Facts about Macedonia and putting the issue to rest

Day 578, 07:18 • Published in Greece Greece • by Che Greco

Lately, there has been confusion in this game regarding the newly liberated region of Macedonia (which as erepublik correctly states "this region [...] already belongs to its original owner country).

I know this is a game and all but I've never realised how crazy propaganda travels through this game and affects people opinions. Don't get me wrong, there are crazy people on all sides of every argument but this one is very disturbing. So here is a chance to get things right, with real sources from scholars.

As is shown correctly in this game, Macedonia is a region in Nothern Greece, the birthplace of King of Macedonia Phillips (from the greek phillos + ippos, he who loves horses) and his son Alexander the Great. Ancient Macedonia was a broad region that included parts of modern day Greek Macedonia as well as smaller parts which nowadays are in Western Bulgaria and our neighbour to the north, which is internationally recognised as the Former Yugoslav Republik of Macedonia but known as Makedonija in their own Slavic language.Clearly, even the word Makedonija was not used by any ancient Macedonian.

Now I know many can say what is in a name, but the real issue here is historic revisionism, and a pitiful attempt for our neighbour to the north to steal our country's history through propaganda. For one thing FYROM/Makedonija wasn't created until 1992. I think everyone knows Alexander the Great and Macedonian history goes way before that. Before this it was the southern province of Yugoslavia known as Vardaska, until 1944 when then Marshall Tito decided to call the area Makedonija.

Alexander the Great comes into play here as the one great Ancient Macedonian, who our neighbor to the north somehow claims ancestral ties to this person. Fortunately there are many proofs of Alexander the Great's and Macedonia's Greek identity:

All Macedonian inscriptions are written in Greek. Yes Macedonian had it's own dialect but so did every region, the most common Attike (Attica, another Greek region) dialect.

King Philip fought against other Greeks just like Athenians fought against other Greeks and Spartans fought against other Greeks. All Greeks fought against each other. (we still do 🙁 ) Likewise Macedonians called themselves Macedonian the same way Athenians called themselves Athenians and Spartans called themselves. These are all Greeks.

I know this is a game but it's a game based on real nations and I think it's important for the game to remain authentic. The main reason for this article is because a friend of mine from this game was also confused and rightfully admitted his lack of knowledge on this issue, which is why I write this article to explain the issue and some detail and stop propaganda.Greece has no intention to interfere with what our neighbors think for themselves. Greece only protects its land and the history of authentic(Greek)-Macedonia.

I urge everyone to read this information, signed by hundreds of international scholars relating to the issue:

http://macedonia-evidence.org/obama-letter.html


On a final note I will leave you with a quote from Alexander I:

Had I not greatly at heart the common welfare of Greece I should not have come to tell you; but I am myself Greek by descent, and I would not willingly see Greece exchange freedom for slavery.... If you prosper in this war, forget not to do something for my freedom; consider the risk I have run, out of zeal for the Greek cause, to acquaint you with what Mardonius intends, and to save you from being surprised by the barbarians. I am Alexander of Macedon."
(Herodotus, The Histories, 9.45)