Ancient Macedonia kingdom
9th century BC e. - 146 BC e.
Coat of arms
Capital	Eges, then Pella
Languages)	Old Macedonian
Continuity
← Greek Dark Ages Macedonia (Roman province) →

Ancient Macedonia- a slave state in the central and northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Existed from the 5th century. BC e. to 148 BC e.. Reached its greatest prosperity as a result of the conquests of Philip II (subjugation of all of Greece) and Alexander the Great (empire of Alexander the Great).

The state on the lands of Lower Macedonia was formed during 6-5 centuries. BC e., but back in the 4th century. BC e. the tribes of Upper Macedonia were at the stage of the tribal system. The main occupations of the state's population were agriculture and cattle breeding. The immediate neighborhood with Greece contributed to the influence of Greek culture and language, and the establishment of close relationships with Greek city-states. With the formation of a class society in Macedonia, there also occurred its gradual political unification, expansion of state borders, strengthening of independence and growth of military-political power.

During the reign of Philip II (359-336 BC), the Macedonian monarchy was finally formed and Upper Macedonia was subjugated. Philip II completed the reorganization of the army and created the Macedonian fleet. In an effort to expand his possessions and political influence, as well as to take possession of the sea coast, which was in the hands of the Greeks, Philip II during 357-346 BC. e. waged a war against Athens and its allies, as a result of which he captured more than 30 cities, subjugated Thessaly and captured the entire Thracian coast of the Aegean Sea. His repeated intervention in Greek affairs ended in 338 BC. e. the Battle of Chaeronea, in which the Macedonian army was victorious and the Greek cities recognized the hegemony of the Macedonian monarchy. In 336 BC e., preparing to move against the Persian kingdom and the local nobility, Philip II became the victim of a conspiracy.

He was succeeded by his son Alexander the Great (336-323 BC), who suppressed the uprisings of Greek cities and carried out his father's intentions regarding the Persian kingdom. He defeated King Darius III, conquered the Persian Empire and formed his own large monarchy on its territory, which, however, was fragile. After Alexander's death, the empire fell apart and Macedonia fought for control of Greece with the Achaean and Aetalian alliances. After coming into conflict with Rome over Illyria (Macedonian Wars), Macedonia was defeated, divided into 4 republics under Roman protectorate, and finally incorporated into Rome as a province (148 BC).

"Island of Pelops" is the name of the southernmost peninsula Epirus and all of Europe.

There, in a chariot race, he defeated King Oenomaus and, as a reward, received his daughter Hippodamia and the throne.

Pelops was a powerful and wise king and soon took possession of all the lands as far as Isthmus, which began to be called by his name, although previously, according to Homer, they were called Apia, Pelasgia, and Achaean Argos.

Since Pelops, without a doubt, was the most famous mythological hero of the Peloponnese, the origin of the Olympic Games is associated with his name.

All the sons of Pelops and Hippodamia became rulers in neighboring policies, so Atre founded the Atrid dynasty in Mycenae, and the names of the remaining sons served as the names of the corresponding cities in the Peloponnese: Corinth, Trizin, Argos.

From the time of the first settlements to the present day, it has been and remains a vital region of Greece.

Connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus 5 km long. it is simultaneously separated from it by two bays. Saronic and Corinthian.

However, it has always remained the most important center where authentic and diverse Greek culture was born, developed and preserved over the centuries. The peninsula has an area of ​​21,439 square meters. km. its outline resembles a “sycamore leaf.” thrown into the sea”, which is why in the Middle Ages, the peninsula was called Moreas (sycamore leaf).

On this land, the Achaean Greeks, in the post-Helladic period, would establish the largest center of the great culture, “gold-abundant Mycenae,” as Homer called them.

Ancient Macedonia

The name Macedonia comes from two words - "μακ" and "δων" - which mean "high land" or, more prosaically, mountainous area. It was the remote mountainous regions of the country, that is, historical Upper Macedonia, that was the homeland of the Macedonians.

According to ancient tradition, Macedonia inherited the lands of the legendary King Midas. Herodotus names Perdiccas I as the founder of the ruling dynasty. This king came from Argos, one of the oldest European cities, located in the eastern part of the Peloponnese. The Dorians are considered the ancestors of the Macedonians. Herodotus had no doubt that the Macedonian kings were of Hellenic origin. The same thing, after some investigation, was recognized by the judges of the Olympic Games. Its necessity arose when the Macedonian king Alexander (5th century BC) wished to personally participate in the competition. The established order did not allow anyone except the Hellenes to participate. Alexander proved that he was an Argive, managing to convince the judges of this.
It was during his reign as King Alexander that Macedonia was formed into a single state and the beginning of its active relations with Greece.

According to another version, more mythologized, the founder of Macedonia is considered to be the brother of the Argive king Karan, while the birth of the kingdom is called the 11th century. BC e. Being a direct descendant of the divine Hercules in the eleventh generation, the Koran was at the same time considered the ancestor of the last actual and most famous Macedonian king - Alexander III the Great - in the seventeenth generation. Karan left the Peloponnese to the north in search of a place to settle and, setting foot in Imathia, took a herd of goats as his guide. The animals sought shelter from the weather, and the cunning Argive followed them. It was thanks to bad weather that Karan managed to capture the city of Edessa - thick fog and rain prevented local residents from knowing in advance about the approach of the invader. Edessa, soon renamed Egi (that is, “goat city”) by Karan, became the center of his rule. For the new ruler, who from then on always kept goats ahead of his banners on campaigns, luck continued to smile. He managed to oust other petty kings from the Macedonian lands. Having become the first autocratic ruler in these parts, Karan united the tribes living around him, and Macedonia became a single whole.

The ancient literary tradition includes more than thirty famous ancient historians who mention Macedonia in their works. Naturally, Greek authors wrote the history of Hellas, and not its northern neighbor, mentioning the Macedonian kingdom only where it had a connection with the events that took place in the life of the Greek lands. Until the 5th century BC, and especially until the time of Philip II, Macedonia did not play a significant role in international relations. Its inner life does not occupy any important place in the works of Greek authors. Since the time of Philip, stories about Macedonia have focused on the young powerful state's desire to expand its borders.

Very little information has reached us about the life of the Macedonian people before this period. Ancient historians focused their attention on political and military affairs, which serve as the foundation in the history of relations between the Macedonian kingdom and Hellas. For a long time, Macedonia did not occupy a significant position in Hellenic interests. This explains the unfortunate fact why there are practically no historical documents telling about Ancient Macedonia.

We find the first mention of the Macedonian lands in the epic of Homer. The great singer speaks about the northern Balkans, mainly about Thrace. In the Iliad and Odyssey, he glorifies the wide and fast-flowing river Axios, Mount Athos (more familiar to us under the name Athos), the city of Amidon and others. In the events of the Trojan War described by Homer, the dating of which most researchers place at the turn of the 13th-12th centuries. BC e., the participation of the Thracians who participated in the war on the side of Troy was given a lot of attention. There are several places in the Iliad from which one can glean information about the climate and fauna of Thrace, but neither Macedonia itself nor its inhabitants were familiar to Homer. Only Hesiod, the first historically reliable ancient Greek poet, who lived in the 8th century. BC, uses the name Macedon, considering it to be derived from the self-name of the Macedonians.

Herodotus, working on his multi-volume work on the Greco-Persian wars, collected material wherever possible. He derived considerable benefit from the works of his teacher Hecataeus. Having repaid his debt to geography, which had not yet been formalized into an independent science, Hecataeus wrote down a number of information about the Macedonian land through which the Persian troops entered Hellas. From the works of Hecataeus, Herodotus borrowed data about the natural resources of Macedonia, its mountains with ore deposits, wild forests and their wild inhabitants. But, describing the territory, the “father of history” still does not draw boundaries between the Macedonian and Thracian tribes.

But then came the 4th century. BC, and ancient Greek writings crossed the line of disparate narratives, entering the realm of direct science. This event is associated primarily with the name of Aristotle. The encyclopedic scientist devoted more than one scroll to describing the features of the Macedonian flora and fauna, the properties and qualities of its natural resources, and the use of resources in the economy. The work begun by Aristotle was continued by his student and future “father of botany” Theophrastus. Both Aristotle and Theophrastus knew the flora of Macedonia from their own observations.

Also, some information about Ancient Macedonia was left by Pseudoskimnus, Strabo, as well as the Romans Pomponius, Pliny and Claudius Ptolemy.

The entire history of Macedonia is filled with dynastic and inter-tribal struggle, as well as continuous conflicts with its neighbors - the Thracians and Illyrians, which was a serious obstacle to the creation of a strong state. However, when faced with the threat of military invasion, tribes often united, forgetting about their enmity.

It is noteworthy that before the accession of Philip II, the Macedonian kingdom did not have its own army. Describing the state of affairs of that time, Alexander addresses the army with the words: “My father Philip found you poor shepherds, dressed in sheepskin and guarding their flocks from the Thracians and Illyrians. Instead of sheepskin, he dressed you in military armor, settled you in cities, gave you laws, and made you masters from slaves.”

Thus, the picture of life for the inhabitants of this region does not look too variegated. The main occupation was agriculture and cattle breeding. The Macedonians grew many agricultural crops, raised goats and sheep, and actively developed crafts. From time to time, the Macedonians diluted the boring monotony with raids on each other.

