.

Arrian. Anab. 3.6.6: Erigyius the command of te allied cavalry and his brother Laomedon, who happened to be fluent in the Persian language as in Greek, was put in charge of prisoners of war. (Λαομέδοντα δὲ τὸν τούτου ἀδελφόν, ὅτι δίγλωσσος ἦν ἐς τὰ βαρβαρικὰ γράμματα, ἐπὶ τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις βαρβάροις)

(l) Moreover another strengthening evidence comes from the event where Macedonians in a man wearing a Greek chlamys, dressed in Greek and speaking Greek. These Macedonians are moved into emotion and jubilation when they heard Greek being spoken and learned from him that Alexander’s camp was not far away.

Arrian, “The Indica” XXXIII: There a man appeared to them, wearing a Greek cloak, and dressed otherwise in the Greek fashion, and speaking Greek also. Those [Macedonians] who first sighted him said that they burst into tears, so strange did it seem after all these miseries to see a Greek, and to hear Greek spoken. They asked whence he came, who he was; and he said that he had become separated from Alexander’s camp, and that the camp, and Alexander himself, were not very far distant. Shouting aloud and clapping their hands they brought this man to Nearchus.

(m) Last but not least, we find on Livius account a testimony where the Roman General Paulus makes an announcement and Gnaeus Octavius  to be translated it in Greek so that the Macedonian population comprehends it.

T. Livius, XLV: General Paulus of Rome surrounded by the ten Commissioners took his official seat surrounded by the whole crowds of Macedonians…Paulus announced in Latin the decisions of the Senate, as well as his own, made by the advice of his council. This announcement was translated into Greek and repeated by Gnaeus Octavius the Praetor-for he too was present.

Conclusion:

Despite the lack of Macedonian texts written in the local language, the literary sources point out ancient Macedonian to be a Greek dialect and more specifically a North-West Greek dialect akin to the dialect spoken by Epirotes.

Bibliography:

Mihael Sakellariou, “Macedonia – 4000 years of Greek history”,

Elias Kapetanopoulos, “Xennias Makedonizwn”

We have been accustomed to witness every day new false and, in certain cases ludicrus, allegations from FYROM’s propaganda in their struggle to distort the view of Plutarch about ancient Macedonians of being another Greek tribe, as it was evidently shown before in this blog.

As usual FYROM’s propaganda tends to use text taken out of context in their attempt to falsificate and alter the meaning of Plutarch’s works. However they always fail.

Some of their most common texts to use are the following excerts:

Alexander was only twenty years old when he inherited his kingdom, which at the moment was beset by formidable jealousies and feuds, and external dangers on every side. The neighboring barbarian tribes were eager to throw off the Macedonian yoke and longed for the rule of their native kings: As for the Greek states, although Philip had defeated them in battle, he had not had time to subdue them or accustomed them to his authority. Alexander’s Macedonian advisers feared that a crisis was at hand and urged the young king to leave the Greek states to their own devices and refrain from using any force against them. [p.263]

[Alexander chose the opposite course] Plutarch never said that Philip “united” the Greeks, but he states that Philip “defeated” them in battle.

Cassander’s fear of Alexander ‘In general, we are told, this fear was implanted so deeply and took such hold of Cassander’s mind that even many years later, when he had become king of Macedonia and master of Greece, and was walking about one day looking at the sculpture at Delphi, the mere sight of a statue of Alexander struck him with horror, so that he sguddered and trembled in every limb, his head swam, and he could scarcely regain control of himself.’ [p.331]

Before we refute their deliberate use of these texts out of context, lets highlight some crucial points about Plutarch’s work:

Anyone with the slightest knowledge of Plutarch’s work knows that:

Quote:

http://www.e-classics.com/plutarch.htm

You would find also that there is also the “The Age of Alexander” which is a “special edition” of nine Greek lives roughly concomitant with Alexander and his time.Take a look in page 5 which are these 9 Greek lives.

1. AGESILAUS
2. PELOPIDAS
3. DION
4. TIMOLEON
5. DEMOSTHENES
6. PHOCION
7. ALEXANDER
8. DEMETRIUS
9. PYRRHUS

The Macedonian Demetrius, known as the “Besieger“, had no ties with the Macedonian Argead Royal house. He was an ordinary Macedonian, yet he was still part of the 9 Greek Lives since obviously he was Greek.

