Georg Grote - The basis of Philip’s character was Macedonian, not Greek!

 In his work "History of Greece Vol. 12" (published 1875) Georg Grote wrote, that "The basis of Philip’s character was Macedonian, not Greek!"

Who was Georg Grote?

George Grote (born November 17, 1794 in Clay Hill near Beckenham, now London, † June 18, 1871 in London) was an English ancient historian. ... Elected to Parliament for London in December 1832, he joined the radical party and surrendered. especially the introduction of the secret ballot for the task, which he proposed every year. However, since he did not succeed in defeating the resistance of the Conservatives and a large part of the Whigs, he resigned his mandate in 1841 and resigned from banking a year and a half later, only to concentrate on drafting his History of Greece (London 1846 -56, 12 vols. Plus 2nd vol. Excursions; 5th ed. 1883, 12 vols .; German, 2nd ed., Berlin 1880, 4 vols .; the sections mythology and antiquities specially translated from it by T. Fischer, Leipzig 1856-60, 4 vols.), Which he started in 1823, and which is characterized by the thoroughness of the research as well as the popularity and beauty of the presentation. It covers all the time from the earliest beginnings of the Greeks to the death of Alexander the Great. ...


Excerpt from Grote's book:

HISTORY OF GREECE

Chapter XCI

...Alexander (born in July 356 BC) like his father Philip, was not a Greek, but a Macedonian and Epirot, partially imbued with Grecian sentiment and intelligence. It is true that his an­cestors, some centuries before, had been emigrants from Argos; but the kings of Macedonia had long lost all trace of any such peculiarity as might originally have distinguished them from their subjects. The basis of Philip’s character was Macedonian, not Greek: it was the self-will of a barbarian prince, not the ingenium civile, or sense of reciprocal obligation and right in society with others, which marked more or less even the most powerful members of a Grecian city, whether oligarchical or democratical. If this was true of Philip, it was still more true of Alexander, who inherited the violent temperament and head­strong will of his furious Epirotic mother Olympias. ...

Source: History of Greece, Volume 12 (of 12), by George Grote - Read the Book online at Gutenberg

German/DEUTSCHE Übersetzung hier

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