The xenophobic, ultranationalist Golden Dawn party is gaining clout in the birthplace of democracy.
Published July 9, 2013
Calling Greece the birthplace of democracy is historically dubious and only really serves to whitewash its role as the fascism capital of Europe. People have apparently moved to Greece to escape fascism because of its unearned reputation as an idealized society.
The reality is that whatever continuity Greece has with ancient Greece, the modern state has completely unrelated political institutions. The so called birthplace of democracy was also a slave owning society that codified misogyny and the precursor to Eurocentrism (Hellenocentrism). The utopia people imagine Greece to be was never based in reality.
hi. history of all of macedonia, by a macedonian. I will not be calling it north macedonia, im sorry. VERY LONG POST. Im sorry if its messy, i did my best
Before people accuse me, no i dont have anything against greeks or bulgars, frankly idgaf what you are, as long as you dont deny our existance and yes, greeks and bulgars can interact.
@dressuprat hey bud you said you wanna be tagged, im finally done
So, Macedonia has existed for very, very long now.
Macedonia is also the oldest surviving name in Europe! Archaeological evidence shows that old European civilization flourished in Macedonia between 7000 and 3500 BC. In 808-399 BC, Caranus enstablished the first Macedonian kingdom, which was lead by Alexandar I "Phihellene", who fought as a Persian alley in the Greek-Persian wars. His son, Perdiccas II started a conflict between Sparta and Athens, leading to the 27 year Peloponnesian War. Archelaus is who turns Macedonia into an economic power, reorganizing the army. During 359-336 BC, Philip II manages to raise Macedonia into the greatest European power, overcoming all its neighbours (Greeks, Illyrians and Thracians) on August 2nd, 338 BC, defeat the Greeks in The Battle of Chaeronea. This marks an end of Greek history and the start of the Macedonian era. Theopompus, an ancient writer, titles Philip - "the greatest man that Europe had ever given." 336-323 BC, Alexandar III the Great - the son of Philip - carries the Macedonian armies to Asia, conquering Persia and creates the largest Empire (the Macedonian Empire), which stretches from Europe to India and North Africa. 323 BC is the death of Alexandar, which plunges Macedonia into a civil war. By 300 BC, the Macedonian Empire is carved up into the dynasties of Alexandar's generals, aka, Antigonus I, Ptolemy I and Seleucus I.Under Antigonus II Gonatas, Macedonia achieves a stable rule, strenghtening its occupation of Greece. The two "Macedonian wars" which are against the Romans, defeat Philip V's armies, and Macedonia is reduced to its original borders, losing Greece. In 168 BC, the last Macedonian king, Perseus, dies in prison in Italy, after being defeated by Rome in the third "Macedonian war". In 65 BC, the Selecuid Macedonian Kingdom in Asia is conquered by Rome. An end is put to the last Macedonian descendants in Egypt, aswell as the remains of the Macedonian Empire, in 30 BC, when the Romans win over Cleopatra VII.
As of 395, the Roman Empire is split into Western and Eastern. Macedonia falls into Eastern - Byzantine. In 855-886, two Macedonian brothers, Cyril and Methodius, create the first Slavonic alphabet and spread Christianity among the Slavs. Cyril and Methodius' disciples Clement and Naum of Ohrid spread Christianity in the Slavonic language and later establish the first Slavonic Universiy. The first Macedonian Byzantine emporor is Basil I the Macedonian, aka founder of the Macedonian Dynasty. The empre reaches its 'Golden Age' while being ruled by the Macedonian Dynasty (867-1052). The Bogomil teaching, which appeared in the first half of the 10th century and spread through the Balkans and Europe, first appeared in Macedonia. Around 976, the Macedonian Slavs start to rebel against Bulgarian authority, and create a strong Macedonian Medieval Kingdom under Tsar Samoil. The kingdom spreads and Samoil conquers parts of Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Dalmacia and Epirus. It's defeated by Basil II the Macedonian in 1014, and Byzantium takes his empire by 1018. Two major uprisings erupt against the Byzantine rule in Macedonia. Being led by Petar Deljan (1040) and Gjorgji Vojteh (1072). Macedonia remained on Byzantine territory until 1389, when the Ottoman Turks conquered it. In around 1564/65, the first significant Macedonian resistance movement against the Turkish occupation is recorded, known as the Mariovo-Prilep Rebellion. In 1689, the Karposh uprising follows, however the leader (Karposh) is executed on the stone bridge located in Skopje. Under preassure from the Greek Patriarch in Istanbul, in 1767, the Turks abolish the Ohrid Archbishopric, which was what had kept the spiritual soul of the Macedonians alive since the times of Tsar Samoil. In 1822, the Negus uprising erupts, which is an insurrection of the Macedonians for liberation in southern Macedonia.