So in the most commonly used Plutarch’s book by FYROM’s propaganda, they havent bothered themselves looking even…in the title and to whom Plutarch is refering to. Its as irrational and insane as someone quoting a book called “Julius Ceasar - Roman Biographies” to prove that Julius Ceasar is not…Roman!!!

http://books.google.ca/books?id=Lnur0BjQO2oC&pg=PP1&dq=age+of+alexander+plutarch&ei=BkDUSOHSGKS2yQTa4sTTAw&hl=el&sig=ACfU3U2N-3YPIvUw_UVcs4SLzIBvmJWYiw#PPP1,M1

Secondly in the text he used taken out of context, we read

Therefore like always Plutarch distinguished Macedonians from Barbarians like he did always in all his works. For instance:

Quote:

As usually the amateur FYROMian propagandist scouldnt be more ignorant of the battle of Chaeronea where the combatants in both sides were…Greeks!!!

Chaeronea
Combatants

Side A’
Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus, Aetolia, Northern Phocis, Epicnemidian Locrians*

Side B’
Athens, Beotian League (Thebes, etc), Euboean League, Achaean League, Corinth, Megara, Corcyra, Acarnania, Ambracia, Southern Phocis.

Neutral sides
Sparta, Argos, Arcadia, Messene. The three last had alliances both with Athens and Philip but their pro-macedonian activity of 344/3 BC showed they were leaning towards Philip. However they didnt sent aid to Chaeronea in Philip’s side because of the blocking in Isthmus by Corinth and Megara. Sparta had withdrawn almost entirely from Greek affairs in 344 BC.

[*] Elis had an alliance with Philip though they didnt take part in Chaeronea but showed their pro-macedonian feelings by joining their forces with Philip in the invasion of Laconia in the autumn of 338 BC.

Notice that we are dealing simple and plain with a Greek CIVIL WAR from the frustration of FYROM’s Illusionists.

Seems there are still ignorant people out there that dont know that “Unification” during the classical ages was always forceful.

In the next quote they think they found something.

Sadly FYROM’s propagandists seem never to have read any ancient source. If they did they would have read quotes like the one of Spartan Brasidas talking about Atheneans:

Greece unearths treasures at Alexander’s birthplace

ATHENS (Reuters) - Archaeologists have unearthed gold jewellery, weapons and pottery at an ancient burial site near Pella in northern Greece, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, the culture ministry said on Thursday.

The excavations at the vast cemetery uncovered 43 graves dating from 650-279 BC which shed light on the early development of the Macedonian kingdom, which had an empire that stretched as far as India under Alexander’s conquests.

Among the most interesting discoveries were the graves of 20 warriors dating to the late Archaic period, between 580 and 460 BC, the ministry said in a statement.

Some were buried in bronze helmets alongside iron swords and knives. Their eyes, mouths and chests were covered in gold foil richly decorated with drawings of lions and other animals symbolizing royal power.

“The discovery is rich in historical importance, shedding light on Macedonian culture during the Archaic period,” Pavlos Chrysostomou, who headed the eight-year project that investigated a total of 900 graves, told Reuters.

Pavlas said the graves confirmed evidence of an ancient Macedonian society organized along militaristic lines and with overseas trade as early as the second half of the seventh century BC.

Among the excavated graves, the team also found 11 women from the Archaic period, with gold and bronze necklaces, earrings and broaches.

Nine of the graves dated to the late classical or early Hellenistic period, around the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC.

Alexander, whose father Philip II unified the city states of mainland Greece, conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks before dying at the age of 32 in Babylon. Educated by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, Alexander was never defeated in battle.

(Reporting by Daniel Flynn and Renee Maltezou; editing by Elizabeth Piper)

The emperor Flavius Claudius Julianus, known also as Julian or Julian the Apostate was a very wise and educated person who left behind many writings.

In his work “The Caesars” the emperor  wrote this short comic sketch on the occasion of the Saturnalia in December 361 A.D. It describes a contest between the Roman emperors, with Alexander the Great called in as an extra contestant, in the presence of the assembled gods. The conversation allows Julian to pass judgement concisely on many of his predecessors. However through Julian’s work it is also being revealed a widespread notion which verifies Alexander was Greek!!

