MAKEDONIA - HISTORICAL SOURCES
I have seen a lot of people talking about the ethnicity of ancient Makedonia recently.There is a lot of confusion about modern Makedonia,too.Everyone has his own tale and theory to present,but I think it's time for the truth to be told.A truth proved by the historical sources.
This is the family tree of Alexander the great,showing his ancestors and successors who ruled Makedonia.
House of Timenidai
Karanos
Gavanis
Koinos
Aeropos
Tyrimmas
Perdikkas
---
House of Argeades (The Argeades were a Dorian Hellenic tribe that came from Argos and were the ruling noble house of Makedonia that was the continuation of the house of Timenidai,who originally founded Makedonia.I will provide sources later.)
Perdikkas A' -> founded and ruled Makedonia in middle 7th century BC (the son of Perdikkas,who was the son of Alexandros)
Argaios
Philippos A'
Aeropos A'
Alketas
Amydas A' -> 540-497 BC
Alexandros A' -> 495-494 BC
Perdikkas B' -> 454-413 BC
Archelaos -> 413-399 BC
Orestis -> 399-396 BC
Aeropos B' -> 396-393 BC
Amydas B' -> 393-392 BC
Pafsanias
Amydas C' -> 392-370 BC
Alexandros B' -> 370-368 BC
Ptolemaios Aloritis -> 368-365 BC
Perdikkas C' -> 365-359 BC
Philippos B' -> 359-336 BC
Alexandros C' (Alexander the Great) -> 336-323 BC
Alexandros D' -> 323-310 BC
---
Kassandros married the daughter of Philippos B' and a new royal Makedonian house was created
House of Adipatridai
Kassandros -> 315-297 BC
Adipatros -> 297-294 BC
Phillipos D' -> 297 BC
Alexandros E' -> 297-294 BC
---
OK.Now here comes the storm of sources.
"Those descendants of Perdikkas are Hellenes too,as they also say themselves,and I personally am in position to know it and further in my history I will prove that they are Hellenes.Additionally the organizers of the Hellenic games that took place in Olympia made the same decision.Because when Alexander A' decided to participate in the games and came south for that reason,his Hellenic competitors wanted to forbid him from participating with the claim that the games were not for barbarian athletes,but for Hellenes.And Alexander,because he proved that his origin was from Argos and the judges admitted that he is Hellene,participated in the game of running one stadium and finished at the same time as the first."
-Herodotos 5,22,2
"But the land by the sea,which is today called Makedonia,was firstly conquered and ruled by the father of Perdikkas,Alexandros,and his ancestors Timanidai,who originally came from Argos and drove away from Pieria the Pierians[...]and from the so called Bottia the Bottians[...].They conquered Paionian part of land[...]and already rule beyond Axios up to Strymonas the so called Mygdonia[...].They also drove away from the land that is called today Eordia the Eordians[...]and from Almopia the Almopians.The new formed kingdom of Timenidai conquered and rules until today the lands of other tribes,like Anthemudas,Gristonia and Visaltia and a large part of the original Makedonian land."
-Thucididis 2,99
This is the original Makedonian kingdom that the Timenidai founded.The darker colour is the land that they firstly set foot on and the area around are the lands they conquered to create the kingdom.In later eras they conquered even more land around.
Alexander,son of Amydas said this to Persian messengers: "Persians,we offered you perfect hospitality.Everything we had and we could find to satisfy you,we gave them all,and the most important,our mothers and sisters,so you know that we offered every honour that you deserve.Tell your king who sent you that a Hellenic king of Makedonia took care of you equally well on the table and on the bed."
-Herotodos's History,Book E',paragraphs 17-21(Terpsichori)
"...after him (Xerxes) Mardonios said: 'oh despot you are the only excellent one among the born Persians,but also among those that will be born,what you said is excellent and totally true,that you will not let the Ionians that live in Europe make fun of us as they are not worthy of such a thing.And it is a misfortune that while we have conquered Sakes,Indians,Aithiopians,Assyrians and other nations that did no harm to us,to let the Hellenes that brought an injustice upon us go unpunished.What should we fear of them?Their numbers?Their financial power?We know that they are weak in power,we have dostroyed their equals that are called Ionians,Aiolians and Dorians.I have experience of them from when I campaigned against them under your father's order,I actually reached Makedonia and after a bit further I would have reached Athens and noone faced me in battle.The Hellenes as I am informed start war without will and thought.When they declare war among them they find the best and most even ground and they fight the battle so that the winners have the less possible casualties.And so those Hellenes with these strange customs,while I marched into Makedonia,and even for that reason they did not stand against me.' "
-Herodotos's History,seventh Book (Polymnia)
Herodotos makes clear that Makedonia is Hellenic land and that the Persian Mardonios was very surprised by the absense of Hellenic resistance even after Mardonios walked with the Persian army into their lands (Makedonia).If Makedonia was not Hellenic,why would the Persians expect to find Hellenic resistance there?
