Patriarch Euthymius of Turnovo (Patriarch of Bulgaria between 1375 and 1393) in his “Hagiography of St. Ilarion Maglenski” wrote about the Bulgarian Char Kaloyan:

Translation in English:

“He was very brave, then, conquered a large part of the Greek land, namely Thrace and Macedonia, the Tribalia and Dalmatia, in those added Neada (sic) and Ellada and still Aitolia.”

From the above it is clear that the Patriarch Euthymius, reflecting a general perception, recognizes Macedonia as part of Greek land.

Source:  E. Kaluzniacki, Werke Des Patriachen von Bulgarien Euthymius (1375-1393),. Nach den besten Handschriften, Wien 1901.

In an Anonymous Bulgarian Chronicle of early 15th century, we have the description of the Turkish invation in Balkans. There we read:

Translation in English:

”

Then Katakouzinos came to agreement with Mourat and they gave oaths and exchanged written agreements which apply even today that Turks wont harm the Greeks, neither in Romania, nor in Macedonia in the century, and when Turks promised things will be like that, Kantakozinos left to the Turks the passage from Kallipolis.”

Source: J. Bogdan, “Ein Beitrag zur Bulgarischen und Serbischen Geschichtscheribung”, Archiv fur Slavische Plilologie, v. 13 (1891), 527

So even in Medieval Bulgarian sources it was well known in Macedonia were living Greeks.  However Turks didnt keep their promises for long.

Translation in English:

When Kaloyan was a king at that time, in Constantinople, Palaiologos, then Turks broke the oaths which they had agreed with the Greeks, and conquered the city of Kallipolis and the surrounding villages, took Macedonia and they started conflicts everywhere, and in the passage they look to exist their own ships in order to guard it, after they pushed and sent away the Greeks from the area.”

From the old-Bulgarian translation of Manasses Chronicle, a translation dating back in the first years of the Ivan Alexander’s reign (1331-1340) we find:

Translation in English:

During the reign of Anastasius, Bulgarians started to conquer this land, they passed to Bidynio and firstly begun to conquer the Lower land of Ochrid and later all of it.

Source: Die Slavische Manasses-Chronik. Ach der Ausgabe von oan Bogdan. Muncen, Wilhelm Fink Verlag 1966, page 115.

The Bulgarian character of Samuil’s state, contrary to the illusions of t FYROM’s pseudohistorians  is proved undoubtedly here. Similarly we can find again in the same source a little later:

Translation in English:

“This King Vasileios crashed Samouil, Char of Bulgars, twice and conquered Bidynio and PLiska, and the Great Preslava and the Small one, and many other cities [..]“

Similar references can be also found in Serbian Medieval Sources:

From the “Bios of St Savva“  written by Teodosie Hilandara (mid 13th cent)

Translation in English:

“This Kaloyan, Czar of Zagorion moved and destroyed many Greek cities in the entire Thrace and in the entire Macedonia [..]“

Source: Teodosije Hilandarac, Zivot Svetoga Save.Izdanje Dure Danicica priredio i predgovor napisao Dorde Trifunovic, Beograd, 1973 (first publ. 1860), p. 103

Therefore we learn that even Serbs knew Macedonia and Thrace consisted of  Greek cities.

By Nicholas M.

Bibliography: “Makedonikes Tautotites ston Hrono”,  Aggeliki Delikari, ‘ Η εικόνα της Μακεδονίας και η εννοια της “Μακεδονικότητας” στους Σλαβικούς λαούς της Βαλκανικής κατά την Βυζαντινή περίοδο”

Tags: bulgarians, greeks, kaloyan, macedonia, medieval, samouil, serbs, turks

Documents diplomatiques français (1871-1914). By France. Commission de publication des documents relatifs aux origines de la guerre de 1914

Translation: If Bulgaria, after many hesitations and not without regret, did the great sacrifice and give up Uskub, whose population is Bulgarian

 

 

 

Tags: bulgarian, population, skopje, uskub

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:

The city [Thessalonike] has many adronments bu the most important one and that which affords in the greatest distinction is its rhetorical force, a characteristic that is admired [there] more than in other cities. This city has such a special relationship with Hellenic speech and is so rich in this grace that on the one hand it is sufficient to secure its own happiness but in addition this city can also impart [this grace] to other cities, transplanting words like colonies founded by the rulers of ancient Athens. Consequently there is none, i think, of all the Hellenes in our empire who does not call this city his ancestor and the mother of his Muses, since by claiming such descent he appears respectable”