Greece (1828), Serbia (1830) and Bulgaria (1878) gain independence from the Turkish rule, desplaying territorial aspirations on Macedonian territory, which raises the "Macedonian question" - Serbs, Bulgars and Greeks compete in their quest to occupy Macedonia. In 1878/79, The Macedonians rebel against the Turkish occupation, once again, known as the Krersna Uprising now. The Macedonian freedom fighters adopt a constitution known as the Rules of the Macedonian Uprising Committee. Bishop Theodosius of Skopje begins a campaign for the restoration of the Ohrid Archbishopric (which was, once again, destroyed in 1767) and an independent Macedonian Orthodox Church, in 1891, the Bulgars destroy this. The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, known as VMRO is founded in 1893. Under the slogan "Macedonia belongs to the Macedonians", its objectives are clear (freedom and an independent country). Its leader is Georgi (Goce/Gotse) Delchev. The Macedonian revolutionaries known as Demidzii, carry out a series of attacks on buildings in Salonica (where VMRO was founded) in hopes to draw attention to the Macedonian people. On august 2, 1903, VMRO launches the Illinden Uprising, declaring Macedonian Independence. The town of Krushevo is liberated. However, the Uprising is brutally crushed by the Turks, Krushevo is burnt to ashes and more than 150 Macedonian villages are destroyed. Krste Petkov Misirkov - who founded the modern Macedonian language and orthography - published his book, "On Macedonian matters" in 1903. It is an important book that talks about the the principles for standardization of the Macedonian literary language. In 1908, when The Young Turk revolution shutters the Ottoman Empire, The Macedonian revolutionary organization, through Jane Sandanski and the newly formed National Federal Party, actively takes part in the Young Turk movement for Macedonian independence.
Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria all join forces and with the help of 100,000 Macedonians, defeat the Turkish army in Macedonia in 1912. However, Macedonia is still denied independence, despite helping. In August 1913, the Treaty of Bucharest, parts the country between them three. Greece takes the biggest part (the southern part of Macedonia, Aegean Macedonia), they rename it "Northern Greece". The Greeks burn Kukush (the birthplace of Goce) to ashes. Bulgaria annexed the Pirin region, abolishing the Macedonian name, while Serbia took the Vardar region and called it "Southern Serbia". In world war I, Bulgaria sides with the Central Powers and occupies the Vardar side of Macedonia by 1915. By the end of world war I in 1918, Macedonia is left divided. In 1919, the Macedonian peoples demands for independence at the Paris Peace conference are ignored. Vardar Macedonia was "given back" to the now kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1924, the Macedonian "Abecedar" which the Macedonian children need, is withdrawn before it is given to them.