The jewelry industry, in which local craftsmen have approached the level of genuine art, deserves special mention. The best examples of gold jewelry, armor and weapons can today be seen in the museums of Vergina (formerly Aig), Pella and Thessaloniki. In ornaments, the Macedonian culture is closest to the Cretan-Mycenaean one - the same images of vegetation and animals, often not even stylized.

In terms of the form of organization and features of government, the way of life of the Macedonians was closest to the Spartans. There was no strict order of succession to the throne. Polygamy was allowed.

Burial culture is characterized by burial mounds.

King Archelaus, who ruled in the 5th century. BC, began extensive construction, inviting the best Greek architects to the court of the new capital of Pella. Under him, famous buildings were also erected in Dione, located at the foot of Olympus - the sanctuary of Zeus and Hercules. Without exaggeration, Dion can be called the northern Olympia; theatrical and gymnastic competitions were regularly held here, which attracted a huge number of participants and guests.

The symbol of the Argead dynasty was a golden sixteen-rayed (sometimes eight-rayed) sun on a purple background. This sun, as a national or royal symbol in the context of Macedonia, began to appear systematically from the reign of Philip, but most of all it was loved by Alexander. This symbol of solar purity and clarity in early Christianity became the symbol of the Mother of God. Today the sixteen-rayed sun is present on the flag of Greek Macedonia, although its background has changed to blue.

Archaic customs in Greece, long gone into history, persisted in Macedonia for a very long time. Such, for example, were the sacred fights of future kings with wild cave lions. Today, among the dense Macedonian forests, you can no longer find this beast. He remained forever in that era where man was able to contrast his mind, courage, dexterity and skills with unbridled animal power. And yet we can restore the appearance of this relict inhabitant of the Macedonian lands by turning to the mosaics of that time. It is precisely such a lion, and perhaps the fight itself, that can be seen on the mosaic from Pella, which bears the modern name “Lion Hunt”.

In Ancient Macedonia, many cults were popular, mainly organic ones, serving as a kind of spiritual core for the entire people. The cult of Orpheus enjoyed increased attention, and once a year the Macedonians took part in festivities in honor of Hephaestus (the ancient pre-Olympic deity of fire). Echoes of this cult have survived in Greece to this day, although they have undergone some ideological changes. These are anasthenariums (“fire walking”), held annually in several villages from May 20 to 22. The cult of Dionysus is characterized by special respect. Dionysus was not, as was long believed, a Thracian god who came to Greece through the Macedonian lands somewhere in the 8th-7th centuries. BC. Mentions of it are found already in the Mycenaean era, that is, it was known to the Hellenes even before the Trojan War. A few centuries later he managed to conquer Greece, but it was Macedonia that became the place of his triumph. One of the most zealous followers of the Dionysian cult in Macedonia was Olympias of Epirus - the wife of Philip II and the mother of Alexander.

It is a mistake to consider this god only the patron of fertility and winemaking. To the ancients, Dionysus was the god of sacred ecstasy, inspiration, fury and the most blissful liberation. His kingdom extended to all of nature, especially to its life-giving and fertilizing moisture: the sap flowing in a tree, the blood pulsating in the veins, the liquid fire of grapes, the mysterious uncontrollable tidal processes in nature - in a word, everything that comes and goes. The essence of Dionysian ecstasy was subtly revealed by one of the researchers of religions: Dionysism preached merging with nature, in which a person completely surrenders to it. When dancing among forests and valleys to the sounds of music brought a person into a state of frenzy, he bathed in the waves of cosmic delight, his heart beat in harmony with the whole world. Then the whole world seemed enchanting with its good and evil, beauty and ugliness. Everything that a person sees, hears, touches and smells is a manifestation of Dionysus. It's spilled everywhere. The smell of a slaughterhouse and a sleepy pond, icy winds and enervating heat, delicate flowers and a disgusting spider - everything contains the divine. The mind cannot come to terms with this; it condemns and approves, sorts and selects. But what are his judgments worth when the “sacred madness of Bacchus,” caused by an intoxicating dance under the blue sky or at night in the light of stars and lights, reconciles with everything! The difference between life and death disappears. Man no longer feels cut off from the Universe, he has identified with it and, therefore, with Dionysus.

Initially, it was a cult, the purpose of joining which was liberation from everything mortal, unity with the Universe and proof of the immortality of the soul. However, it soon began to degenerate, slipping into crazy orgies, until, in the end, it was strictly limited in Greece both in time (twice a year) and in territory (only on Parnassus). And only the special veneration of Dionysus by Alexander returned his cult to its former splendor with the advent of the Hellenistic era.

As for the ancient Macedonian language, it is most often considered a dialect of ancient Greek, with a noticeable Dorian accent predominant. Macedonian names often also have a Greek etymology, although in some cases they differ from purely Hellenic ones. The Macedonians did not have their own written language, which is why only about 150 word forms are known from the language they spoke. Due to the closeness of Ancient Macedonian to Ancient Greek, the possibility of the origin of two languages ​​from one - the so-called. Paleo-Balkan. And although today in Greece, for political reasons, primarily because of the conflict with its northwestern neighbor, the inhabitants of Ancient Macedonia are unconditionally classified as Hellenes, the Greeks of the V-IV centuries. BC e. would hardly appreciate such an identification. At that time, they significantly alienated themselves from the Macedonians, calling them nothing more than barbarians.

As contacts between Macedonia and Greece increased, the Dorian dialect of ancient Greek took root among the Macedonian elite. Until then, the unimaginable - that is, the formation of a general, supra-regional form of ancient Greek - happened in the second half of the 4th century. BC. The activities of Alexander the Great could not help but touch upon the field of language. After all, it is language that serves as the connecting link between people, which allows not only to think coherently, but also to act unanimously. As the united Greek-Macedonian forces rapidly advanced to the East, their newly formed common dialect spread from Egypt to the borders of India. Koine became the language of the Hellenistic era and the direct ancestor of modern Greek. This language was not created, introduced or formalized in any way. He developed naturally, living his own life, or rather the lives of those for whom he became a means of everyday communication. Koine was the product of a new world in which the language barrier ceased to exist. And this language, in which thousands of scientific works and works of art, translations of ancient religious texts, as well as the apocrypha and canonical texts of the New Testament were written, appeared thanks to a native of Macedonia.

The kingdom of the Macedonians lasted for about 12 centuries, reaching the pinnacle of power in the second half of the 4th century. BC. In 168, under the reign of Perseus Antigonidas, the last dynasty was overthrown, the Macedonian kingdom disappeared from the map, and its lands became a Roman province.

They will give the name to the first period in the history of Greek culture that reached its peak in Europe - Mycenaean. And today for us there is another important ancient history of the Atrides, which is inextricably linked with the land of the Argolids and the Achaeans’ campaign against Troy.

It is with this land that the origin of the myth about the greatest hero of ancient mythology, Hercules, is connected; here he accomplished his feats, and after the destruction of the Mycenaean palace, his descendants, the Heracleids, who are identified with the Dorians, returned here, and it is to these lands that the so-called “relocation” of the Dorians will take place

Valiant warriors were born on this land, three hundred of whom, led by King Leonidas, resisted the hordes of Persians. It is no coincidence that it was here, in 1821, that the revolution against Ottoman rule began. This is the Peloponnese!!!

Greek mastic is one of the wonders of nature!!!

When going on a trip to Greece, the main thing is to get acquainted in advance with what is valuable and cannot be found anywhere else. There are many such attractions and useful natural components here. Today we’ll talk about the aromatic Greek mastic from the island of Chios. Masticha - a component of modern alcoholic drinks.

Tyana Greece. In the footsteps of the Apostle Paul

Peloponnese. Cradle of Greece

According to legend, he owes this name to the name of the mythical character Pelops, the son of Tantalus and grandson of Zeus. Having left Asia Minor, his hometown of Lydia and possessing great treasures, Pelops reached the shores of Elis and settled in the city of Pis.

Venetian fortress Methoni

Methoni is a town on the Peloponnese island, in its southwestern part. Methoni harbor is located 10 kilometers from the town of Pylos. Methoni is considered one of the most popular holiday destinations for tourists from different countries. The infrastructure here is quite well developed and there is a place to swim in the sea with all possible comfort.

Funeral rites in Greece

Since ancient times, the Greeks thought about what was there, “beyond the line.” Is there any possibility of the existence of the human soul after bodily death? What happens to the soul when it passes into another world? Humanity has not found answers to these questions to this day. However, the features of people’s burials also depended on some assumptions about the existence of the afterlife in ancient Greek civilization.

Emergence of Macedonia

In the prehistoric period, Macedonia was the territory through which carriers of Neolithic cultures penetrated into Europe from Asia Minor (for more details, see Prehistoric Greece). At the end of the Bronze Age, various Indo-European tribes invaded Macedonia from the north, some of whom went further to Asia Minor, and some to Greece.

The first Macedonian state was founded in the 8th century BC. e. or the beginning of the 7th century BC. e. Greek dynasty Argeads, settlers from the southern Greek city of Argos (hence the name Argeads). The first king of Macedonia is Perdiccas I.