"The Aegean sea reaches two sides of Hellas.The one side is the side seeing towards east and extends from Sunio and towards the north until the bay of Thermaikos and Thessaloniki,a Makedonian city.A city that actually flourishes more than other cities.The other side that sees towards the south (the Makedonian side) extends from Thessaloniki until Strymonas."
-Stravon,Geographics 7th tome
Another source that clearly places Makedonia in Hellas.
"Makedonia is Hellas too"
-Stravon,Geographics 7
How could he be more clear than this?
"...during the reign of the king Defkalion they (the Hellenes) lived at the land of Phthiotis.During the reign of Doros,son of Ellinas(also written in English as Hellenas,the one that Hellas took its name from) they also lived in the lands around Ossa (modern Kissavos) and mount Olympus,the so called Istiaiotis.Kadmians drove them away from Istiaiotis and they moved in Pindos that was called Makednon (also called Makedon and later known as Makedonia).From there they reached Dryopis and from there they reached Peloponnese and were called Dorians (after Doron)."
-Herodotos,first Book(Kleio)
Herodotus describes how the Hellenes initially spread in the Hellenic peninsula.He clearly says that the Hellenes also moved in the areas around Pindos and they named the new Hellenic land Makedon/Makedonia.
The ancient Makedonians were one of the more than 230 Hellenic tribes and the Hellenes had more than 200 topic dialects and the Makedonians spoke their Hellenic topic dialect as well.The most known Hellenic dialects were the Ionian,Attic,Dorian,Aiolian,Cyprian,Arcadian,Aitolian,Akarnaic,Makedonian and Locrian.Many sources confirm those facts.
-Herodotos,Thucididis,Tito Livio,Nevim,Ketuvim-Apokryfa(Makkavaioi 1-2)
"The Makedonian dialect was one of the Aiolian dialects and belonged to the total of the western Hellenic dialects.
-Hammond,the Makedonian state,page 193
The Roman writters in their stories and texts also say that the Makedonians spoke Hellenic.
"...the Aitolians,Akarnanians and Makedonians,men that all spoke the same language,united or divided for unimportant reasons that appear from time to time.."
-Tito Livio,History of Rome,book XXX,paragraph XXIX
The Aitolians,Akarnanians and Makedonians were all Hellenic tribes.
"(General Paulus)sat on his official seat surrounded by many Makedonians...his announcements were translated and repeated in Hellenic by the praitor Gnaeus Octavius..."
-Tito Livio,History of Rome,book XLV,paragraph XXIX
The announcements were translated from Roman in Hellenic because it was obviously the natural language of the Makedonians as they were Hellenes.
The word "Makedonia" itself is a Hellenic word and comes from the Dorian/Aiolian word "makos",which in Attic is "mikos" and means length.
-Homer,Odyssey,VII,106
The word Makednon (Makedonian) actually meaning long (tall) people in looser translation also means the men living by the mountains.
The name "Alexandros" is a Hellenic name and comes from the Hellenic words "alex" (meaning protector) and "anir" (meaning man).So Alexandros means protector of men.It was a royal name.
The name "Philippos" is a Hellenic name and comes from the Hellenic words "philos" (meaning friend) and "ippos" (meaning horse).So Philippos means friend of horses.Another royal name.
The name "Bukefalas" (Alexander's horse) is a Hellenic word and comes from the ancient Hellenic word "bus" (meaning ox) and "kefali" (meaning head).It is believed that Bukefalas had a white mark on its head that looked like the head of an ox and that's where the horse got its name from.
In the city Opie,near Babylon when the Makedonian soldiers mutinied against Alexander the Great,he answered to them in Hellenic.
-Arrianos,Anavasis of Alexander,VII,9,10
The soldiers after their leader's speach were speachless.They were very upset.Immediately after Alexander entered his palace they demanded to enter the palace also and talk to him.When Alexander heard that his soldiers wanted to talk to him he immediately got out.He saw them sad and many were crying and weeping.When Alexander saw his soldiers in such a state tears came out of his eyes.He tried to talk to them but they started begging their General.Actually,one of them called Kallynis,who was the oldest of his soldiers and had a high position in the Etairoi cavalry unit said: "Oh king,what causes such misery to the Makedonians is that you now have as your equals some Persians,the Persians call themselves relatives of Alexander and kiss you.No Makedonian has ever enjoyed until today that high honour."