In 1925, the leader of VMRO is Dimitar Vlahov. VMRO's main objective was to free Macedonia and create an independent political unit, that'll be an equal member of the Balkan Federation, and 10 years later, in 1935, the Macedonian national movement is established. In 1941, when the second world war started, Bulgaria (a fascist ally of Hitler) occupied almost all of Macedonia and helps the nazis departuring the Macedonian Jews to concentration camps. October 11th, 1941, a war for liberation of Macedonia was launched. The anti-fascist sentiment lends support for the Communist movement and in 1943, the Communist Party of Macedonia is enstablished, the first unit of the Army of Macedonia is founded. The Headquarters of the National Liberation Army (NOV) publishes a manifesto of the goals of the war for liberation. On August 2, 1944, which is 2282 years after the Battle of Chaeronea, aswell as the 41st anniversary of the Ilinden uprising, ASNOM (the Anti-Fascist Assembly of the National Liberation of Macedonia) proclaims a Macedonian state. The ASNOM presidium is formed with Metodia Andonov Chento as its first President. In 1945, April 16th, the first government of the People's Republic of Macedonia is formed, having Lazar Kolisevski as his leader. In 1946 Bulgaria (which is under the leadership of Georgi Dimitrov) finally recognizes Macedonia as a nation. The majority of the population of the Pirin part of Macedonia declares itself as Macedonian. In the Greek civial war (1946-1949), the Macedonians of the Aegean side of Macedonia fought on the side of the Greek Communistic party (KKE) as they were promised rights after it. A few years later, when the communists loose the war, Macedonians are stripped out of their human rights and heavily dehumanized. 28,000 Aegean Macedonian children, called "child refugees" are seperated from their families, taken to eastern Europe to save them from the horriors that follow. Thousands of Macedonians are slaughtered in cold blood and many Macedonian villages are burned to ashes. In 1956, Bulgaria, under leadership of Todor Zhivkov, reverts its recognision of the Macedonian nation and yet again forbids any and all expression of Macedonian nationality (language, etc). In 1958, the Ohrid Archbishopric, which was abolished in 1767, is restored and in 1967 the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences is founded, as well as the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Macedonia is proclaimed.
In 1986, the Greek letter known as "Elefteros Tipos" says that the prime minister Papandreu has agreed to recognize Macedonian as an offical language in Yugoslavia. In 1988, the Macedonian language was supposed to be recognized in Greece, however the banker’s affair "Koskotas" brought down the PASOK government, and the documents were never signed. The United Macedonian Organization - Ilinden was founded in 1989 and it declared cultural and national autonomy for the Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia, where it was founded. Federal Yugoslavia began to disintegrate in 1991 as the countries began gaining independence. On a referendum on September 8, Macedonia finally gains its independence, and Kiro Gligorov is elected as its first president. The Republic of Macedonia is the declared a sovereign, independent, civil, and democratic state, and in 1993, it is admitted into the United Nations. In 1994, Greece insists that there is no Macedonian nation and says we have no right to use the name Macedonia, so Greece imposes a trade embargo on Macedonia because of the refusal to change the country and nation name as well as the language, and change the Constitution Article 47 that specifies "the Republic of Macedonia cares for the statue and rights of those persons belonging to the Macedonian people in neighboring countries”. Greece withdraws any Macedonian talk and blocks any Macedonian acceptance. In 1995, when Macedonia becomes a part of the Council of Europe, The Human Rights Watch condemns Greece for the oppression of Macedonians, which Greece denies exists. Both Amnesty International and the European Parliament urge Greece to stop the oppression of the ethnic Macedonians on the Macedonian territory Greece appropriated in 1913 and just recognize the language.
In 1963, there was a very strong earthquake on July 26. It was in Skopje, capital of Macedonia, with the power of 6.1 moment magnitude. It killed over 1070 people, injured around 3000-4000 and left over 200k homeless, 80% or more of the city was destroyed. It started at 5:17am (Macedonian time), lasted 20 seconds and was felt mostly along the Varder River Valley. There was smaller aftershocks until 5:43. It was a lenghty recovery that took around 20 years, maybe more, but we got help from all over the world.
Macedonia officially changed its name to North Macedonia on February 12, 2019. This change was the result of the Prespa Agreement, which was signed on June 17, 2018, between Greece and Macedonia to resolve a long-lasting over the use of the name "Macedonia." The name change was an attempt at bettering our and Greece's relationship.
Important notes, misc history things I didn't mention:
We were forced to change our name for a very dumb reason. Solun, Pella... the area in Greece that carries the name Macedonia is rightfully ours, it's the area that was taken in 1913 and not given back. Kukush is also ours.
Bulgarians and Greeks try claiming some Macedonian heros - Alexandar the great, Goce Delchev, some more I think - for reasons I will debunk. They either:
- were born in area that was ours, but got taken by them,
- spoke in Bulgarian/Greek,
- or called themself Bulgarian/Greek.