Early kingdom

Macedonia, which was believed to have inherited the lands of the mythical kingdom of Midas, led by the Argead dynasty, became an independent state under King Alexander I at the beginning of the 5th century BC. e. . It was under him that the royal coins began to be minted; under him, Macedonia, which had existed for a long time in isolation, came into contact with Hellas; under him, the territory of the country expanded significantly. According to Herodotus, the founder of the reigning dynasty is considered to be Perdiccas I, a native of Argos, located in the eastern part of the Peloponnese. According to ancient historians, the Macedonian tribes who lived in the Haliakmon River basin (Greek: Αλιάκμων or Αλιάκμονας) and the adjacent plateaus, in the 8th century BC. e. began their movement east to the coast of the Aegean Sea and north to the Strymon River (Greek Στρυμών or Στρυμόνας). At the beginning of the 5th century, Macedonia and the surrounding lands were conquered by the Persian king Darius I, who helped the Macedonian king strengthen and expand his power.

In 330 BC. e. The commander of Alexander the Great, Zopyrion, made a campaign in Scythia, as a result of which his thirty thousand army was defeated.

Decline of the kingdom

During the great migration of peoples, Goths and Avars constantly raided Macedonia; in -VII centuries AD e. Slavic tribes founded their first settlements there.

Language

The language of the Macedonians, which was in use until the beginning of the 5th century BC. e. and preserved in some areas for several more centuries AD, has come down to us in less than a hundred short records made by Hesychius of Alexandria in the 5th century. This language was quite close to Greek, being its dialect. The Ancient Macedonian language was influenced by Doric Greek, and with the beginning of rapid cultural development and close interaction with other states of Hellas, the difference in languages ​​began to decrease. Due to the extremely scarce linguistic material, many points of view have emerged on the origin of the ancient Macedonian language. Most often it is considered as:

• a dialect of Greek with elements of Illyrian;
• a dialect of Greek with elements of Illyrian and Thracian;
• a dialect of Greek with elements of a non-Indo-European language;
• a dialect of the Illyrian language with elements of Greek;
• an independent Indo-European language, related to Greek, Thracian and Phrygian.

Hellenic origin

Main article: Hellenic origins of the ancient Macedonians

Scientists discussing whether Ancient Macedonia was a Hellenistic state or not refer both to the evidence of ancient authors and to linguistic material. The accumulated linguistic and historical material allows us to classify the Macedonians as belonging to the Greek branch of peoples.

see also

Notes

Literature

• "Epitoms of the essay by Pompey Trogus "The History of Philip" M. Yu. Justin
• Hammond N.-J.-L. Illyria, Epirus and Macedonia. - In the book: The Cambridge History of the Ancient World. Vol. 3, part 3: Expansion of the Greek world. Moscow, 2007. (chapter on early Macedonia and related areas). ISBN 978-5-86218-467-9
• Shofman A. S. History of ancient Macedonia. In 2 parts. Kazan, 1960-1963.
• Kuzmin Yu. N. 2003: Internal and foreign policy of the Macedonian kingdom (270-230 BC): Author. diss... Ph.D. Saratov.
• Burov A. S. 1996: Armed forces and military policy of Macedonia (70-20s of the 3rd century BC): Auth. diss... Ph.D. M.
• A. B. Ranovich Hellenism and its historical role. - Moscow: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1950. - 264 p.
• Talakh V.N. Everything that King Demetrius does not want. - Kyiv: Blok.NOT, 2012. - 232 p.

Links

• Macedonia (English)
• History of Macedonia (English)
• Greece Macedonia (English)
• Macedonia Museum
• Royal tombs in ancient Aegae - In the project Reconstruction of the “New Herodotus”

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See what “Ancient Macedonia” is in other dictionaries:

Ancient, state 5 2 centuries. BC e. on the Balkan Peninsula. Tsar Philip II to mid. 4th century completed the unification of the territory of Macedonia proper, from 359 to 338 annexed Phocis, Thessaly, Chalkidiki, Thrace, etc., became dependent on Macedonia... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Section - I - Descriptions of ancient Macedonia
Section - II -
Section - III - Capital of ancient Macedonia
Section - IV - King of ancient Macedonia
Section - V - Army of ancient Macedonia

Descriptions of ancient Macedonia

Ancient Macedonia is one of the Greek states of antiquity. It was located on the Balkan Peninsula, and its capital was in the city of Pella. It was from here that Alexander the Great, having gathered together all the power of the Greek cities, in the 3rd century BC. began a long campaign against the Persian Empire. If modern Macedonians are not Greeks, because... Most of them are Slavs, but in ancient times the Macedonians descended from the Greeks. The historian Herodotus argued that Macedonia was founded by the Dorians, who were expelled by the Cadmeans. Literally "Macedonia" is translated as "High Land".

The history of Ancient Macedonia began in the 8th century BC. The founded state was ruled by the Argead dynasty, which descended from the noble Greeks of the city of Argos. The first ruler of Macedonia was King Perdiccas I. According to the myths and legends of Ancient Greece, it was on the territory of Macedonia that the kingdom of Midas was once located. This state did not play a significant role in the development of Ancient Greece, but in the 5th century BC. Tsar Alexander managed to significantly strengthen and develop it. At this time, coins began to be minted, Macedonia entered into business contacts with other Greek cities, and expanded its possessions. She succeeded in this with the help of Darius I, who captured Macedonia at the beginning of the 5th century without a fight. Soon the united Greek cities expelled the Persians from here, and Macedonia received free will.

In 420 BC. King Perdiccas II began a war with Athens, in which Sparta actively supported him. The new king Archelaus developed the army of Macedonia. In addition, under his rule, Macedonia became closely acquainted with Hellenistic culture. Soon the Macedonians captured Pydna and Larissa, establishing a border along the Haliakmon River in the south and the Strymon River in the east. In the west, its territory was fenced by the Pindus ridge, and in the north by the Aksiy River. King Archelaus was assassinated in 399 BC, leaving the state significantly weakened. The Thracians and Illyrians tried to capture Macedonia, but King Philip II quickly managed to unify the state and repel enemy attacks.

King Philip II reigned until 336 BC, expanding the territory of Macedonia to almost all of Hellas. In those days, the Macedonians, although they adopted Greek culture, seemed barbarians to the rest of the Hellenes. However, they had a common religion. Philip himself hoped to make a campaign in Persia, but in 336 BC. he was killed, and Alexander III, who went down in history as Alexander the Great, ascended his throne. He managed to take advantage of Philip's preparations, and during a bloody war, destroy the mighty Persia and capture Egypt, even reaching India. However, immediately after his death, Macedonia split into many Hellenistic states.
The history of each of them developed in its own way, but the history of Ancient Macedonia after the conquests of Alexander was short-lived. In 330 BC. Zopyrnion, who ruled Macedonia, suffered a crushing defeat in Scythia, and King Pyrrhus, having invaded the possessions of the Romans and won, lost almost his entire army, after which the expression “Pyrrhic victory” entered history.

During three wars with Rome, Ancient Macedonia was completely weakened. In 215 BC. the first war was lost, the second was lost in 197 BC, and in 168 BC. the Romans were victorious in the third. The ruling dynasty was overthrown, and already in 146 BC. The Romans established their power in Macedonia, declaring it one of the provinces of the Roman Empire. Since then, the Greeks have never ruled here again, and in the 6-7 centuries the territories of Ancient Macedonia were settled by the Slavs, who many years later managed to create an independent state.

Writing of ancient Macedonia

ANCIENT MACEDONIA: HISTORY, LANGUAGE, CULTURE

The history of Macedonia has been an integral part of the history of the Hellenistic world for many centuries. As a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Greek language and Greek culture spread across three continents, from the Balkans to Egypt, and from there to India. In today's lecture we will take a detailed look at the history of ancient Macedonia - the territory that is geographically defined by the borders of the region of the same name in northern Greece and which we see on the screen.

The words Μακεδονία and Μακεδών (Macedonia and Macedon) are Greek in origin. For the first time in written sources we meet them in Homer's Odyssey in the form of an adjective μακεδνός, which means "long, thin" from the root " μακ» . Cognate words in modern Greek are το μάκρος (“length”), το μήκος (“length, extent”). The word "Macedonia" comes from the root " μακ» + “δων”, which means “high land”, i.e. mountainous area. This Word indicates the original habitat and way of life of the Macedonians: they were shepherds who lived in the mountains. They originally lived in the region of the Pindus Mountains, and then descended to the plains and settled in the area, which then adopted their name.

In Greek mythology there is a lot of information about the origin of the ancestor of the Macedonians, Macedon: Hellanicus, author of the 5th century BC. e., writes that Macedon was the son of King Aeolus of Magnesia, son of Hellenes. This legend reflects the idea that the Macedonians are part of the Aeolian lineage of the Greeks. Another legend says that Macedon was the son of Lycaon from Arcadia. Finally, according to Hesiod, Macedon was the son of Zeus and Phia, daughter of Deucalion, king of Thessaly. All these myths clearly point to the Greek origin of the Macedonians.

