Macedonia History

 For most of early Macedonian history, kings struggled constantly to maintain their independence while simultaneously striving to assert their preeminence over the local dynasts. Macedonia consisted of two distinct geographical regions: Lower Macedonia, which supported a large agricultural population, and Upper Macedonia, mountainous hinterlands which held extensive forests and rich mineral deposits. In antiquity, neither Macedonians nor Greeks considered the Macedonians to be Greek. Macedonian and Greek culture had little in common. Most Macedonians were farmers or seminomadic pastoralists living in scattered villages. War and hunting were central to the life of a Macedonian noble. The monarchy was the central institution of Macedonian society. Macedonian kings were autocrats, but they were not all-powerful. In the late sixth century BC, Amyntas I made an alliance with Persia and the kingdom was shielded from attack by its neighbors. In the fifth century, Alexander I, Perdiccas I...

 Radio Bulgaria reports in its newsflash section new discoveries in the ancient Macedonian city of Heraclea Sintica The BNR reports as follows: During research and excavation works in the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica in the Rupite near Petritsch area (southwestern Bulgaria), archaeologists repeatedly come across valuable artifacts, including a representation of Alexander the Great, a relief image of a musician, a massive marble sculpture of a bull and a statue associated with the Mithras cult, an inscription from the first century in honor of the emperor Tiberius and a masterfully made statue of a young woman in life size. Archaeologists are convinced that it is the statue of the ancient goddess of victory Nike, as it was found on the site of the Acropolis that houses the city's sanctuaries. The statue has well-preserved wings, but the head is missing. It is believed that the artwork was damaged during the barbarian invasions in the late 3rd century. About Heraclea Sintica...

 King Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great) was the guarantor for Macedonia's rise, as well as for the later glory that his son Alexander III of Macedonia would reap. When Philip defeated the allied Hellenes at Chaironeia with Alexander's help, it marked a turning point in the history of the "Greek world". From then on the Greeks were led by a stranger: King Philip II of Macedonia, as the "Hegemon of the Corinthian League". In the Corinthian League, Philip gathered all the Greeks he had defeated - The Corinthian League was a federation of states that consisted of the defeated Greeks. Almost all city-states were "united" under the the federal government of the Macedonian king. Macedonia, on the other hand, was not a member of the Confederation. Philipp, however, let himself be determined as the hegemon, as he was the  winner on the battlefield. The German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel reported on these events in his work...

 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...

 In the inaugural dissertation "Studies on War and Power Formation in Early Hellenism" (Justus Liebig University, Giessen) we find an important reference to the constant question of whether the ancient Macedonians were actually Greeks, as the modern Greek propaganda claims.  This construction that a foreign king was leader of a Greek league is an absolute novelty In section "5.2.4" Personal union" we read the following passage about the father of Alexander the Great, Phillip II of Macedon: ... The area to which the Argead kings had been of special interest even before Philip was Thessaly, the bridging land between the Hellas of the great Poleis and Macedonia. The rule over Thessaly meant security to the south and was at the same time an offensive position, a gateway against Thebes or Athens, both of which had appeared as intervention powers in Macedonia. But Thessaly had more to offer than just its strategic location; Thessaly had a powerful cavalry, but also a...

When archaeologists cracked open an ancient Macedonian tomb near Vergina, Greece, in 1977, they also cracked open a mystery that rages to this day. The date of the tomb, and its lavish contents, strongly suggest the male and female skeletons inside were relatives of Alexander the Great. But which relatives? The debate boils down to two camps: those who believe the male tomb occupant to be Philip II, the father of Alexander who set the stage for his son's unprecedented conquests, and those who believe the skeleton belongs to Philip III Arrhidaios, Alexander's less-illustrious half-brother who ruled as a figurehead briefly after Alexander's death. (The female skeleton is presumed to be the wife, or one of the wives, of these men.) Bones likely belonging to Alexander the Great's father or half-brother Examinations of the bones have yet to yield any firm proof either way. Archaeologists argue over whether the bodies were cremated right after death, or later...

Second in a series of weekly conversations between historians James Romm [JR] and Paul A. Cartledge [PC], editor and introduction-author, respectively, of the new Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander, just published by Pantheon under series editor Robert Strassler. This discussion was created by the Reading Odyssey, a non-profit that aims to reignite curiosity and lifelong learning for adults through lectures, reading groups and webcasts.) Week one’s dialogue is here . Did Alexander take part in a plot to murder his father? JR: Paul, it’s surprising to me how many historians in recent years have expressed suspicions that Alexander the Great was guilty of conspiracy to commit patricide. The stabbing of Alexander’s father Philip in 336 B.C. was done by Pausanias, a resentful courtier and jilted lover, but he may of course have been put up to the job by others, and he was killed before he could be questioned. In antiquity there were rumors that Olympias, Philip’s thi...

According to the official website for the Greek heritage, archaeological discovery in modern Vergina by Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos is represented like a great discovery, without any reservation stating that it is the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander Macedon. On all sides they proudly points out the figure of " around one million people annually visit the Vergina archaeological site since 1997 and their number is expected to increase after construction of the Museum of Vergina .” This statement was made by the Culture Minister, Evangelos Venizelos in 2002 on the occasion of 10th anniversary of the death of Manolis Andronikos, the archaeologist who discovered "Tomb of King Philip II the father of Alexander the Great." When you consider the number of visitors to this site and repeatedly loud repeated lie about the "tomb of Philip II," then it becomes clear to us how the Greeks are defending their positions. However, one thin...

At distant intervals a major art show leads to a new understanding of events that changed the course of world history. The portrait of a woman presumed to be Flavia Mysta, who had been made a Roman citizen. A terra cotta figure from the Louvre’s collection depicts a dancer wearing the Iranian headdress known as ‘‘the Phrygian Bonnet.’’ A terra cotta figure from the Louvre’s collection depicts a dancer wearing the Iranian headdress known as ‘‘the Phrygian Bonnet.’’ The portrait of a woman presumed to be Flavia Mysta, who had been made a Roman citizen. “In the Kingdom of Alexander the Great, Ancient Macedonia” on view at the Louvre Museum here does so through stunning visual evidence. Discovered mostly within the past four decades, it reveals “the other Greece” — one that does not fit the image cherished by the European cultivated elites since Renaissance times. Gone is the cliché of Alexander invading an unknown Middle East in retaliation for the “Median W...