Paprika
Jackass of the Week
7. Slavs invaded the whole of the Balkans in the 6th century, including Macedonia and the whole of Greece, all the way down to the Peloponnesus. Byzantine historians clearly mentioned that the Macedonians did not disappear with the Slavic invasion but continued to exist. In the 10th century Salonica is described as the "largest city of the Macedonians" and to subdue the independent Slavic tribes in the Peloponnesus in Greece, the Byzantine emperors who were ethnic Macedonians, belonging to the Macedonian Dynasty, had to sent "Macedonians and Thracians" against them. Thus the Macedonians and Slavs have been living side by side ever since the 6th century. Over a period of centuries these Slavic people mixed into the Macedonians in Macedonia, and with the Greeks in Greece, and laid the foundations for the modern Macedonian and Greek nations. Historical records continue to mention the Macedonians until the fall of the Byzantine Empire. It must be stressed that there is NO record of invasion of Greeks into Macedonia.
8. Ottoman Turks conquered the Balkans in the 14th century, including Greece and Macedonia. With the help of the western powers, the Greeks freed themselves in the 1820's, but the Macedonians failed to gain freedom with their rebellions in 1870's and in 1903.
9. Independent European and Balkan statistics (except exaggerated Greek sources) from the late 19th and early 20th century show that the Greeks were a small minority of only 10%, living in the most southern parts of Macedonia, bordering Greece.
10. In 1913 Greece and her allies Serbia and Bulgaria, with the help of more then 100,000 Macedonians who fought along these three armies, finally drove the Turks out of Macedonia, but Macedonia did not gain its freedom. Instead, the three Balkan countries partitioned Macedonia among themselves and Greece occupied the largest part, 51% of the whole territory, called Aegean Macedonia.
11. Even Greeks sources, including the king of Greece himself in 1912, confirm that when the Greek armies occupied Aegean Macedonia the overwhelming majority of the population were NOT Greeks, confirming the fact that the Greeks never lived in Macedonia since the most ancient times (Nikolaides, Spiros Melas Epopee).
12. But since 1913 Greece begun aggressive assimilatory policies against the Macedonians, by changing their family names to Greek names, renaming the cities, rivers, and mountains with Greek names, and forbidding the speaking of the Macedonian language.
13. In the mid 1920's Greeks from Asia Minor begun migrating into Aegean Macedonia for a first time ever the Macedonians found themselves among strangers in their native land. These new Greek settlers from Pontus in northern Turkey most vigorously attacked everything that represents Macedonian nationality and consciousness. In the 1930's the Macedonians were forced to drink castor oil for speaking Macedonian and had to pay financial penalty for every spoken word of Macedonian.
14. In 1991 the Republic of Macedonia, located north of Aegean Macedonia in Greece, became an independent country. The Republic of Macedonia was the part of Macedonia that Serbia occupied with the partition of 1913. In 1945 the Macedonians of the Republic drove away the fascist Albanian, Bulgarian, and German occupation forces and voted to join new federal Yugoslavia because it respected the Macedonian nationality. With the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1990-1991, the Macedonians voted independence in a referendum.
15. Afraid that now one part of Macedonia is independent, the Greeks launched a world-wide propaganda against the Macedonians claiming that "Macedonia has been Greek for 4000 years" (sometimes they say 3000 years, 2500, etc. It varies.). It is a ironic twist of events since the ancient Macedonians committed a real genocide against the ancient Greeks, the ancestors of today's Greeks. All despite the fact the Macedonians in Greece are oppressed in Greece, and despite the fact that the Greeks moved into Aegean Macedonia only 75 years ago.
16. While the Greeks only recently begun to launch the amazing claim that "they" are descendents of the ancient Macedonians (the people who murdered their own ancestors), it should be stressed that at least since the 18th century (DeTott) and including the 19th and 20th century, there are written records which show that the Macedonians claimed direct descendent from the ancient Macedonians in their struggle to free Macedonia from the Turks. That is centuries before Greece occupied Aegean Macedonia with its army and launched its falsifying propaganda.
17. Today, as entered the 21st century, the Macedonians of Greece continue to be harassed and discriminated by the Greek government, a century since Greece occupied Aegean Macedonia. The Macedonian language is still not recognized, the Macedonian nationality is still denied, and the Macedonians are still forced to have Greek family names since Greece still considers the Macedonian names illegal. Human Rights Watch (Denying Ethnic Identity - Macedonians of Greece), Amnesty International, the European Community, and most recently the United Nations as well, have the Greek oppression of the Macedonians well documented, found Greece guilty, and demanded that it recognize the Macedonian language and nation and end the oppression. The Macedonians continue to exist in Greece as majority in the northern half of Aegean Macedonia and as minority in the southern half, and peacefully continue to demand their human rights. Will Greece ever became a democracy?