On the map we see the main geophysical characteristics of Macedonia: in the east the border runs along the Nestos River, the eastern outskirts of the Rhodope Mountains and the island of Thassos - the northernmost of the Greek islands. In the center stands out the fertile plain of Central Macedonia, the largest in Greece, Chalkidiki with three peninsulas and the Thermaikos Gulf with Thessaloniki, into which large rivers such as Axios and Aliakmon flow. The west is dominated by the Pindus and Vermion mountains, while in the south the border of Macedonia is Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, home of the 12 gods of the ancient Greeks. Note that even the map shows that in addition to large rivers, plains and mountains, Macedonia also has many lakes, more than in any other region of Greece. The climate is Mediterranean on the coast and continental in the central territories, the cooler the further from the sea. It is important to remember that geographically Macedonia has been part of Greece since ancient times: Strabo, the most famous geographer of antiquity, writes in his work “Geography”: “There is one thing - Greece and Macedonia.” Another great geographer, Claudius Ptolemy, in his Geographical Manual of the 2nd century AD. e. includes Macedonia in the territory of Greece, as the first of the Greek regions described by precise geographical coordinates.

On the screen we see photographs of the Axios and Aliakmon rivers.

This is a typical Macedonian area. The territory of ancient Macedonia was covered with dense forests and was famous for its timber, which was one of the main export products of the Macedonian kingdom.

The oldest evidence of human presence in this area is the Neanderthal man from Petralona: in the image we see his skull, found in 1960 in the cave of the same name in Chalkidiki, which is 260,000 years old.

The clay figurines of women we see come from the Neolithic settlement of Nea Nicomedia near the city of Veria. Nea Nicomedia is the oldest settlement excavated in Macedonia, known from around 6000 BC. e. Life in the Neolithic period is characterized by the formation of settlements, the development of agriculture and cattle breeding, and the use of pottery.

Another important Neolithic settlement is the settlement of Dispilio Kastoria. There, as a result of excavations carried out by the University of Thessaloniki. Aristotle, a wooden tablet with inscriptions was found dating back to 5260 BC. e. - probably the oldest written monument in Europe. Another important find was a bone flute, which is the oldest musical instrument found in Europe.

Another significant Neolithic site is the settlement of Dikili Tas in eastern Macedonia, near the ancient city of Philippi, in the shadow of Mount Pangeon, which we see on the screen. This is where the copper bead comes from - the oldest metal product in the Aegean region, created around 5500. BC e. A thousand years later, around 4300 BC. e., in the settlement of Dikili Tas, for the first time in Europe, a person planted a vineyard and made wine. This fact is due to the fact that Pangeon was considered the sacred mountain of the god Dionysus, as evidenced by ancient Greek authors. Probably, the oracle of this god was also located there.

Throughout the Bronze Age, from 3500 BC. e. before 1100 BC e., settlements in Macedonia are created on special artificial “hills”, for example, the settlement of Thermi on the site of modern. Thessaloniki, which we see in the photograph.

Such were the settlements of Toumba in the area of ​​Thessaloniki, Assyros, Agios Mamas in Chalkidiki, etc. An exception to the series of settlements of this type is Sotiru Rock on Thassos, around 2500. BC e. which was fortified and maintained trade and cultural contacts with Troy and the islands of the northeastern Aegean Sea.

Macedonia, during the last centuries of the Bronze Age, appears to have been the disseminator of the powerful Mycenaean culture from northern Greece, both in the area of ​​trade and - although to a lesser extent - household items. Indeed, in many areas, from Castries to the island. Thassos to Eani in Kozani, find ceramics of the Mycenaean period, both imported and locally produced, the time of origin of which ranges from the 16th to the 11th century BC. e. An inscription in Linear B was also found in Eani, which is the oldest inscription in Greek for the Mycenaean period. At the site of Agios Dimitrios in the Olympus region, a Mycenaean cemetery was recently discovered - a burial according to Mycenaean funeral rites. This find confirms the presence of Mycenaean Greeks in the Olympus region and shifts the border of the Mycenaean civilization further north.

From the end of the Bronze Age, with the collapse of the Mycenaean states, new Greek tribes appeared on the vast Greek lands, always moving from north to south - Dorians, Thessalians, Boeotians, etc. In all these movements, Macedonia plays the role of a kind of crossroads, from where everyone begins their journey, or at least where some of these tribes came from, especially the Pindus mountain region.

The father of history, Herodotus, is the first of all to say that when the Dorians lived in the Pindus region, they were called Macedonians, and when they later came to the Peloponnese, they began to be called Dorians. Thus he connects the Macedonians with the Dorians and emphasizes their Greek origin, as he does in other parts of his work.

Another great historian of antiquity, Thucydides, speaks of the gradual rise of the Macedonian kings from Argos in the territory of Macedonia. Modern research shows that historical Upper Macedonia, namely the remote mountainous areas, was the original homeland of the Macedonians. This is the territory of modern western Macedonia, where the ancient Macedonian city of Argos Orestikon was located, in Orestida. From here the Macedonians struck out, fighting the Illyrians and resisting the progressive expansion of the Thracians, and settled the territory that Thucydides called "lower or maritime" Macedonia. This migration occurred no later than the beginning of the 7th century BC. e.

The settlement of Macedonians in the territory of Lower Macedonia is also confirmed by archaeological excavations. For example, during recent excavations at Archondico Pellas, burials of warriors in full military garb, decorated with gold masks, ribbons and plates, were found. When going to another world, the women of Macedonia were decorated in a similar way. These burials date back to the 7th century BC. e. and indicate the similarity of the funeral customs of the Macedonians with the customs of the Mycenaeans and southern Greeks of the early Iron Age. This observation has a direct bearing on the general character traits of the Macedonians: the Macedonians have always been the most conservative of the Greeks, thanks to the monarchical form of government and geographical location in the northern territories. On the screen we see the opening of the grave of a Macedonian warrior from the late 6th century BC. BC: we see gold-plated weapons, a shield, a sword, a helmet and a golden mask that covered his face.

In the image on the left we see the characteristic male mask and helmet, and on the right the female gold mask and gold plates decorated with rosettes from the western cemetery of Archondikos Pellas.

Recent finds at Archondikos are similar to those at the cemeteries of Sindosa, Egon and Eani. Taken together, they archaeologically confirm the early settlement of the Macedonians - even before the end of the 6th century BC. e. - in these territories.

In the image we see a helmet and a golden warrior mask, as well as a golden necklace from a female burial at Sindos, which date back to c.520 BC. e. In the next photo we see a gold earring in the shape of an omega from the burial of Eani, even more ancient, c. 550 BC e.

And here are the massive gold jewelry of the so-called. "The Girls of Aegon", one of the queens of the Macedonian capital, who died around 500 BC. e. Gold pins adorned her hair, hairpins on her dress, and snake-shaped buckles on her peplos.

And here, in great detail, are the queen’s gold earrings, skillfully made using the filigree technique, which testify to the high level of gold foundry already in antiquity.

Since the beginning of their history, the Macedonians have always followed the king. Leaders in war, guarantors of law and order in times of peace, bearers of divine blessing, saints, kings of Macedonia, in the image of the Mycenaean kings, have always been the protector fathers and stronghold of the Macedonians. The family tree of the kings of Macedonia indicates that they were Argians, Timenides from Argos, i.e., descendants of Hercules, because the king of Argos, Timenus, was descended from Hercules. Therefore, the veneration of Hercules was widespread throughout Macedonia and in the inscriptions he is called Ηρακλής Πατρώος.

Both Herodotus and Thucydides say that the first king of the Macedonians and founder of the Timenid Argead dynasty was Perdiccas the First in the early 7th century BC. e. Herodotus also conveys the legend about the origin of the royal coat of arms, the famous Macedonian sun, the ten-pointed star of Vergina, cat. we see in the photograph. And other sources call the first king Karon, who lived before Perdikkas.

It is known that from the middle of the 7th century BC. e. The central power of the Macedonians from the capital Aegon extends its influence to the fertile lands at the foot of Vermiu and then north and east to Almopia and Mygdonia.

Around the same time and a little earlier, from the middle of the 8th century BC. e. the Greeks of the south establish a number of coastal settlements along the entire Macedonian coastline. The soil of Macedonia, rich in precious metals, its timber, its expanses abounding in various riches, the favorable geographical location of Macedonian ports on trade routes - all this created favorable conditions that brought the Greeks of the south here. This resettlement refers to the general so-called. The second wave of migration, when the Greeks settled almost all the coastal territories of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The first to come to Macedonia were settlers from Eretria and Chalkis from Euboea, so the whole region of Macedonia was called Chalkidiki. They were followed by the Corinthians, Andrians and even the Parians to the territory of modern Eastern Macedonia, which was then still considered Thrace, since the inhabitants of the central lands were Thracians, who were subsequently subjugated by the Macedonians. On the map we see some of these settlements: Toroni, Skioni, Mendi, Potidea, Olynthos, Akanthos, Stagira, the birthplace of Aristotle, Amphipolis, a settlement of people from Athens, in the east Thassos, a settlement of people from Parion, as well as settlements of people from Neapolis, Isimi etc.