-Arrianos,Alexander's Anavasis,VII,8-10
Comments: If the Makedonians were not Hellenes,Alexander would never talk to them in Hellenic in such an urgent circumstance.This incident makes crystal clear that the Hellenic language was the natural language of the Makedonians,as there is no way that they would be so moved as to start crying and weeping by hearing a random foreign language and not the language of home.They also replied in Hellenic,so further comments are just unnecessary.We also know from the texts that they never had lessons about any language,so there is no chance that they would be able to understand and speak Hellenic if it wasn't their natural language.
The Makedonians wore a unique hat called "kafsia"
-Polyvios,IV,4-5 / Efstathios 1958 / Arrianos,Alexander's Anavasis,VII 22 / Sturge,The Makedonian Dialect,41
that distinguished them from the other Hellenes.The word "kafsia" comes from the Hellenic word "kafsis",meaning heat/hot.For that reason the Persians called them "yauna takabara",which means Hellenes who wear the hat.The Makedonian hat was very different than the hats of other Hellenes but the Persians couldn't distinguish the Makedonians from the other Hellenes because the Makedonians also spoke Hellenic and they all sounded the same to the Persians.
-Hammond,The Makedonian State,page 13 / J. M. Balcer,History,37,7
The accusations that the Makedonians were barbarians started in Athens and it was a lie used by the politicians and based on the way of life of the ancient Makedonians and not on their ethnicity or language.
-Casson,Makedonia Thrace and Illyria,page 158 / Errington,History of Makedonia,page 4
"The accusations of Demosthenis against Philippos have no historical value,because it's the case of personal antipathy of an orator against his personal enemies."
-E. Badian,Studies in Historical Art,Tome 10
Even E.Badian,who openly challenges the Hellenic ethnicity of Makedonians,admits that Demosthenis's accusations that Philippos was a barbarian aren't based on any historical fact but on his personal antipathy against Philippos and as a result they cannot be taken seriously and have no historical value.Additionally,Demosthenis wrote 7 books and he only accuses Philippos of being a barbarian in one of them and doesn't refer to the Makedonians as a whole as barbarians to any of those books.It's just a personal attack against Philippos in one of his books,because for him Philippos was a threat to the Athenian democracy.
The truth is that Alexander the Great saw himself and his Makedonians as Hellenes.His mother claimed origin from the line of Achilles and his father claimed origin from the line of Hercules.His ancestor,Alexandros A',had clearly stated "I am Hellene".
-Herodotos,History,V, 20,22 - VIII, 137 - IX, 45
We know the strict rule that only Hellenes could participate in the Olympic games.
Archelaos won in the Olympic and Pythian games.
-Solinus 9, 16
Alexandros A' won in the Olympic games.
-Herodotos,History,V,22
The fact that they participated means that they had proven beyond any doubt that they were Hellenes.
"A number of Peloponnesian cities is populated with Lakedemonians,Corinthians,Sicyonans,Epidavrians,Trizinians and Ermionians."
-Herodotos,History, Η, 43
Except the Ermionians,all the others are of Dorian and Makedonian origin.This confirms that the Makedonians were as Hellenic as the Dorians were.
"The Hellenic historian Ellanikos visited Makedonia in late 5th century BC and researched a lot of things...Ellanikos,Isiodos and a female Hellenic historian named Persia all visited Makedonia and they all wrote that Makedonians spoke Hellenic at the time.Makedonia was infamous,weak and didn't interfere in the lives of southern Hellenes in late 5th century BC,so they had absolutely no reason to write inaccurate things about their language.Their unaffected texts can only be taken as beyond doubt."
-N.G.L. Hammond,The Makedonian State,pages 12-13
At the battle of Granicus Hellenic mercenaries fought at the Persian side.After the battle Alexander had captured many of them and sent them bount in chains back to Makedonia for compulsive work,because as Hellenes they had defied the decisions of the Hellenes and fought on the side of the barbarians.He also sent to Athens 300 Persian armours to be added to Akropolis with a note saying: "Alexandros of Philippos and the rest Hellenes except Lakedemonians from the barbarians that live in Asia."