Many Macedonians called themself Bulgarian or Greek throughout history for simple reaosons: Macedonian talk was forbidden, any Macedonians were killed in cold blood.
When we were occupied by Bulgaria, Macedonians had to put wooden desks on their windows so they could freely speak their own language. It was banned. If you were heard speaking Macedonian, using a Macedonian name, speaking of Macedonia or Macedonian tradition, you would be slaughtered. Kids were taken from their homes, taken to Bulgarian schools and forced to learn, write and speak in Bulgarian, use Bulgarian names. They were forced to memorize and sing a song that went "I am a Bulgar"
Macedonians were forced to Greekify their names. An example- Nikifor, a traditional Macedonian name, would be turned to Nikiforos. Nobody was allowed to learn in Macedonian- it was either Greek, Bulgarian, or sometimes, Serbian.
The only historical figure Bulgarians won't try to claim, is Krste Petkov Misirkov. He would explicitly call himself Macedonian, no matter what, write in Macedonian, no matter what, and repeatidly fought for the Macedonian language. He boycotted many schools to learn in Macedonian. However, they did try to silence him- burning his books.
Macedonia has been mentioned in the Bible. Five times. I'm aware not everyone is religious, but I'd still like to mention this. Please don't get upset.
In short, I'm sick of everyone either not knowing, or ignoring, the many years of Ethnic clensing and torture we have been through. I am tired of people just joking about it. We are still actively discriminated against, perhaps I'll make a post on it.
July 26, 2012 – Washington, D.C. and Thessaloniki (Solun) – The European Union (EU) appointed its first “Special Representative for Human Ri
Stavros Lambrinidis was the Greek foreign affairs minister from 2004 to 2011. He then went on to be European Union Special Representative for Human Rights from 2012 to 2019. From 2019 up to now (2026) he's been the ambassador of the EU to the United States. Addtionally, he was vice president of European parliament from 2009 to 2011. This all reflects very poorly on the EU's commitment to human rights.
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Rebuttal:
Once again, and I must admit, with added revulsion, the errors of their ways must be confronted and their repugnant distortion of the truth ought to be emphasized. I am referring to Mr. Tymphaios´ article Ethnic Macedonians from July 07, 2009 where the usual Greek drivel against Macedonia and the ethnic Macedonians is regurgitated anew with the usual Greek twist of classic denial and outright fabrications.
But what intrigues me the most is not their vociferous lies and denials but their inability to confront and comprehend the meaning of the word "self-identification", a cornerstone component of the basic, unalienable human rights guaranteed by the universal Charter of Human Rights Treaties of the United Nations.
Here is the government of Greece whose main objective is, and always has been, denial of existence and a systematic elimination of an ethnic Macedonian population. While her "trained soldiers" in the Diaspora attempt to present the Macedonians from the Republic of Macedonia as a "fictitious entity" created by some communist monster bent on stealing Greek territory, those in Greece itself, are busy spying on their countryman calling them "agents of Skopia" and "worms that eat up our national tissue which need to be crushed". The extent of this rampant absurdity rivals only their ingrained xenophobic prejudices and their, almost, narcissistic preoccupation with self.
This so-called "democracy" exhibits pervasive signs of decadent, almost paranoid tendencies. Inflicted with, and fueled by a dangerously hysterical obsession with self-grandeur as inheritors of the ancient Hellenes and governed by arbitrary perimeters of moral standards, it stands alone and quite isolated on the fringes of the European socio-judicial landscape.
It seems that the veil of ignorance has blinded their illusory ambitions to wipe out any remnants of the Macedonian´s past. Without a reliable and truthful historical compass, their political ship is adrift into a predictable abyss – a fascist dictatorship. Few, if any, doubt that the present-day government in Greece can maintain its treacherous course for too long; here, the democratic principles on which modern countries have built their societies have suffered irreparable damage. The progressive forces in Greece are either silenced or too afraid to mount any resistance; whence, when that happens, the likes of Chrysi Avyi and Stohos´ ultra-nationalists subscribers will rule unopposed to spread their hate at will and become the sole measuring dispensers of justice in Greece.