On the screen we see characteristic coins of these cities, which retained their independence until their conquest by the Macedonians during the reign of Philip II: on the left is a coin worth 4 drachmas of Acanthos with the image of a lion fighting a bull, then a silver statir with the image of the Gorgon from Naples, then coin 4 drachmae with the image of Dionysus riding a donkey from Mendi, on the right is a 4 drachmae coin with the image of the head of Apollo on one side and a lyre with the inscription « Χαλκιδέων » on the other from Kinos Halkidiki.

In Halkidiki, the central and most important city was Olynthos, until it was destroyed by Philip in 348. BC e. During the excavations, a city was discovered built according to the Hippodamian system, based on a rectangular grid of streets and quarters, each of which had an average of ten two-story houses, with a courtyard and mosaic floors on the men's half, i.e. in the symposium rooms, as we see here with the Dionysian scenes. The Olynthos mosaics are the first of a large group of mosaics from the classical era.

The Sanctuary of Poseidon at Possidi Chalkidiki, which we see on the screen, is associated with ancient Mendi, an Eretrian settlement, and consists of a temple from the 5th century BC. e. and a vaulted temple from the late 11th century BC. e. This vaulted temple was dedicated to Poseidon by the Euboean sailors who sailed the coastal waters of Chalkidiki, and is one of the oldest temples in Greece, confirming the early presence of Greek sailors on the Macedonian coast. Sanctuary of Amun-Zeus in Kallithea Chalkidiki, on the site of which in the 8th century BC. e. there was a sanctuary of Dionysius, dating back to the 5th century BC. uh

Amphipolis, the most important settlement ever founded by the Athenians, near the mouth of the Strymon, became a prominent city in Macedonia, before and after its conquest by Philip. On the screen we see the walls of Amphipolis, and on the left there is a clay tablet with theatrical masks from the 4th century BC. uh...

...and here is an image of the famous Lion of Amphipolis, a huge marble monument dedicated, apparently, to Laomedon, the commander-in-chief of the naval forces of Alexander the Great, who settled in Amphipolis after the end of his campaign in Asia.

East of Strymon was located one of the most important Greek states - Thasos, a settlement of people from Parion on the island of the same name from the 7th century BC. BC, which would subsequently create its own settlements on the opposite shore and would prosper thanks to the mining of precious metals, as well as trade in wine, oil, timber and the magnificent marble of the island. On the map we see the state of Thassos with the island, settlements and territories controlled by it. The most important settlement of the island was ancient Neapoli, here on the map is the modern city of Kavala, where the late Archaic temple of the Parthenon was found, the Ionic capital of which we see in the photograph.

The photo shows the ancient theater of Thassos overlooking the blue expanses of the North Aegean Sea. The stone theater dates back to the 4th century BC. e., however, the famous ancient physician Hippocrates tells us that the theater on Thassos already existed from the end of the 5th century BC. e. Hippocrates praises the very pleasant and healthy climate of this island.

In the image we see the famous Kriophoros of Thassos - a young man made of marble approximately 600g. BC e., - and Aphrodite on a dolphin of the 3rd century BC. e.

The Greek settlements of the southern cities on the coast of Macedonia certainly contributed to the awakening of trade of the Macedonian state. Already from the 6th century BC. e. Trade contacts between the Macedonian kingdom and the southern Greek cities multiplied, which can be concluded from the numerous finds of Attic and Corinthian pottery in the cities of Macedonia. During the reigns of Amyntas the First and Alexander the First, Macedonia was a vassal territory of the Persian Empire, from approximately 510. BC e. to 480 BC e. A Persian inscription characteristic of that time calls the Macedonians “ Yauma Takabara”, i.e. Ionians wearing shield-like headdresses. It is known that the Persians called all Greeks Ionians; by headdress they meant kavsia - a traditional Macedonian hat, the image of which we see on a silver coin of 8 drachmas from the time of Alexander the First. To the Persians, the Macedonians were Greeks.

Alexander the First was one of the greatest Macedonian kings; under his rule, the Macedonian kingdom reached Strymon, annexing territories rich in silver deposits, and the first coins from the precious metal were created. According to Herodotus, in the Persian Wars, Alexander helped the southern Greeks by providing them with important information about the Persian army. Explaining his decision, Alexander said that “I am Greek by birth...”. For this help, the Athenians in 479. awarded him the title of consul. In addition, the Macedonians, led by Alexander, defeated the retreating Persians. He himself immediately set about erecting a golden statue in honor of Apollo in the sanctuary of Delphi, right next to the tripod in honor of the victory at Plataea, erected by the rest of the Greeks. Alexander also participated in the Olympic Games of 496 BC. e., since before that the Hellanodics (competition leaders, judges) recognized its Greek origin. As you know, only Greeks could participate in the games. It should be noted that other Macedonians, not only kings, but also ordinary subjects of the Macedonian kingdom, took part in the Panhellenic games in Olympia, in the Pythian games in Delphi, in the Isthmian games in Corinth, in the Lycean games in Arcadia, etc. The Macedonians have participated and won the Panathenaic Games in Athens since at least the 5th century BC. e. The Macedonian kings Perdikkas II, Archelaos, Amyntas II and Philip II participated and won the Olympic Games. As for examples of victories of ordinary Macedonians, the Macedonian Crito became the winner in running at the Olympics in 328 BC. e., the Macedonians Antigonos and Seleukos were winners in the same type of competition in 292 and 268, while Archon of Pella won the horse race at the Pythian Games during the reign of Alexander the Great. In conclusion, we note that the Macedonians mainly participated and distinguished themselves in running competitions and horse races, and in the latter, mainly kings and representatives of the aristocracy.

In the image we see a copper tripod from around 430 BC. e., which was the prize of a certain Macedonian king for participating in the Ireon competition in Argos, which we learn from the inscription on its rim. The tripod was found in the tomb of Philip II.

The second reigned for 40 years after the death of his father, from 454 to 413. BC e. Perdikkas pursued a flexible policy towards his allies, which allowed him to maintain the integrity of the Macedonian state. This is the era of the "golden age" of Pericles' Athens, immediately followed by the disastrous Peloponnesian War, which brought the armies of Athens and Sparta as far as Macedonia. In the image we see golden trays from the female royal burial at Aegon from the time of Perdiccas the Second. Note the royal sun symbol, which appears around the time when Perdikkas achieved the special significance of the royal dynasty.

In 413 BC. e. on the throne of Macedonia is Archelaos (Arhelai), about whom Thucydides wrote that he alone managed to achieve more than all his predecessors combined. He turned out to be an extremely intelligent, dynamic, art-loving ruler. Showing foresight, he moved the capital from the city of Eges to the city of Pella, not far from the sea, thus opening up for the Macedonians a period of dynamic development of external relations, while proceeding, in parallel, to administrative reforms of the country and to the organization of its defense. He also created competitive and musical competitions in the city of Dion, the sacred city of the Macedonians, where the sanctuary of Zeus was located at the source of Mount Olympus. The drawings of the new palace were drawn by Zeusix, the most famous painter of the time, and famous poets of the time, such as Chirilos, Tisoteos and Agathon, wrote their works in the courtyard of this palace. But the most important guest of Archelaus was the great classic, tragedian Euripides, who spent the last years of his life in Macedonia. During his stay at court as an honored guest of the king, Euripides wrote and presented to the Macedonian public two tragedies, the now lost Archelaus and Bacchus, the most religious of his works. Archelaus was killed in 399 BC. e.

Archelaus' descendants Amyntas III and Perdikkas III fought desperately to preserve the unity, and indeed the very existence, of the Macedonian kingdom in the years of turmoil that followed. This was the time of the invasion of Macedonia by the Illyrians from the north and the temporary conquest of Pella by the Chalcidians. The ruler Perdiccas III fell in battle against the Illyrians in 359 BC. e.. In the image we see silver coins of Archelaus, Amyntas III and Perdiccas III. Note that on one side of the coin there is a goat's head, from the name of the ancient capital Eges. Both coins of his followers emphasize, through the lion's head, the image of Hercules.

In 359 BC. e., when power passed to Perdiccas' brother, Philip II, Macedonia was besieged from all sides and it seemed that the kingdom would soon collapse. During all 24 years of his reign, Philip managed not only to save his kingdom, but also to make it the most powerful European power of that time, and also prepare it for a clash with the most powerful Asian power - the Persian Empire. In the painting we see the image of Philip on a later Roman gold medal.

A charismatic leader, an impeccable commander, an excellent diplomat, a participant in the Kavirian Mysteries, in which he met his third wife, Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, Philip began to reorganize the state, to crush his enemies (Illyrians and Paeons) and in 357 BC . e. conquered Amphipolis, a colony of the Athenians in the Strymon Valley, thus ensuring control over the entire territory of the region. After some time, he also conquered Crinida, a Thasian colony in the region, renaming it Philippi and populating it with Macedonians. Thus, the geographical border of Macedonia expands to the Nestos River. These borders delineate Macedonia to this day. At the same time, the Macedonian king secured control over the gold and silver mines of Pangeo, which had a significant impact on the financial position of the state and on its imperialist intentions. It is believed that these ores annually provided more than 1,000 talents, the gold coins of the period. In the picture we see a silver coin of 4 drachmas and a gold coin of Philip with the name of the Macedonian ruler.

