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:

BY CHICAGOGEORGE

By Akritas

By ChicagoGeorge

From the “Biblical and Theological Dictionary” by Richard Watson, New York 1832

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)

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

Nigel Guy wilson , Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece (2006)

By Andrew

A couple of days ago i read an article in the website Livius.org related to the history of ancient Macedonia.  The article is written by Jona Lendering, the owner of the website and admittedly he tries to give a neutral perspective, mainly due to the connection of the issue with modern politics. However his apparent neutrality is seriously hindered by some blatant inconsistencies the author commits. The purpose of this article is to contest Jona Lendering’s questionable claims about the ancient Macedonian language.

Claim:

However, there is some room for doubt. To start with, there are also Macedonian names that have no Greek parallel (Arridaeus or Sabattaras).

 Arridaeus (Gr: Αρριδαίος)

According to the account of the linguist Sakalis (source: ‘He Hellenike Tautotita ton arhaion Makedonon”

1. A citizen of the Greek island Kos (ii BC BCH 86 (1962) P. 275 no4,5)

2. Greek oikonomos of Laodike, ex-wife of Antiochus B’, king of the Seleukid kingdom.

Etymology: Derives from the greek word ‘Ari’ (An. Gr:άρι, Tr: much) + the adject. ‘Daios’ (An. Gr: Δάιος, Tr: frightening)

Therefore the claim “Arridaeus has no Greek paralel” is false.

Sabattaras (Gr: Σαβαττάρας)

The name appears in Inscription 269 (Second edition of  Sylloge dated to 300 BCE) referring to the the ‘proxenia‘ of Machatas, son of Sabattaras, originating from the Macedonian city Europos.

For starters, Machatas is a Greek name and most particularly its the Doric form of “Machetes” (Gr: Μαχητής, Tr: ‘Fighter‘)

Sabattaras appears to be an obscure case, in relation to the name’s origins but most likely it may be Thracian.

Points of interest:

-The root “Sabat” may be related to that of Sabazios, a Thraco- Phrygian god.

- The suffix “taras” may be appears to be Thracian, in the form of “Kotyotaras“.

- We should not forget that the Macedonians expanded from Makedonia (Pieria, Emathia) to regions populated by Thracians, after all and in essence Thrace has been incoporated into Macedonian kingdom much earlier than the date given. 

- The fact that Sabattaras is a SINGLE case, contrary to Arridaeus which appears to be somewhat common name in ancient Macedon, points out its the tiny EXCEPTION of the general rule which explicitely proves ancient Macedonians had Greek names. Rare cases of foreign names in Ancient Greek world were always found, even in Athens.  Thucydides‘ father bore the name Olorus, which is a Thracian one. It doesnt mean anyway we should start doubting the Greekness of Atheneans.

Claim:

In the second place, in many semi-literate societies, there is a difference between the spoken and the written language. It would not be without parallel if a Macedonian, when he wanted to make an official statement, preferred decent Greek instead of his native tongue. (Cf. the altars of the goddess Nehalennia, which were all written in Latin, a language that was almost certainly not spoken by the people who erected them.)

True to a certain point. However the crux of the matter is in these semi-illiterate societies used their native tongue in:1. their own names
2. in their toponymies.

Ancient Macedonians used in both of these options Greek names so the assumption is at least clumsy. Moreover from a rational point of view, a migrating people dont go around renaming existing toponymies in someone else’s language. They obviously rename them into their own. The original Ancient Macedonians renamed Phrygian toponymies into Greek during their migration. This alone proves they already were Greek-Speaking so the “Hellenization theory” unfortunately  falls apart. During 8th Century BC It would be quite absurb, Macedonians to rename toponymies into:

(i) Not their own language
(ii) A language they didnt…understand.

Claim:

Thirdly, many historical sources are written in Greek, and it was a common practice among Greek historians to hellenize foreign names. For example, the name of the powerful first king of the Persian empire, Kuruš, ought to be transcribed as Kourous or Kouroux in Greek, but became Kyros, because this looks like a Greek word (”Mr. Almighty”). The name that is rendered as Alexandros, which has a perfect Greek etymology, may in fact represent something like Alaxandus, which is not Greek.

Greeks indeed had a tedency to regularize foreign names to sound better in Greek. Examples are:

- The name Artaxerxes is the regularization of the original Persian name Artakhshathra.

- The name Xerxes is the regularization of the original Persian name Khshayarsha.

- The name Darius from the regularization of the old Persian name Dârayawuð.

Or even the name of the famous Indian founder of the Mauryan empire Chandragupta was regularised from Greeks into Sandracottus.

The vast majority of these foreign names have no meaning in Greek. From the other hand All Macedonian names like Alexandros and Phillipos are completely meaningful in greek in their original forms therefore there was no need anyone to regularize them. In relation to the name’s “Alexandros” usage, the first evidenced use of the name in history, comes from the Mycenean Greeks, in the female form “Alexandra“.  In reality the name Alexadros was COMMON in the Greek world prior to the establishment of Macedonian kingdom. Furthermore this claim is easily refuted alone by the fact that NONE of the Persian names who were regularized to sound better in Greek, is found in the Greek world. You wont find any Greek of classical ages called….Xerxes, or Darius, or any female called Sisygambis. On the contrary, the vast majority of ancient Macedonian names is COMMON in the Greek world. Philippos, Alexandros, Pausanias, etc are extensively used among Greeks. In reality the argument of Jona Lendering proves the exact opposite of his claim.

For example, there is evidence that Greeks were unable to understand people who were makedonizein, “speaking Macedonian”. The Macedonian king Alexander the Great was not understood by the Greeks when he shouted an order in his native tongue and the Greek commander Eumenes needed a translator to address the soldiers of the Macedonian phalanx.

Firstly Makedonizein could be a i) a dialect/language, ii) simply a mode of speech.

There isnt any clear reference from ancient sources that we could claim safely Greeks couldnt understand the ancient Macedonian native tongue. On the contrary there are references which proves the opposite.

If we follow this logic then by reading the following quote by [Thucydides (3-112)]