How else can one reconcile with the fact that Greece today, shows total and defiant disregard for international covenants of human rights?
How else can one justify the fact that this Greek government, through various channels of its propaganda machine, denies the existence of people who dare to identify themselves as ethnic Macedonians?
How else can one validate the actions of the Greek Secret Service to harass and persecute people, Greek citizens, who have declared to have other than Greek ethnic consciousness?
Is it really up to these Greeks to tell their minority populations living in Greece who they are and how to ethnically identify themselves? Isn´t that clearly stipulated in the Covenant that:
(a) all peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development and
(b) the States Parties to the present Covenant shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations?
Is Mr. Tymphaios cognizant of these rights of self-determination? Isn´t it expected of the Greek state, a member of the European nations, instead of denying that ethnic Macedonians exist and instead of suppressing their universally recognized human rights—guarantied by the Charter of the United Nations—to strive to promote the realizations of these rights of self-identification?
Instead of you telling me who I am, you should first and foremost, show respect for and be in observance of my human rights as an individual. It is not up to you, nor is it any business of your government, to tell me who I am and how to identify myself.
Instead of digging up dirt about a neighboring country, you, as an intelligent human being, living (unlike Greece) in a truly democratic country, should focus your attention at the democratic deficiencies exhibited by your own government. Instead of selectively manipulating the facts, drawing conclusions and spreading half-truths from a photograph for which we know nothing about, you should raise your voice against the inhumane practices employed by your government towards Greek citizens who, in spite of the inherent danger of reprisals and persecution, have declared themselves as ethnically and culturally different than the rest of the people in Greece.
If these Greek citizens tell you that they feel, consider and like to be recognized for what they strongly believe that they are- ethnic Macedonians- then you, and your government need to realize that it is their inherent right to declare themselves as such.
If these Greek citizens tell you that they identify themselves not as "dopoi", not as "Slavophone-Greeks", not as "Slavo-Macedonians" but simply as Ethnic Macedonians, then you and your government ought to comprehend and realize that it is their right to be called what they have said they want to be called. You and your government ought to cease to circumvent, redefine or in any form or shape negate that right. It is high noon for all of you hate disseminators, to come to grips with the reality that the only person, the only entity, the only body empowered to declare and decide my own ethnicity is me. Only then, Mr. Tymphaios, will the cycle of hate, repression, mistrust and prejudice subside and be eliminated in due time.
Second, please, do not portend ignorance that you did not know why Vinozito received the number of votes you quoted in your article. Do you think people believe in and trust the Greek government´s policies? Do you think the elections and the counting of votes proceeded in a normal environment with clearly defined and reliably implemented judicious standards? Was your Greek postal service working for the citizens of Greece or for the ultra-fascist wing of Stohos´ ilk?
Do you think that your government´s credibility is an issue here, especially after the revelation of the Top Secret document issued by the Ministry of Public Security, National Security Service in Athens from February 16, 1982 number of protocol 6502/7-3042? Do you suppose that your government acted in good faith regarding the people who declared themselves as ethnic Macedonians?
If these people do not exist, as per your government´s assertion, then why is their language forbidden? What are you afraid of? If these people, the ethnic Macedonians do not exist, then, why do you spy on them? Why do you recruit people/spies to watch and report on their activities? Why create spy-nests like "Aristotelis" clubs and such, in areas where these supposed non-existing people live? How come, you do not create such "cultural clubs" in the "Old Greece" itself?
Third, if Macedonia was "always Greek", then why in the world did the Greeks neither ask nor raised a whisper about Macedonia in 1828 or in 1878? Why would you leave a major section of "your own country" unredeemed? If Macedonia was always "Hellenic", how come Greece had a consulate office in Solun (Thessalonika) before 1912? Is this a Greek thing to have a consular office in your "own" country?
If Macedonia was Greek, then, why would your first Greek President Yannis Kapodistria call for a sovereign and independent Macedonian State?
If Macedonia was "always Greek", then, why did your King George I, refer to Macedonia as "an occupied territory"?