316. “So Alexander joined the company of heroes, but neither Caesar nor anyone else yielded his place to him. However he found and took a vacant seat which the son of Severus had taken for himself - he had been expelled for fratricide.

Then Silenus began to rally Quirinus and said, “See now whether all these Romans can match this one Greek.” “By Zeus,” retorted Quirinus, “I consider that many of them are as good as he! It is true that my descendants have admired him so much that they hold that he alone of all foreign generals is worthy to be styled ‘the Great.”

Many people often ask me what is the difference between a Greek and a Macedonian, and if Macedonians were Greeks of a different nation. Actually this is the same question that most foreign people with little or a basic -and we all have to admit rich and many times complicated - historical knowledge have.  Basically this is the exact lack of knowledge over the Greek history which the propaganda of fyrom uses, in order to create a huge confusion and chaos in people’s minds between the term ”Macedonians” and ”Greeks.”

This article will not proceed further in whether Macedonians were Greeks or not, because as it has already been mentioned and proved thousands of times not only from this blog, but from every valid historical ancient and modern source, that Macedonians were and are Greeks! This article aims in giving a very plain but essential explanation related to the way the fyromians used the confusion and lack of historic details of foreign people, -even the lack of knowledge of the Greek language.- in the names of the Kingdoms of the Greek Cities and how Greeks were calling each other and continue to call until today, according to their heritage, descent and lineage.

Plain and simple for every foreign friend. Greece was divided in Greek City States, all of them under the definition of the Greek nation according to Herodotus «όμοαιμον, ομόγλωσσον, ομόθρησκον, ομότροπον» (omemon – same blood, omoglosson – same language, omothriskon – same religion, omotropon – same ways, behaviour.), but with any Greek City State maintaining it’s independent leadership and rulers, with their own alliances and their own civil wars in the Greek region. From Homer up to Herodotus who also mentions that ” το Ελληνικόν γλώσση αιεί τη αυτή διαχράται ” (a general translation as ”the Greek language has always been spoken”) and in the pass of time, in this long Greek history, the Greeks were calling themselves with a variety of names. (Ex. Hellenes, Achaeans, Ionians, Grecians, etc. ) they also had their personal introduction beyond their father’s names, who preserves the tendency for a Greek to distinguish himself with pride for the City he comes from. This localism is something we continue to have as Greeks until today.

Ancient Greeks after all never had flags, but they had symbols:

Athenians had the owl:

Corinthians had the Pegasus:

Spartans had the Λ which stated their origin: ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΟΙ (Lacedemonians) 

And of course Macedonians had the Star of Vergina:

So this is where we reach the word ”macedonian” and the fyromian’s trick. The two maps below shows the major Greek City States of antiquity and the third one, the modern Greek Provinces which maintained the same names and the same political map’s distinction.

Every Greek then and every Greek today, continue to introduce to each other with their family name and the place they live or the place they descend from. When a Greek wanted back then or wants until today to introduce himself according to their birthplace and local heritage, mentions that he is for example Thessalian from the town of Trikala, or Volos, of that he is a Thracian from Alexandroupolis, or Kavala, or that he is a Cretan from Chania or Heraklion, or that he is Macedonian from Kilkis or Thessaloniki, or that he is a Peloponnesian from Sparta. A very specific and simple introduction which of course foreigners ignore, as it is natural to ignore the Greek language and habits that the Greeks like any other nation, have with each other.

A very bright example of that is the words of Alexander:

The speech of Alexander I, when he was admitted to the Olympic games

“Men of Athens…
Had I not greatly at heart the common welfare of Hellas I should not have come to tell you; but I am myself Hellene by descent, and I would not willingly see Hellas exchange freedom for slavery….

If you prosper in this war, forget not to do something for my freedom; consider the risk I have run, out of zeal for the Hellenic cause, to acquaint you with what Mardonius intends, and to save you from being surprised by the barbarians.

I am Alexander of Macedon.”

(Herodotus, The Histories, 9.45)

Really interesting isn’t it?

So the fyromian propaganda based an entire falsification in taking advantage of people’s lack of knowledge, in creating step by step the impression that the Macedonians were something ”different”, something ”distant” from the rest of the Greeks, who after all were not conquered from Phillip, but agreed in an alliance with him in uniting all the Greeks under his guidance, against Persia, after the battle of Chaeronia, which was not the first civil war from the many civil conflicts, the Greek Cities had between them.