-Arrianos,Α' 16, 7
"After the inquiry about the oracles and the exhortation given by Mardonios night came on and the guards were set: and when night was far advanced, and it seemed that there was quiet everywhere in the camps, and that the men were in their deepest sleep, then Alexander the son of Amyntas, commander and king of the Macedonians, rode his horse up to the guard-posts of the Athenians and requested that he might have speech with their generals. So while the greater number of the guards stayed at their posts, some ran to the generals, and when they reached them they said that a man had come riding on a horse out of the camp of the Medes, who discovered nothing further, but only named the generals and said that he desired to have speech with them. Having heard this, forthwith they accompanied the men to the guard-posts, and when they had arrived there, Alexander thus spoke to them: "Athenians, I lay up these words of mine as a trust to you, charging you to keep them secret and tell them to no one except only to Pafsanias, lest you bring me to ruin: for I should not utter them if I did not care greatly for the general safety of Hellas, seeing that I am a Hellene myself by original and ancient descent and I should not wish to see Hellas enslaved instead of free. I say then that Mardonios and his army cannot get the offerings to be according to their mind, for otherwise you would long ago have fought. Now however he has resolved to let the offerings alone and to bring on a battle at dawn of day; for, as I conjecture, he fears lest you should assemble in greater numbers. Therefore prepare yourselves; and if after all Mardonios should put off the battle and not bring it on, stay where you are and hold out patiently; for they have provisions only for a few days remaining. And if this way shall have its issue according to your mind, then each one of you ought to remember me also concerning liberation, since I have done for the sake of the Hellenes so hazardous a deed by reason of my zeal for you, desiring to show you the design of Mardonios, in order that the Barbarians may not fall upon you when you are not as yet expecting them: and I am Alexander the Macedonian." Thus having spoken he rode away back to the camp and to his own position."
-Herodotos,9th Book,Kalliopi,44-45
"(Alexander the Great) subjugated Asia under Hellenes."
-Polyvios,Histories,9th Book,34.3
Since he did that mainly with a Makedonian army the Makedonians are clearly included in the Hellenes in yet one more source.
Lykias talking to the Lakedemonians: "then you fought with zeal for hegemony and glory against your Achaean and Makedonian compatriots...now it's about war for slavery from foreigners(the Romans)."
-Polyvios,Histories,9th Book,37
Isokratis and Plutarch also clearly refer multiple times to the Makedonian campaign in Persia as "a pan-Hellenic campaign against the barbarians"
Those are sources that make clear that the ancient Makedonians were Hellenes beyond any doubt.Now,I will provide some sources that make clear the ethnicity of modern Makedonia,to take away any confusion.Some people confuse the Hellenic region of Makedonia(which is exactly where the ancient kingdom of Makedonia was and populated mainly with Hellenes) with FYROM,which is a completely different country(populated mainly with Slavs,Bulgarians and Albanians).
Here are some sources.
A former president of FYROM,Kiro Gligorov,said: "WE ARE SLAVS AND WE CAME IN THE AREA IN 6TH CENTURY AD...WE ARE NOT DESCENDENTS OF THE ANCIENT MAKEDONIANS." He also said: "WE ARE NOT MAKEDONIANS,BUT SLAVS.THIS IS WHO WE ARE.WE HAVE NO RELATION WITH ALEXANDER THE HELLENE AND HIS MAKEDONIANS.OUR ANCESTORS MIGRATED IN THE AREA IN 5TH AND 6TH CENTURY AD."
-Toronto Star,15th March 1.992
The Ambassador of FYROM Ljubica Achevska in a speech about this subject said: "WE DON'T HAVE THE DEMAND TO BE RECOGNIZED AS DESCENDENTS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT...WE ARE SLAVS AND WE SPEAK SLAVIC LANGUAGE."
-Washington D.C,22nd January 1.999
The Ambassador of FYROM Gyordan Veselinov in an interview for a newspaper of Otava admitted: "WE HAVE NO RELATION WITH NORTHERN HELLENES WHO HAVE TO SHOW LEADERS LIKE PHILIPPOS OR ALEXANDER THE GREAT.WE ARE SLAVS AND OUR LANGUAGE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE BULGARIAN LANGUAGE.THERE IS SOME CONFUSION WITH THE IDENTITY OF MY COUNTRY'S PEOPLE."
-Canada,24th February 1.999
The minister of foreign affairs of FYROM Slobodan Casule in an interview for a newspaper stated that he said to the Bulgarian minister of foreign affairs Solomon Pasi this: "We belong to the same Slavic tribe."
-29th December 2.001
Here is a map of modern Makedonia,the Hellenic region.
And here is the map of FYROM.
As you can clearly see in both pictures they are not related.They are seperate parts of land.
Originally Posted by Antipater Thrax
Remember, though, that "What the rebels like to forget is that the King's army is what's keeping the barbarians out of Macedon."
Just ask my current level 57 Dragonborn, who is an Imperial. 
+rep
