Claudius Aelianus (ca. 175 – ca. 235) (Greek: Κλαύδιος Αἰλιανός), often seen as just Aelian, born at Praeneste, was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who flourished under Septimius Severus and probably outlived Elagabalus, who died in 222. He spoke Greek so perfectly that he was called “honey-tongued” (meliglossos); Roman-born, he preferred Greek authors, and wrote in a slightly archaizing […]

Contrary to popular beliefs emanating from FYROM, the ancient Macedonians are not identified as <barbarians> and more importantly, they always distinguish themselves from the <barbarians>.  For example, Alexander I in his famous speech at Plataia (Her. IX.45) differentiates himself from the <barbarians> by stating: “εθέλων υμίν δηλώσαι την διάνοιαν την Μαρδονίου, ίνα μή επιπέσωσι υμίν εξαίφνης οι βάρβαροι[..] ειμί δε Αλέξανδρος ο Μακεδών.” The ancient literary […]

  Some of the most usual fallacies used by FYROM’s hideous propaganda are the baseless assumptions included in the following statement: “The Greeks unanimously stereotyped the Macedonians as ‘barbarians’ and treated them in the same bigoted manner in which they treated all non-Greeks. After all, no Greek people/tribe was ever called “Barbarian“. This statement is most interesting for what it reveals about those supporting it. […]

Deductions and explanation of the term ‘barbaroi’ The deductions are the following. The Macedonians and the Magnesians lived ‘around Pieria and Olympus’, which I take to be the high ground where there were fine summer pastures. Each spoke its own dialect of Greek. The dialects were related to one another. But both were different from the dialects which developed among […]

By Monica Florence Source: Apaclassics.org The characterization of barbarians in fifth-century drama as wild, untrustworthy, effeminate, and childish has been well-documented (T. Long, Barbarians in Greek Comedy, 1986; E. Hall, Inventing the Barbarian, 1989). On the other hand, the presentation of the various Greek groups in Old Comedy has received little scholarly attention. In this paper, I focus specifically upon […]

Collection of ancient literary Evidence which prove Ancient Macedonians were dinstict from Barbarians.   [1] During this period he [Alexander] defeated the Maedi who had risen in revolt, captured their city, drove out its barbarous inhabitants, established a colony of Greeks assembled from various regions and named it Alexandroupolis. [Plut. 7.9, page 260) [Here we have undisputed evidence of Macedonia’s Greekness. On […]

In the years of Macedonian expansion under Philip II (359-336) BC the Athenian orator Demosthenes referred to Greece’s northern neighbors as “barbarians”, claiming that they had only recently ceased to be shepherds. Certainly the Thracians and Illyrians were non – Greek speakers, but in the northwest, the peoples of Molossis, Orestis and Lynkestis spoke west Greek and although they absorbed […]

By ChicagoGeorge

Collection of ancient sources making it clear to anyone that ancient Macedonians were dinstict from Barbarians. [1] During this period he [Alexander] defeated the Maedi who had risen in revolt, captured their city, drove out its barbarous inhabitants, established a colony of Greeks assembled from various regions and named it Alexandroupolis. [Plut. 7.9, page 260) [Here we have undisputed evidence […]

A usual wordwide misconception is the association of the word ‘Barbarian’ with non-Greeks. We all know for starters Epirotes being classed as ‘barbarians’ from Thucydides, although they were greek-speakers. However the ultimate proof of Greek tribes being called ‘barbarians is coming from Athenaios Deipnosophistes where Stratonicus the harp-player was asked “πότερα Βοιωτοί βαρβαρώτεροι…ή θετταλοί, Ηλείους έφησεν” meaning “who were the […]