Later, Philip defeats the Chalcidian alliance, makes a campaign against the Phricians and, turning Thrace into his vassal province, begins to openly interfere in the affairs of southern Greece, while ensuring control over the Delphic League. His activities will lead to a clash with Athens and prompt the orator Demosthenes to compose the famous “Philippian” speeches. At this time, another Athenian orator, Isocrates, called on Philip to take leadership of all the Hellenes and lead a campaign against the Persians. At the decisive battle of Chaeronia in 338 BC. e. The Macedonian kingdom was faced with the city-state model of Southern Greece, led by the Athenians and Thebes. In this battle, the Macedonian column - the phalanx - won, and the Macedonian infantry, led by eighteen-year-old Alexander, the son of Philip, performed triumphantly. In the spring of 337 BC. e. At the Corinthian Assembly, Philip was elected military leader of the Pan-Hellenic army against the Persians, but he was not destined to fulfill this mission. In 336 BC. e. Philip was killed in a stadium in the city of Eges in the presence of delegates from all over Greece. Historians became aware of a magnificent funeral rite, carried out similar to those described in Homer's poems, and prepared by the son of the deceased Philip and heir Alexander. During archaeological excavations in Vergina, the tomb of Philip was discovered with all the treasures it contained, reflecting the greatness of the Macedonian ruler. On the map, the borders of the Macedonian kingdom and the territories under its control at the time of Philip's death are indicated in brown.

Thanks to the exceptional intelligence and talent of the two researchers you now see in the photograph, it was possible to take a new look at the history of Macedonia. On the left is the great English historian Nicholas Hammond, who first identified the modern city of Vergina with the ancient city of Eges, and on the left is the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos, who, with his persistence, not only proved this identification, but also discovered the tomb of Philip.

In the picture we see Philip's two-room tomb, discovered on the inside of a hill, 13 meters high and 100 meters in diameter. The monument has a Doric style façade; in its front part a golden casket containing female remains was found, and in the main part a golden casket containing the remains of Philip himself was found. The tomb is made of tuff, with the exception of the marble partitions of the rooms, it is covered with a dome enriched with marble powder and there are painted surfaces in it. This is a typical example of Macedonian graves, intended for rulers and for the rich Macedonian nobility. Such tombs are the first Hellenic structures to feature a cylindrical dome.

Here, on the left, we see the front of the grave, and on the right, its decoration. The front part had boxes in the form of arches, painted metopes and images of undoubted artistic value on the facade on the theme of hunting lions, wild boars, bears and antelopes.

Here we see the golden sarcophagus of the front of the tomb at the time of its discovery in the marble casket. We observe the characteristic royal symbol of the Macedonians. Above we see the same sarcophagus after its opening: the remains of the dead woman are wrapped in golden purple cloth, and her golden crown is placed on the edge.

Here is the golden sarcophagus of Philip. It is made of thick layers of 24 carat gold, weighing a total of 8 kilograms. With the exception of the famous 16-pointed star, on the sides we find decorative belts with rosettes, lilies, daisies and four lion's legs.

The sarcophagus contained the charred remains of the king, as well as a gilded crown made of oak, the sacred tree of Zeus.

Philip's iron chain mail, made of golden thread, accompanied him to the grave. On the back of the chain mail is the goddess Athena the Warring, and on the front are lion heads, the king’s talismans in battle.

Philip also took his weapon with him. Here we see the golden case of the king's leather quiver, that is, a case for arrows. On the right we see an image on the theme of the siege of Troy.

And here is Philip's ceremonial shield of gold and ivory depicting the battle between Achilles and Panthecilia.

Everything shown above, along with other finds from Philip’s tomb, as well as from the ancient city of Eges, today’s visitor can see in the Museum of Royal Graves in Vergina. The museum was built on a hill that overlooked the graves. The painting shows the entrance to the museum...

...here are two photographs from the museum's exhibition.

Here we see the ancient theater in the city of Eges, north of the agora (market) of the ancient city, built in the second half of the 4th century BC. e., in which Philip was killed.

An aerial photograph shows that the theater in Eges was adjacent to a palace built during the reign of Philip. Nearby we see a reproduction of the palace. Shown here is a large central courtyard with Ionic and Doric arches, mosaic floors and marble slabs in the halls intended for symposia and receptions. This palace, along with the new palace in the city of Pella, was at one time the most magnificent palace in Greece.

The Ancient Theater of Philippi was originally built by Philip and is one of the largest stone theaters in Greece. It should also be said that in Philippi, Eastern Macedonia, the Apostle Paul in 49 AD. e. preached Christianity and founded the oldest church in Europe.

One of Philip's military reforms was the reform of the Macedonian phalanx - formation in battle. Philip introduced the "sarissa" - a spear up to 7 meters long, which became the main weapon of the Macedonian infantry. We can see the result in this image. Here you can see how an impenetrable forest of spears is created, which, in combination with the Macedonian cavalry (cavalry), proved invincible in all the battles of Philip and his son Alexander.

Here we see characteristic Macedonian weapons found in military graves: the point of a sarisa (spear), a sword and a helmet.

There is not much to say about Alexander. Let us simply emphasize that with his conquests and all his activities, he spread the Greek language and Greek culture in the depths of the ecumene, from Libya and Egypt to Afghanistan and India, creating his own cities, his “Alexandrias” everywhere. If Philip managed to unite all the Hellenes, realizing Isocrates’ dream of the unity of all Greeks, then Alexander, a student of Aristotle, armed with this dream, turned it into the idea of ​​​​the widespread spread of Hellenism. The greatest king in Greek history, during his short and turbulent life, Alexander changed the course of history and laid the foundation for the first “globalization” in the entire history of mankind.

On the map we see the state of Alexander the Great in the year of his death, in 323 BC. e. The death of Alexander the Great was followed by violent clashes between his heirs over the redistribution of spheres of influence on the territory of his vast empire. Macedonia in this redistribution was a bone of contention. One of Alexander's heirs, Cassander, in 316 BC. e. founded the city of Thessaloniki, named after his half-sister Alexander. The new city grew into the most significant city in Macedonia. Another Macedonian ruler, Ptolemy Keravnos (Lightning), fell in battle with the Galatians when these Celtic tribes, coming from Central Europe, invaded Greece and sacked Macedonia. They were eventually driven out by the southern Greeks at Delphi and Thermopylae, and were subsequently defeated by Antigonos Gonatas in 276 BC. e. An interesting ruler of Macedonia was Philip 5th, the grandson of Antigonus Gonatas, whose reign began in 221 BC. e. Despite his chaste domestic policies, he failed to respond to the imperialist onslaught of Rome and unite the Greeks in the fight against it. At the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC. e. The Macedonian phalanx of the last ruler of the Macedonians, Perseus, was defeated by the legions of Aemilius Paulus. Many trophies and objects of art were transported to Rome. 20 years later, Macedonia became a Roman province, the first in the east under the name provincia Macedonia. In the image we see silver coins of 4 drachmas of Dmitry the Besieger, Philip V and Perseus.

Considering the language of the Macedonians, it should be said that it is certainly a Greek language, but it is worth paying attention to the following elements: a) those that confirm the Greek character of the language and b) those that indicate the specific dialect of the Greek language spoken by the Macedonians. It is well known that the ancient Greek language, to a certain extent just like modern Greek, consisted of various dialects, such as Attian, Doric, Ionic, etc. The question is what exactly was the place of the Macedonian dialect among other Greek dialects. In the image we see the dedication of King Kassandra to Zeus, found in the sacred city of the Macedonians, Dion. We read: “ "King of the Macedonians Cassander, son of Antipater, dedicated Commits to Olympian Zeus."

It should be noted how little Macedonian written evidence from the 5th century has survived. BC e. The nomadic lifestyle of the Macedonians, the struggle to expand their sphere of influence and protect their living space, as well as the conservatism of the institution of monarchy did not at all contribute to the spread of writing. Later, during the time of Philip and Alexander the Great, with the spread of the works of classical writers and philosophers, the Athenian dialect established itself in Macedonia, as well as in other Hellenistic provinces, as the most modern and perfect of the Greek dialects of that time. At the same time, early Macedonian inscriptions, which in recent years have increasingly been discovered by archaeologists, as well as words characteristic of the Macedonian dialect, which were preserved in the works of ancient writers, clearly indicate that, while remaining a Greek dialect, the Macedonian language had a number of distinctive features. For example, in the illustration we see a memorial slab from Dion, dating back to the 5th century. BC e., with the inscription “Theotimos Parmenionos”, in honor of the late Theotimos, who was the son of Parmenion. "Parmenion" is a typical Macedonian name, certainly Greek, but never found in the Attic-Ionian dialect.

An excellent tombstone was found at Pella with the image of a young youth and the name of the deceased: “Xanthos, son of Demetrius and Amadiki.” All names are Greek, but the female name "Amadike" ends in the letter "a", like many other female names common in Macedonia (Andromache, Nicomache, Sostrata, Veronica, Aristippe, Cleopatra, etc.). In the Attic-Ionian dialect, female names end in "i".

