The common definition of  “taking text out of context” is to remove a passage from its surrounding matter in such a way as to distort its meaning. In other words a shorter extract or phrase is used purposedly in an attempt to respresent the views of the person being quoted inaccurately. The latter became an effective tool on the hands of FYROM’s propagandists. Since the overwhelming evidence was against their illusions de grandeur, they had to invent an effective way to present the facts distorted in their favour. Hence misinterpreting their positions became a usual tactic.

If a person being quoted disagrees with their position, FYROM’s propagandists will present quotes that suggest that instead, this person is…supportive of this position.  Material that ostensibly bolsters this position is often taken out of context. Exposition that is at odds with the argument being made in the same text is excluded or otherwise obscured.

For example lets take a look in one of the main shelters of FYROM’s propaganda in the net, Historyofmacedonia.org. The following quote is taken out of Strabo’s work to show allegedly that Strabo…didnt consider ancient Macedonians as Greek.

This quote is used by FYROM’s propaganda 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“.

Like the example above explicitly shown, the art of “taking text out of context“ not only fails to take account of the particular place, time and circumstance which often is crucial to understanding what someone really means or intends but it also fails to take account of even the other words which immediately surround it and which form a part of one single act of writing or even a speech. To Ignore the context can often be a mere error but taking text out of context as was shown above is plainly a Wilful Distortion.

By Nikolaos M.

Herod. 5.20.4

This is another quote used alledgedly as a ‘proof’ of the non-greekness of Macedonians. However here it doesnt cognote any ethnical distinction but it shows the desire of Macedonian kings to underline their Greek ancestry. As a matter of fact Herodotus uses in some cases the term “anhr” (=ανήρ) to emphasize someone’s ancestry.

Therefore we have in Herodotus 8.79.2 and 8.95.1 the mentioning of Aristeides Lysimachou, anhr Athenaios and in 8.42.6 we find Eurybiades tou Eurykleideos, anhr Spartan.

FYROM claim:

Unfortunately for the deliberate intentions of FYROM propagandists to change this quote meaning,  fact is that Aleauedae of Thessaly (the ruling family) did sent an embassy to Xerxes while he was at Susa, submitting to him and issued an invitation “couched in the most urgent terms, to invade Greece” (Herodotus VII, 6). The subsequent comment by Herodotus that Xerxes remarked that the Thessalians were the first Greeks to submit to his rule refers to this action by the Aleaudae as Herodotus himself makes clear. As he makes clear also Macedonias were Greeks.

FYROM claim:

This is a clear a mistranslation that leads to a serious misunderstanding and falsification from the known propagandists.

kai to ergon entau8a karteron hn, twn men es ton potamon apwsas8ai tous Makedonas kai thn nikhn tois hdh feugousi sfwn anaswsas8ai, twn Makedonwn de ths te Aleksandrou hdh fainomenhs eupragias mh leif8hnai kai thn doksa ths falaggos, ws amaxou dh es to tote diabebohmenhs, mh afanisai. kai ti kai tois genesi tw te Ellhnikw kai Makedonikw filotimias enepesen es allhlous kai entau8a piptei Ptolemaios to o Selekhou, anhr aga8os genomenos kai alloi es eikosi malista kai ekaton twn ouk hmelhmenwn Makedonwn

note (h=hetta, 8=thetta, w= omega

So the line in question is :

καὶ τοῖς γένεσι τῷ τε Ἑλληνικῷ καὶ τῷ Μακεδονικῷ φιλοτιμίας ἐνέπεσεν ἐς ἀλλήλους.

or

“kai tois genesi tw te Ellhnikw kai Makedonikw filotimias enepesen es allhlous”

but what is its translation???

kai = and
tois = the
genesi = beginning, origin, descent, clan/tribe, race, kind
tw = of
te = the
Ellhnikwn = Hellinic
Makedonikwn = Makedonian
filotimias = literally “love of honour”, but can also mean ‘ambition’ among other things..
enepesen = to fall
es = on
allhlous = eachother

So in short.. during the battle and while the Makedones were trying to equal Alexander’s accomplishemnts and not stain the honor of the phallanx, which was ‘unbeatable’… the ‘love for honor’/ambition drove the two tribes/clans upon eachother..

While the word ‘genesi’ may also mean ‘race’, Arrian (and NOT Diodorus) leaves us no reason to question the meaning, since he has already indicates that he’s using it with the meaning of ‘clan/tribe’ just a couple of lines down..

By Orphic Hymn

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:

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“