Why would Elias Petropoulos state that he does not believe the histories of Salonica as contrived by various modern Greek historians? He stated: "they are histories which reek of chauvinism."
If Macedonia was "always Hellenic", why would your Greek government undertake such strenuous measures to change all the Macedonian toponyms (the reasons given by your government as follow: "those that pollute and disfigure the appearance of our beautiful fatherland which provide an opportunity for hostile peoples to draw conclusions unfavorable for the Greek nation"). Why would your Greek government erase the Macedonian words from walls of monuments and churches and even from the graveyards outside and burn all Macedonian books found hidden in the monasteries? Why resort to such a hideous cultural genocide unprecedented in human history?
Why were ceremonies, in the 1930s, conducted in the villages where Macedonians lived, to swear in front of the Greek flag, Greek religious and military dignitaries that they will cease speaking the Slavic idiom "which only gives grounds for misunderstanding to the enemies of our country"? Have you ever spoken against these monstrously inhumane measures Mr. Tymphaios?
Why were Macedonians stripped of their Macedonian personal names and given Greek names instead? Don´t you Greeks find this Greek practice revolting and abhorrent?
Did you think that by forced Hellenization and banning of our Macedonian language you will define us out of our existence? Did you think and hope that by exertion of force from you, or from anybody else for that matter, we´ll forget and erase from our collective memories that our forebears had Macedonian consciousness?
You have clearly, and to your own detriment, underestimated our Macedonian resolve; even if our Republic gives in, under pressure from the West, and accepts modification of our constitutional name, rest assured that we, in the Diaspora, will remain steadfast in our fight for justice and will relinquish neither our name, nor our dignity and definitely not our self-identity as ethnic Macedonians. There will be other battles to follow. With your incessant lies and fabrications you have made us much stronger and more resilient than ever before. You have not seen the real fighting Macedonian yet.
It needs to be stressed and by all means, it needs to be born in mind that there will be no surrender to your political blackmail and cultural racist manipulations. I will have you know, if you didn´t know already, that your modern Metaxa´s days are over; we will suffer no more. You have my solemn pledge on that.
Until next time…
---
Published July 12, 2009
The greek security services and the Macedonians (Athens secret document Feb. 16 1982, number of protocol 6502/7-3042)
Interesting facts can be found about Slavs in a Serbian geography book from 1871, in a section talking about the southeastern peninsula
The term slav, as well as people's perception of cultural relationships and understanding of history has fluctuated over the years. This source illustrates a time when Serbian historiography described Macedonians as indigenous to the Balkans while Serbians and Bulgarians were later newcomers. It's one of a number of older sources that described Macedonians as the oldest slavs.
Another thing to note about this source is the clear acknowledgement that Macedonians are a distinct people from Serbians and Bulgarians.
Fox News published an op-ed by UMD President Metodija A. Koloski in response to a piece on the current situation in Macedonia published by F
Published April 20, 2017
Please read the text itself rather than judge where it was published. Advocacy as an apolitical organization means giving people from a variety of political backgrounds the chance for constructive dialogue on the relevant issues. This is an important part of encouraging healthier political discourse.
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Greeks, in the past twenty or so years have embarked on a mission to show the world that Ancient Macedonians spoke a Greek dialect and thus, must be classed as Greeks.
In fact we rarely find articles written by these Greeks where the ethnicity of the ancient Macedonians is not directly connected to the supposed "Greek language" they spoke. For instance, a cursory look at the articles they have recently published in the American Chronicle or their comments expressed through their web sites, we find every opportunity being used to tell the reader that ancient Macedonians spoke Greek language and therefore their Hellenism has been attested. The gist of their objective is focused on establishing a connection between the language ancient Macedonians spoke and their ethnicity.
Even though a great number of prominent philological and linguistic scholars have expressly shown that there is no connection between ethnicity and the language people speak, these Greek propagandists have placed the bulk of their offensive attack through bombardment on the ancient Macedonian language. If they can convince the English speaking audience that the language spoken by the ancient Macedonians was Greek, then, they feel that the battle about the ethnicity of the ancient Macedonians has already been won and by implication the greatness of the Macedonians, including the name, will, by default, fall in their hands.
Currently there are two uncoordinated Greek currents regarding the ethnicity and the language of the ancient Macedonians. Some Greeks believe that by the 4th and 3rd century BC., the ancient Macedonians were fully Hellenized. Others believe that they were always Greek and thus, there was no reason to be Hellenized.
There is one key element that needs to be addressed concerning the Hellenization of the ancient Macedonians before an attempt is made to present the arguments for or against it. First and foremost, it must be stressed from the onset that language alone does not characterize the ethnicity of the people. It could be one of the indices to, but not the sole determinant of the ethnic make-up of the people in question.
To assume that since people speak a certain language then, they must be of certain given ethnicity or nationality is patently untrue. If we presume that ancient Macedonians spoke Greek and nothing else, a very contentious point in and of itself and on this basis we classify them as Greeks, then, we ought to do the same with the Thracians who used Greek in a written form. There are Thracian coins and vessels found with Greek inscriptions on them, and yet no claim has been placed on the Thracians being Greek. Several inscriptions found in Macedonian tombs are written in standard Greek, contrary to some Greek authors´ claims. There are some that exhibit Doric characteristics and some with Aeolic ones. Thus, "within an area of few miles", writes Borza, "exist examples of standard Attic, plus two other Greek dialects from the late classical and early Hellenistic times" (Borza, 1990: 93).
"As a question of method", asks Borza, "why would an area three hundred miles north of Athens—not colonizes by Athens—use an Attic dialect, unless it were imported? That is, the Attic dialect could hardly be native, and its use is likely part of the process of hellenization. To put the question differently: if the native language of the Macedonians is Greek, what is its Macedonian dialect?"
The Greek author Daskalakis made a strong argument against the Hellenization of the Macedonians since he believed that they were Greeks from the time immemorial. He felt that "the proud and intractable" Macedonians would have not tolerated artists from Greece who stayed at the court in Pella, if they did not consider themselves as Hellenes.
This would be a valid point if the Macedonian kings did not use and exploit Hellenism for their own pragmatic purposes that were ´uniquely Macedonian´. (Borza 1995:126). On the other hand, we do have strong inclinations that Archelaus and Euripides met their destinies on account of being too closely implicated with Hellenism. At any rate, to suggest that ancient Macedonians did not use their own native tongue, is to leap over some very compelling historical facts, which cannot be overlooked or ignored. Science does not have enough evidence to firmly address the issue, and as long as no new evidence is found to settle the problem, we remain firm that ancient Macedonians used their own paternal tongue, and along with some of the Royal House personnel and barons, in addition to it, used Greek for administrative purposes during Alexander´s time and onward. The usage of ´diglossoi´ by Hammond (Hammond, 1989: 48) indicates clearly the existence of two languages in use in Macedonia during the 5th century BC.
The other point advanced by the Greek authors is the question of penetration of Hellenism beyond the Macedonian Royal Court to the Macedonian countryside itself. They feel that it would have been impossible to spread Hellenism in Macedonia, unless, there was an outright conquest of Greeks over Macedonia. In reality, the spread of certain language, and/or culture, is rarely accomplished through military conquests. The acceptance and usage of a foreign language, for pragmatic purposes and economic reasons, is not an unusual occurrence in itself. This is tantamount to the usage of English in aviation, marine traffic, and on the Internet in modern times. Surely, there is no American/British conquest needed to advance the usage of this internationally accepted element of communication. Once again, these advocates make explicitly clear that they see ethnicity through the usage of Greek language.
One gets the impression that their primary task is to deny the Macedonians their own Macedonian language, and if they can establish that Ancient Macedonians used Greek language instead, then the task would be accomplished. All speakers of Greek are, inevitably, Hellenes. Troubling and quite sad, is this line from Daskalakis who says:
"Till now it is not history that has given birth to such a freak, but the fertile imagination of those who advocate the theory that the ancient Macedonians were not Greek."