A typical example is the famous memorial inscription found in Eges, with the name of the mother of Philip II and the grandmother of Alexander the Great "Eurydice Syra Euclia", i.e. Eurydice, daughter of Syra, who dedicated herself to Euclia. Euclia was a goddess revered throughout Greece and worshiped in the markets of Greek cities. In the following illustration you see an inscription on an amphora from Edessa, dating back to the 4th century. BC e.: "Ippomachos". This is a common Macedonian male name ending in "as", characteristic of the Doric dialect, as well as Macedonian names (Filotas, Kerdimmas, Nikagas and many others).

And in this picture you can see two similar memorial slabs from Eges from the mid-4th century. BC e. On the first of them are written the names of two brothers “Xenokratis” and “Drikalos”, sons of Pierion, and on the second the name “Arpalos”. The names Drikalos (from the words ξύλο - tree and δρύς - oak), and Pierion are typically Greek names, which, however, are not found in other Greek dialects, which means that the Macedonians did not borrow them from other Greeks. The same can be said about the names Alketas, Amyndas, Ptolemy, Antipatros, Perdikkas, Kratevas, Laandros, etc.

The inscription on a marble slab shown on this slide was found in the ancient city of Kalidonia in the vicinity of modern Thessaloniki. It lists the names of the priests of Apollo and Asclepius since the restoration of the city under Alexander the Great. All the names of the Macedonian priests are Greek, as you can see on the left side of the list, for example: Antigonus, Amerias, Nikanor, Arpalos. It is significant that all Macedonian names are Greek, and many of them are characteristic of the dialect, that is, they are found exclusively or mainly in the Macedonian dialect.

All the names of the months are Greek (Dios, Apelleos, Peritios, Avneos, Xandikos, Artemisios, etc.). Since the common names of the months indicate belonging to the same tradition, we can conclude that the Macedonians of the pre-classical period adhered to Greek traditions.

Macedonian place names are also Greek, starting from the time of the settlement of Macedonia - Aliakmon, Livitra, Aegea, Elikon, Levea, as well as later names - Pela, Argos, Heraklion, Eani, Europos, etc. The inscription that you now see was found in Chalkidiki in the second half of the 4th century. BC e., when Macedonian colonization reached its peak. The same can be said about place names in the area of ​​Cholomond, where we can find the Manis River, Mount Ermeon, as well as place names such as Eptadrion, Levki Petra, etc., which are clearly of Greek origin. The second inscription you see on the right is the decree of Alexander the Great, which outlines the boundaries of the Macedonian polis of Philippi.

Macedonian scribe of the 3rd century. BC e. Amerias, Marcias and the Alexandrian lexicographer Isychios, who lived in the 5th century. n. uh, used some words from the everyday speech of the Macedonians. This inscription once again confirms the Greek character of the Macedonian dialect: the etymology of the words is Greek, accents, declensions and endings correspond to the main characteristics of the Greek language. For example, the word αγκαλίς (hug, armful) = δρεπάνι (braid, sickle), κύπελλον (bowl) = ξύλινη κούπα (wooden vessel), etc.

In a passage that has come down to us from the ancient Attic comedy of the 5th century. BC e. entitled “The Macedonian,” by the Athenian poet Strattidos, depicts a Macedonian speaking Greek in his dialect, Macedonian. To the specific question of the Athenian about what a sephyrene (barracuda) is, the Macedonian answers, “κέστραν μεν ύμμες, ωττικοί, κεκλίσκετε.” That is, the Athenians called the same fish “kestra,” and the Macedonians called it “sphyrena.”

It should also be noted that dictionary compilers and scribes of the Roman and Byzantine eras use examples from the Macedonian dialect to explain the originality of the Homeric poems, from which it can be concluded that the Macedonian dialect was one of the oldest Greek dialects, with such features that in the process of evolution languages ​​disappeared from other Greek dialects. In addition, the close associates of the Macedonian king, who made up the cavalry of the Macedonian army, were called “εταίροι” (“members of society”, modern “partners”). We know this word from Homer's poems. A typical example is also the Macedonian word “κόρα” (daughter), which has an analogue found in the Mycenaean dialect (κόρη) of the so-called “second script” - the ancient form of writing the Greek language.

In addition, according to the books of Plutarch, Alexander the Great, who wanted the inscriptions in foreign languages ​​to be understood by his soldiers, ordered them to be translated into Greek. An order was also given to teach Greek to the 30 thousand Persians conscripted into his army. In addition, according to the books of Plutarch, Alexander the Great, who wanted the inscriptions in foreign languages ​​to be understood by his soldiers, ordered them to be translated into Greek. An order was also given to teach Greek to the 30 thousand Persians conscripted into his army. As for those few words from the Macedonian lexicon that surprise us with their originality, these words either fully correspond to Greek dialectology, or could have been borrowed from the population that, due to conquest or border location, underwent linguistic assimilation, which is a natural result of communication between different peoples.

The katadesmos (spell) that you now see on the slide was found on a tombstone in Pella and dates back to the mid-4th century. BC e. Katadesmos is a text of magical content that was used by ordinary people to fulfill their specific wishes. In one of the katadesmos, a Macedonian woman tries to prevent her lover Dionysophon from marrying Thetim. The Katadesmos, engraved on the molybdenum slab you see above, has been studied in detail by leading Greek and foreign scientists (You can see its line-by-line analysis below). According to their conclusions, katadesmos reflects the features of the Macedonian dialect, which are characteristic primarily of the Northern Greek dialects and, to a lesser extent, of the Thessalian and Aeolian dialects. This is confirmed by the presence of words such as οπόκα, διελέξαιμι, δαπινά, δαίμοσι, etc. The words used in the text confirm that the katadesmos was written by a native inhabitant of Macedonia, and not by someone who came from Epirus or Thessaly. It is significant that the language of the ancient Macedonians was a separate and certainly Greek dialect in origin, which had a number of distinctive and a number of common features with neighboring Greek dialects. This is confirmed by the ancient writer Titus Livy, who testified that the Macedonians, Aetolians and Acarnanians spoke the same dialect, and by Strabo, who came to a similar conclusion about the existence of a dialect of the Macedonians and Ipirots.

The beliefs of the Macedonians also show that the Macedonians worshiped the same gods as the rest of the Greeks. The most revered of the pantheon of gods among the Macedonians were Zeus, Dionysus, Asclepius, Hercules, Dimeter, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite and the female deity, the Mother of the gods, who is sometimes identified with the previous ones. The sacred place of the Mother of the Gods was located in Vergina. Now let's say a few words about Dion, the ancient city of the Macedonians, dedicated to Zeus. According to one papyrus found in Oxiringe (an Egyptian city near Memphis), Dione was the site of one of the three main altars in Greece, erected in honor of Zeus by the mythical hero Deucalion, who, at the behest of Zeus, built the ark and escaped the flood. In the first picture you see a majestic image of snow-capped Olympus and Dion, and on the right is an aerial panorama of the excavations at Dion.

In Dion, in addition to Zeus, Dimeter was also worshiped, as evidenced by the oldest sanctuary in Macedonia discovered here, dedicated to this goddess. In this image you see the sanctuary as it was from the 6th to the end of the 4th centuries. BC e.

And here is shown the later appearance of the sanctuary, supplemented by two temple buildings in the Doric style.

In Dion, two sanctuaries dedicated to Zeus, dating from the Hellenistic period, have survived to this day. In one of them there was a temple with an altar, a statue of a goddess on a throne, and inscriptions in which he was mentioned as “Zeus the Almighty.” The following picture shows a reconstruction of the city of Dion, which was destroyed twice, the first time by the Aetolians in 169 BC. e., and the second time - by the Ostrogoths in the 4th century. n. e. Let's pay attention to the city walls that King Cassander built, the stadium where the Olympic Games were held, athletic competitions in honor of Zeus, the Hellenistic theater and other buildings that were discovered during excavations.

Dion is a place that never ceases to delight us with new discoveries: on this slide you see two marble sculptures at the moment of their discovery, and on the right - hydraulics - an extraordinary ancient musical instrument that was invented by the engineer Ctisivius from Alexandria in the 3rd century. BC e. Hydrauli, found in Dion, dates back to the 1st century. BC e. and is the oldest specimen that has been found. We are talking about a complex organ, with 43 bronze pipes 1.20 m wide, built on the principle of squeezing out air using water pressure. This musical instrument was widespread in Byzantine times and became the prototype of the organ used in Catholic churches.

The veneration of Dionysus was widespread in Macedonia, both among the Macedonians themselves and in the Greek settlements located to the south. Not far from the city of Derveni (in the Thessaloniki region), in a necropolis adjacent to the ancient Macedonian city of Lythi, a famous krater (wine vessel) dating back to 330 BC was found. e. Wine, or rather a mixture of wine and water, was placed in the craters. In the center of the crater you see an erotic image of Dionysus and Ariadne, on the right and left - satyrs and bacchantes dancing in ecstasy. And above, one of the satyrs stretches out his hands to the exhausted bacchante.

From the "Prince's Tomb" at Aegon comes this beautiful miniature on ivory depicting a goat-footed Pan playing the pipe to an intoxicated Dionysus, who holds a thyrsus in his hands and leans on a Maenad. Below we see part of an ivory frieze from Philip's burial bed depicting Dionysus and Silinus.

In the image on the left we see a relief depicting Silinus from the walls of ancient Thassos, late 6th century BC. e. Silin is holding a kantar, a special vessel for drinking wine. On the right we see a fresco depicting a drunken Silinus with a horn in his hand from Potidaea of ​​the 4th century BC. e.

Diodorus Siculus mentions that Alexander the Great built a temple to Athena in the Macedonian city of Kirro, near modern Giannitsa. In the image we see a figurine of Athena with a helmet from Pella, 3rd century BC. e.

The Macedonian pantheon could not do without the goddess of love. In the image we see two statues of Aphrodite from Veria, which date back to the end of the 4th century BC. e. On the right is bronze, and on the left is made of stone, Aphrodite and little Eros.

And here is the adorable sleeping little Eros from Pella’s cemetery.

Aphrodite, found in a burial from the beginning of the 2nd century BC, is also refined and beautiful. e. in Thessaloniki.

As already mentioned, the veneration of Hercules played an important role for the royal house of Argos. In the image we see a gold decoration with the image of the head of Hercules from Derveni (c. 320 BC), and then a 4 drachma coin of Alexander the Great with a characteristic image of a lion’s head.

And here we see the famous chain, the Hercules knot, a golden decoration with symbolic meaning from the grave in Sedes.

We have already seen examples of famous Macedonian metalworking and jewelry making. Here we see a golden crown from a women's burial in front of Philip's grave. This is probably the most valuable antique jewelry that has come down to us.

And here are the small details of the crown. All kinds of shoots and flowers, bees, leaves, spiral curls, a tiny bird and blue smalt create a unique artistic composition.

In the already mentioned tomb of Philip, this golden precious gorgoneion, an ornament of ceremonial armor, was found...

...this is a silver sieve with the name of the creator - Mahatas - engraved on its underside...

...this bronze lamp (lantern) with the mask of Pan...

...this silver cupbearer with the image of the head of Silinus on the right and part of the image of the head of Hercules from a silver amphora on the right.

From a burial site in Dervenia come these gold earrings, magnificent work by a goldsmith from the 4th century BC. uh...

...and this golden wreath with myrtle leaves. It is worth noting that gold wreaths are constantly found in Macedonia. Recently another one was found in Aegon, in the sanctuary of Euclia. On the right we see an image of one of the eight golden wreaths found last year in Thessaloniki during excavations during the construction of the city's metro.

In the field of winemaking, Macedonians are original. On the left we see a Hellenistic skyphos depicting a satyr from Petra in western Macedonia, and on the right a silver calico from Vergina.

It is characteristic that on silver kaliki from Macedonia the faces of drunken satyrs are skillfully depicted, as we see on the left - from Vergina, or the more noble faces of satyrs and maenads, as here on the right - from Dion. The images of drunken faces were a constant reminder of the consequences of drunkenness for the drinker every time he raised the pot to his lips.

The Macedonians also stand out in sculpture. Here we see a sculpture of a young man from Kilkis, from the ancient Macedonian city of Europos. And this is a sculpture by a local master with Ionic features.

From a burial in Pindus, which was the largest port of the Macedonian kingdom, comes this emotional image of a mother and children...

From a burial in Eoni, the largest city in Western Macedonia, comes this tombstone, where the deceased Macedonian, wearing a helmet on his head and a mantle, sits, saying goodbye to his family.

From Pella comes this tombstone of a Macedonian warrior and a statue of a horseman...

From Vergina - this relief tombstone of a warrior - with characteristic Macedonian attire. All of them date from the 5th to the 4th century BC. e.

It is known that the art of decorating large surfaces, be it painting or mosaics, especially flourished in Macedonia. The most beautiful mosaics were found in Pella, we can see them in the image. Pella has retained its unique urban planning system intact, with a huge square, a wall encircling the city, impressive private houses and an acropolis with the largest palace in ancient Greece, a two-story building stretching over 70 thousand square kilometers, with dining and banqueting halls, palaestra and side entrances. Alexander the Great was born and raised here. A sanctuary of Dimeter, the Mother of the gods and Aphrodite, was also found in Pella.

In the luxurious private homes set around the courtyards shown in this image, you can see mosaic images on the men's quarters of the houses and on the walls of public buildings. The mosaic technique common at Pella is much more developed than at Olynthos. It is characterized by a braid made of gilded clay or lead pieces, which creates a clearer and more detailed image.

And here, as an example, is a mosaic depicting Dionysus seated on a panther with a thyrsus (wooden staff) in his hand.

And this is a mosaic of a deer hunt, showing the tension of moving figures, signed by the artist Gnosis Episen.

And here you see a mosaic dedicated to the abduction of Helen by Theseus.

... and the famous mosaic depicting a lion hunt. All mosaics date from the end of the 4th century. BC e.

Also very interesting are the works of fine art that are often found in Macedonian tombs. We have already seen one when we talked about excavations in Philippi. To date, about 50 Macedonian tombs are known; their geographical location is shown on the map.

The oldest Macedonian tomb was found in Eges, dating to c. 340 BC e. The so-called “Tomb of Eurydice” is notable primarily for this marble throne, two meters high, on the back of which we see gilded relief images of fish, sphinxes, little girls, etc.

And here is shown a fragment of the relief decorating the throne, on which you see Pluto and Persephone, the rulers of the underworld. The image was made using the burning method and amazes with its vibrant colors.

The excavation photograph on the right shows the already mentioned “Prince’s Tomb” at Egon. It shows a split marble door, colorful precious vessels and, in the center of the image, a stone altar with funerary urns and golden wreaths (you see them on the right), many of which are now on display in the museum. Perhaps these vessels contained the remains of young Alexander, the son of Alexander the Great, who was killed by Cassander.

This frieze depicting a chariot race was discovered on the walls of the tomb, which is distinguished by a convincing and realistic depiction of the dynamics of the plot.

Also very impressive is the composition conveying movement found in the so-called “tomb of Persephone” in Vergina. It is unique in how believably the artist managed to capture the speed and impetuosity of the moment of Persephone’s abduction by Pluto, the gesture of despair of Persephone and her friend the goddess Kiani.

In the vast necropolis of Vergina, next to the funeral throne, a Macedonian tomb dating back to the 3rd century was also found. BC e. It is notable for the image of the fallen warrior, which you see in the center, who is fully armed by the god of war Ares (left), and a woman laying a wreath in memory of the deceased (right).

In this plan you see an impressive tomb, more than 8 meters high, found in Lefkadia in the Naoussa region (3rd century BC). The four pictures on the left show the deceased who undertook a great journey with his guide, the god Mercury. He is surrounded by the judges of the underworld Eak and Radomon. On top of the 11 metopes are scenes from the Centauromachy. And even higher is a relief depicting a battle between cavalry and infantry.

And these dynamic images praising Macedonian weapons and created in the 2nd century BC. BC, were found in the tombs of Lyson and Callicles

Finally, in the so-called “tomb of the philosophers at Pella,” this seated philosopher was discovered, who symbolically salutes the spiritual greatness of the Macedonian kings of the 3rd century. BC e.

Concluding our conversation, let us once again emphasize that Macedonia has always been a part of Greece, as opposed to those whom the Greeks called barbarians, as evidenced by the archaeological antiquities you saw. Various Greek traditions and testimonies about Alexander the Great, sources from the medieval period and centuries of Ottoman rule shed light on the reign of this great commander, who, according to recent opinion polls, is still the most significant person in the history of the country. But the Macedonian land still contains many discoveries that are so important for Greek culture and historical heritage. Thank you for your attention.

Kuyumdzoglou Dimitris

Archaeologist-philologist

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Πρόσθετη Βιβλιογραφία

C. Brixhe, Un “nouveau” champ de la dialectologie grecque: le macedonien,στο ΚΑΤΑ ΔΙΑΛΕΚΤΟΝ, Atti del III Colloquio Internazionale di Dialettologia Greca, A. I.O. N. 19, 1997.

Hoffmann O., Die Makedonen. Ihre Sprache und ihr Volkstum (Gottingen 1906).

Marie Manuela, Al di la dell’ Olimpo: Macedoni e grandi santuari della Grecia dell’eta arcaica al primo ellenismo (ΜΕΛΕΤΗΜΑΤΑ 34. Αθήνα 2002).

N. G. L. Hammond, The Macedonian state: Origins, Institutions and History, Oxford, 1989.

Trumpy Catherine, Untersuchungen zu den altgriechischen Monatsnamen und Monatsfolgen, Hiedelberg, 1997 .

- Η γλώσσα της Μακεδονίας. Η αρχαία μακεδονική και η ψευδεπίγραφη γλώσσα των Σκοπίων, επιμέλεια Γ. Μπαμπινιώτη, Αθήνα 1992, όπου και μελέτες των Γ. Χατζιδάκι, M. Σακελλαρίου κ.α.

- Καλλέρης Ιωάννης, Les Anciens Macedoniens. Etude linguistique et historique,Αθήνα 1954.

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Στο διαδίκτυο (internet):

· Μήττα Δήμητρα, Μακεδονία εν μύθοις φθεγγομένη, http://www. komvos. edu. gr/mythology/

· O' Neil James. L., University of Sydney, Doric Forms in Macedonian Inscriptions, http:///wordpress/category/language (English)

· http://www. Macedonian-heritage. gr/ (English)

· www. culture. gr (Greek – English)