Part of the history of ancient Macedonia vs Hellenism

Greeks predecessors came to the Balkans in the 11th century B.C. without this name, but in fact came as doric [1], and were not given this name even 400 years later in the 7th century B.C., but as achaia’s, aegean or dania’s [2, 3], and later appears as helenians or greeks [4].

The basic historical question is why the name of Macedonia is not immediately connected with what some modern historians wrongly referred to as hellenism? The helenians for the first time in their centuries-old history administratively conquered the southern part of Macedonia as late as after the first Balkan War in 1912, by Bucharest agreement, 13 august 1913.

The concept of “hellenism” was introduced in historiography by the german historian droysen [5], and later was accepted by other authors such as ferguson [6], heuss, launey [7], Beloch [8] and others. a starting point for these authors was their assumption that Macedonian history and culture belonged to the “hellenic corpus”. These assumptions were made without giving consideration to the archetypal prehistory of the Central Balkans and its culture which spread to the south, east and west.

The spread of cultures is confirmed by the presence of Mesolithic archetype art present in “ancient Europe” with its cultural epicenter located in lepenski Vir, which existed between 7,000 – 6,000 B.C. here Mesolithic sacral architecture, monumental stone sculptures, clay model houses, etc. have been found. Clay model houses have been found in Porodin and other localities as well. When these people lived in clay houses, people in other parts of Europe still lived in caves, natural shelters, or in modest huts and tents and, from the scant findings, still engraved their art in bone and horn [9]. according to neolithic engravings found in Macedonia, the more advanced cultures drew their art onto rocks, like the samples found in Kratovo depicting maps of stars, symbols now utilized by Christianity and other artistic motifs [10].

The artistic talent of this culture is also supported by some of the oldest artefacts like the small plank discovered by hourmoyziades [11] in Kostur in Dupjak locality in the Kolosojanitsa archaeological site dating back to 5260 B.C. This small tablet with writing in the linear alphabet is believed to be of Macedonian origin. This and other such archaeological artifacts existing in Macedonia are deemed to be the oldest written records of archetypical nature depicting the Macedonian culture and civilization of the time; an age old culture that not only existed but was spread to other regions and continued to exist over time.

If a comparison is to be made between the writing found in Macedonia with that found on the soil of Elada, then it is best to resort to the systematization of the alphabets done by the glossologist Mpampinioti [4]. according to Mpampinioti, the hieroglyphic alphabet found in Crete from about 2000 to 1750 B.C., was used in a form of seal or stamp. linear a also found in Crete was used from 1700 to about 1450 B.C. Both alphabets, as of yet, have not been deciphered. There is also linear B found in Crete, Pylos and Mycenae; this alphabet, already deciphered, was used between about 1450 and 1200 B.C. The syllabic alphabet of Cyprus appeared around the 6th to the 4th century B.C., while the Phoenician alphabet appeared in the 10th   century B.C. from what we have shown above, it follows that the oldest writing on the soil of Elada is at least 3000 years younger than that found in Macedonia and at least 2000 years younger than the “Vinča” alphabet. Again, based on our findings, it appears that the cultures found in Macedonia were far more advanced than those found in Elada. It follows then that it is possible for the more advanced cultures to be imposing themselves on a less culturally advanced people. and not only by their better organization and more advanced weapons but rather by their superiority from a material, social and cultural aspect.

The Macedonian conquests in Europe, asia and africa were achieved by Macedonian kingdoms and not by any hellenes. In fact if we look at history closely we will find that Elada was never united. What modern historians today call Elada were a number of individual independent city states, each with their own government, military and political system. The Macedonian dynasties of the antigonids, seleucids and Ptolemais, on the other hand, established Macedonian kingdoms each with its own government and with a single ruler at the top. none of these kings was a “hellenic” monarch and the tradition established and maintained in those kingdoms was Macedonian and not hellenic.

looking at this another way, none of the so-called “hellenes” had anything to do with the strategic role of creating the Macedonian Empires on the three continents. The hoplite unit of 700 heavily armed and armoured soldiers belonging to the Corinthian alliance, which alexander took with him, remained in the shadows during alexander’s entire campaign. alexander took these soldiers not as fighters but more as hostages and guarantors of peace in Elada and for non-combat duties like securing roads, Papazoglou [12]. The only hellene in alexander’s camp was Eumenes of Cardia, from a city located on the western coast of the Thracian hersones. Eumenes’s role in alexander’s campaign was as personal cabinet chief of the king responsible for making records in the military logs. Eumenes was not liked by the Macedonians, particularly by Craterus. Eumenes was sacked by antigonus in 315 B.C.

The succeeding cultures in Europe, asia and africa appeared by merging the dominant Macedonian factor with the Eastern components to form one successive primary component that can only be described as a Macedonian civilization. What many historians refer to as the “hellenistic Period”, spanning from alexander the greats’ death to the total takeover of the Ptolemaic dynasty by Rome in 30 B.C., can best be described as the “Macedonian Period” because there was no “hellenic influence” during the so-called “hellenistic Period” contrary to what some modern greeks claim today.

While some authors position the “hellenistic Period” from the end of alexander to 30 B.C., we position the “Macedonian Period” to begin at Philip II’s time, more precisely from the time the City states were defeated in the battle of Chaeronea in 338 B.C., to the time of the arab penetrations into Europe. foundations laid by the Macedonians during ancient times gave birth to a unique Macedonian cultural heritage in the form of institutions including libraries established by the Macedonians, which in time became global knowledge centre essential to the formation of our modern civilization.

SOURCE - PDF: A PART Of The HISTORY Of ANCIENT MACEDONIA