By Ariadni_Nefeli

One text from Hippolytus_of_Rome, author of the first centuries AC and…a saint.

Its translation in English

HIPPOLYTUS OF ROME TREATISE ON CHRIST AND ANTICHRIST.

.

Quote:

From Ioannis Chrysostomos about Daniel’s fragment in page 893.

“Θα καταλάβετε καλύτερα αν ακούσετε αυτό το όραμα που μας διηγήθηκε παραβολικά ο προφήτης αποκαλώντας κριό τον βασιλέα των Περσών Δαρείο, τράγο τον βασιλέα των Ελλήνων, εννοώ τον Αλέξανδρο τον Μακεδόνα, τέσσερα κέρατα τους διαδόχους του και τελευταίο κέρατο τον Αντίοχο. ”

Translation: “You will understand better if you hear this vision which was narrated parabolically by the Prophet, by calling ram the Persian king Darius, billy-goat the King of Greeks i mean Alexander the Macedonian, 4 horns his successors and last horn Antiochos“

Taken from the ‘Encomium of St Demetrios’ written by the well-known fourteenth-century theologian Nicholas Kabasilas Chamaetos.

Quote:

Eusebius of Caesarea (c 263 – 339?[1])(often called Eusebius Pamphili, “Eusebius [the friend] of Pamphilus”) became the bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina c 314. He is often referred to as the Father of Church History because of his work in recording the history of the early Christian church, especially Chronicle and Ecclesiastical History. An earlier version of church history by Hegesippus, that he referred to, has not survived.

What this men write?

“Toiayti de tis Makedonon igemonia,Ellinon onton kai tin glotta logikoteron”

Its translation:
“This hegemony of Macedonians, GREEKS being and their language general”

Plutarch in Alexander’s ‘Bios’ signifies the Greekness of Alexander and Macedonians. In reality even the few references to the gradual consolidation of Macedonian hegemony in Greek worl where Macedonians are distinguished from the rest of Greeks for clearly practical reasons since they were warring, but wthout an ethnological difference (see Alex 9.2, 13, ch 11, 12.5). Similarly Plutarch in his ‘lives’ uses the same method distinguishing the warring Spartans from the rest of Greeks.

Quote:

<Plutarchos, Agesilaos 26>

Quote:

<Plutarchos, Agis 14>

Quote:

<Plutarchos, Pelopidas 20>

and the Atheneans from the rest of Greeks.

Quote:

<Plutarchos, Themistokles 7>

In reality Plutarch reveals the Greekness of the expeditionary force of Alexander eventhough the main army consists of Macedonians.

- From the side of his father, Alexander is shown clearly as descendant of Heracles and from his mother side a descendant of Aeacos. (Alex 2.1).

- He is educated by Aristotle, uses as his permanent favourite book the Iliad of Homer (see 8,2, 26.2-3) but wishes also other Greek books to be sent to him.

- The inscription of Alexander with the first booty is clear and Macedonians are included as Greeks.

Quote:

Plutarchos, ‘Alexander’ 16.18

- After conquering Egypt Alexander wishes to found “a great Greek city with many people” (26.4 and Moralia 328B). The Priest of Ammon adresses Alexander in Greek (27.9).

- In Alexanders Live Macedonians are included in the general Greek race and those who are opposed to Persians and the rest of Barbarian tribes of Asia are called greeks and not Macedonians (33.1-4)

- Alexander campaigns in Asia in the name of Greeks in order to revenge the campaign of Xerxes against Greece (see 37.5, 38.4)

- Before Gaugamela, Alexander encourages mainly Greks and from Greeks he is being encouraged too (see 33.1)

- After the final defeat of Darius he chooses 30,00 young Persians and orders those to be educated in Greek (see 47.6)

- In the meantime he wishes to please all the Greeks by abolishing tyrranies, giving autonomy, urging Plateans to rebuild their city, sending booty even to Krotoniates in order to honour the participation of their ancestor Faylos in Medika (34.2-3)

-Finally Alexander’s behaviour to Greeks is entirel different from his behaviour to Barbarians. (see Alex 28.1)

 Plutarch considered Macedonians as Greeks by distinguishing them always from Barbarians.

Quote:

[Plut. Cleomenes 27.3]

Quote: