Macedonia Ready to Give up Claims on Alexander the Great

ABC News ^ | Dec 23, 2017, | KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES

[nickcarraway]

Macedonia's left-wing prime minister said he is ready to renounce his country's claim to be the sole heirs of the legacy of Alexander the Great to help solve a 26-year-old dispute with neighboring Greece over the country's name.

"I give up (the claim) of Macedonia being the sole heir to Alexander. The history belongs not only to us, but also to Greece and many other countries," Zoran Zaev, in power since the spring, said in an interview to TV station Telma late Friday.

Since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia has claimed at least part of the heritage of the most famous ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia, infuriating Greeks who also view the name "Macedonia" itself as hiding expansionist claims against the Greek region of Macedonia.

[wardamneagle]

A little late......uhhh ?

[bunkerhill7]

Beware of Greeks bearing miffs.

[circlecity]

I believe even the ancient Greek historians referred to him as Alexander of Macedonia.

[henkster]

The Greeks then and now look at the Macedonians the way New York and California liberals look at the people of Indiana, Kentucky or Tennessee. Of course it galls them to think their civilization was conquered, and then spread, by someone they would consider a bumpkin by heritage.

And I claim some expertise in this perspective as a half-Macedonian Hoosier.

[DesertRhino]

Old world BS. Neither side has a functioning society and they are arguing about someone from 2400 years ago.
For extra fun, those people there today probably have nothing to do the Greeks of that era.
Same for Egyptians today claiming they built the pyramids.
Different peoples live in Egypt and Greece than did back then.
Europe and the north african nations have had so much population upheaval in the last 2000-1500 years that its the height of jackassery to claim that because you are an Egyptian, you made the pyramids, or that because you are Greek today, that Alexander, Socrates, or any of the old guys are your forebearers.

[Wilhelm Tell]

Well, now that that is settled, there can finally be world peace.

[onedoug]

Except the Jews, to whom Alexander was particularly magnanimous.

[pjd]

Actually, in Herodotus’ The Histories, there is a story about Alexander wishing to compete in the Olympic games (which were only open to Greeks.) In order to compete, Alexander had prove Greek ancestry. He was able to do so and was thereafter allowed to participate in the games.

[Phinneous]

A related issue, when I was stationed in Crete the Greek phone cards we used to buy had a little slogan on them I will never forget :

Macedonia is one and only and it is Greek.

[henkster]

Except the Jews, to whom Alexander was particularly magnanimous.

Your comment prompted me to do a little historical research. Yes, Alexander was magnanimous to the Jews, but the following history of Judaism in the Hellenistic world was somewhat spotty. However, the Hellenistic half of the Mediterranean did allow the Jews to live outside Judea and establish Jewish communities throughout the Hellenistic world. You can see this in the book of Acts in the Jewish communities the Apostle Paul encountered in Asia Minor and even in Greece. In fact, Paul was originally Saul of Tarsis, which is located in southeastern Asia Minor. So I expanded my historical knowledge a little bit today. Thank you.

[StormEye]

"Same for Egyptians today claiming they built the pyramids."

Very true.
Todays Egyptians have nothing to do with the ancient Egyptians
who constructed the monuments of Egypt, the tombs of the Pharaohs, etc.
Todays Egyptians are Arabs. They speak Arabic.
The official name of the country is the Arab Republic of Egypt.
They are not the descendants of the ancient Egyptians,
and are not related to them at all.

[Tallguy]

“Different peoples live in Egypt and Greece than did back then.”

Culturally that is true. As conquered people’s the Arab civilization came to dominate that what preceeded in Egypt. But genetically, the people are the same as before with some Arabian genes spliced in.

The people of Croatia & Serbia share genetics ans a common language (though not an alphabet). They are divided mostly by religion. And that they still fight over.

[onedoug]

Happy to be so able.

Thank you.

[kearnyirish2]

His father was undoubtedly “Philip of Macedonia”; the Greeks contend it is a reference to THEIR Macedonia (a Greek province bordering the new country), not the new country created in 1991 from Yugoslavia. They feared the new country’s use of the name would later be used to contest borders.

[skimbell]

Here's the key.

"...Macedonia's left-wing prime minister..."

History, re-written before our very eyes...

[Verginius Rufus]

Herodotus is talking about Alexander the Philhellene, a distant ancestor of Alexander the Great. The story presupposes that Greeks generally did not regard the Macedonians as Greeks. Alexander was able to prove his Greekness by trotting out a family tree showing his descent from the kings of Argos.

The Greeks of Alexander the Great's time did not think much of him. Thebes rebelled and he had the city destroyed. The Athenians were generally hostile. Demosthenes considered the Macedonians to be barbarians. Sparta fought a war against Macedonia while Alexander was off fighting the Persians.

The original Macedonia was smaller until Philip II conquered more territory including what is now the Republic of Macedonia. The inhabitants of the Republic are mostly Slavic-speaking (Macedonian is very similar to Bulgarian), with an Albanian-speaking minority. But they are probably partly descended from the ancient inhabitants of the region--it is unlikely that the Slavs exterminated everyone who was there when they arrived.

That Greece (10 million people, member of NATO and the EU) has anything to fear from Macedonia (2 million people) is ludicrous. I don't see why anyone wants to claim Alexander the Great. He conquered territory and got a lot of people killed. So did Genghis Khan. So did Tamerlane. So did Napoleon.

[Hot Tabasco]

Macedonia Ready to Give up Claims on Alexander the Great

So Alex is going to become a free agent? I realize he's getting up in age but his on field leadership is unequaled.........How about offering him a coaching job?

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 12/28/2017. Thanks nickcarraway.

Map of Diadochi kingdoms after The Battle of Ipsos 301 BC. [1287x621]

[jpsb]

Modern day Macedonians have about as much a claim to the heritage of Alexander the Great as I do.