In other words what this author is suggesting is that all modern scholars who have expressed an opposite opinion than his own have arrived to their conclusions not through scientific argumentations and analysis but simply through concepts of their fertile imagination.
What do modern revisionists of history think about the language of the ancient Macedonians?
"As the Macedonians settled the region following the expulsion of existing peoples, they probably introduced their own customs and language(s); there is no evidence that they adopted any existing language, even though they were now in contact with neighboring populations who spoke a variety of Greek and non-Greek tongues."
For start, perhaps, we should go to the ancient Greeks, themselves, but that would be a topic for another volume. (Perhaps, these Greek have taken Beloch´s argument regarding the language adapted by Alexander the Great for his empire for all its worth). Be that as it may, the mention of "fertile imagination" attributed to those who feel that ancient Macedonians were not Greeks, brings to mind a line from Pierre Jouguet ("Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World" p.70)
"The mythical imagination was always fertile in Greece, and it would have found Greek ancestors for the Macedonian people as easily as it had done for the royal line."
In conclusion:
The ethnicity of the ancient Macedonians is neither the subject nor the business of the modern Greeks to be concerned about. Ancient Macedonians left their mark in history as Macedonians and any attempt to subvert and corrupt the legacy of this famous legendary people is nothing less than a total fabrication and rape of historical evidence and hijacking of the world´s cultural inheritance. Every learned person in the world should raise his/her voice against such an immoral act of brutality.
Second, under the guise of Hellenization, Greeks have usurped and destroyed many people´s cultural, linguistic and moral fiber of their ethnic heritage. Hellenism is nothing less than a pure form of racism.
I will leave you with R. Stefov´s description of Hellenism which in no uncertain terms eloquently sums it up:
"Hellenism, whatever purpose it was intended to serve should have died a long time ago along with Fascism, Nazism and slavery but unfortunately it has not. Instead, nurtured by the Powers that created it, it has flourished and swallowed and destroyed nations of people including part of my own; the Macedonians in Greek occupied Macedonia who to this day are struggling to get free.
What is this phenomenon called "Hellenism"? Whatever it is, it has different interpretations to different people but as Macedonians that have been touched by it, while refusing to yield to it, for us it has been a nightmare. Greece, after invading, occupying and annexing 51% of the Macedonian territories in 1912, 1913, in the name of Hellenism tortured, murdered and expelled all Macedonians who refused to become "Hellenes". It then changed all people´s and place names to "Hellenize" them and make them Greek. If that was not enough, Greece then abolished the Macedonian language rendering it illegal to be spoken both in public and private, all this in the name of "Hellenism".
In other words, Hellenism for the Macedonians has been a relentless enemy whose aim has been to destroy what is real and replace it with something artificial which has no roots or a real past."
In my opinion Hellenism is a toxic, poignant blight that must be removed from the face of the earth. Its venomous, racist tentacles must be severed from its head. It must not be forcibly spread to any other ethnic groups. It must not be allowed to deprive, suffocate and desecrate other ethnic cultures of their heritable cultural wealth like it has done with the ethnic Macedonians, Vlachs, Albanians and Romas.
Until next time…
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It's very important that people understand that all the "Greek mythology" and "Greek history" stuff they get exposed to in school and media isn't just harmless fun. Hellenism has strong ties to white supremacy, fascism and promotes historical revisionism that was used to commit atrocities. It's still being used to avoid facing accountability for what was done, as well as to pursue the forced assimilation of non Greek peoples that were colonized by Greece. Please take an interest in challenging those revisionist narratives and learning about the cultures that were appropriated in pursuit of colonialism.
After the opening of Bulgarian cultural clubs provoked protests in North Macedonia earlier this year, a Macedonian cultural club has opened
Published October 27, 2022
It should be noted that Bulgaria's policy of denying the Macedonian identity and historical revisionism in the pursuit of this harms their credibility in claiming that the club is named after a Bulgarian. His nephew claiming he was Bulgarian doesn't mean much on Nikola's identity, as Bulgaria's extensive forced assimilation campaigns are well documented. Bulgarians have also been known to misrepresent and falsify "evidence" for their appropriation of Macedonian historical figures.
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