18. The Greeks and the Macedonians greatly defer in physical appearance. The Greeks have typically darker tan then the Macedonians who are fair skinned. Historian Arthur Waigell have stated that the same difference in complexion existed between the ancient Greeks and Macedonians. The ancient Greek historian Plutarch wrote that Alexander the Great had a fair complexion, criticizing a certain ancient Greek sculptor who had given him a darker tan.
19. The fact that both the Greeks and Macedonians have kept their ancient names is proof that both have been aware of, and preserved their lineage since most ancient times.
20. Finally the latest scientific genetic research conducted by the University in Madrid, Spain concluded that the Macedonians are direct descendents of the ancient Macedonians, while the Greeks are unrelated to European origins and to the "older" Mediterranean substratum to which Macedonians belong to.
8. Ottoman Turks conquered the Balkans in the 14th century, including Greece and Macedonia. With the help of the western powers, the Greeks freed themselves in the 1820's, but the Macedonians failed to gain freedom with their rebellions in 1870's and in 1903.
9. Independent European and Balkan statistics (except exaggerated Greek sources) from the late 19th and early 20th century show that the Greeks were a small minority of only 10%, living in the most southern parts of Macedonia, bordering Greece.
10. In 1913 Greece and her allies Serbia and Bulgaria, with the help of more then 100,000 Macedonians who fought along these three armies, finally drove the Turks out of Macedonia, but Macedonia did not gain its freedom. Instead, the three Balkan countries partitioned Macedonia among themselves and Greece occupied the largest part, 51% of the whole territory, called Aegean Macedonia.
11. Even Greeks sources, including the king of Greece himself in 1912, confirm that when the Greek armies occupied Aegean Macedonia the overwhelming majority of the population were NOT Greeks, confirming the fact that the Greeks never lived in Macedonia since the most ancient times (Nikolaides, Spiros Melas Epopee).
12. But since 1913 Greece begun aggressive assimilatory policies against the Macedonians, by changing their family names to Greek names, renaming the cities, rivers, and mountains with Greek names, and forbidding the speaking of the Macedonian language.
13. In the mid 1920's Greeks from Asia Minor begun migrating into Aegean Macedonia for a first time ever the Macedonians found themselves among strangers in their native land. These new Greek settlers from Pontus in northern Turkey most vigorously attacked everything that represents Macedonian nationality and consciousness. In the 1930's the Macedonians were forced to drink castor oil for speaking Macedonian and had to pay financial penalty for every spoken word of Macedonian.
14. In 1991 the Republic of Macedonia, located north of Aegean Macedonia in Greece, became an independent country. The Republic of Macedonia was the part of Macedonia that Serbia occupied with the partition of 1913. In 1945 the Macedonians of the Republic drove away the fascist Albanian, Bulgarian, and German occupation forces and voted to join new federal Yugoslavia because it respected the Macedonian nationality. With the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1990-1991, the Macedonians voted independence in a referendum.
15. Afraid that now one part of Macedonia is independent, the Greeks launched a world-wide propaganda against the Macedonians claiming that "Macedonia has been Greek for 4000 years" (sometimes they say 3000 years, 2500, etc. It varies.). It is a ironic twist of events since the ancient Macedonians committed a real genocide against the ancient Greeks, the ancestors of today's Greeks. All despite the fact the Macedonians in Greece are oppressed in Greece, and despite the fact that the Greeks moved into Aegean Macedonia only 75 years ago.
16. While the Greeks only recently begun to launch the amazing claim that "they" are descendents of the ancient Macedonians (the people who murdered their own ancestors), it should be stressed that at least since the 18th century (DeTott) and including the 19th and 20th century, there are written records which show that the Macedonians claimed direct descendent from the ancient Macedonians in their struggle to free Macedonia from the Turks. That is centuries before Greece occupied Aegean Macedonia with its army and launched its falsifying propaganda.
17. Today, as entered the 21st century, the Macedonians of Greece continue to be harassed and discriminated by the Greek government, a century since Greece occupied Aegean Macedonia. The Macedonian language is still not recognized, the Macedonian nationality is still denied, and the Macedonians are still forced to have Greek family names since Greece still considers the Macedonian names illegal. Human Rights Watch (Denying Ethnic Identity - Macedonians of Greece), Amnesty International, the European Community, and most recently the United Nations as well, have the Greek oppression of the Macedonians well documented, found Greece guilty, and demanded that it recognize the Macedonian language and nation and end the oppression. The Macedonians continue to exist in Greece as majority in the northern half of Aegean Macedonia and as minority in the southern half, and peacefully continue to demand their human rights. Will Greece ever became a democracy?
18. The Greeks and the Macedonians greatly defer in physical appearance. The Greeks have typically darker tan then the Macedonians who are fair skinned. Historian Arthur Waigell have stated that the same difference in complexion existed between the ancient Greeks and Macedonians. The ancient Greek historian Plutarch wrote that Alexander the Great had a fair complexion, criticizing a certain ancient Greek sculptor who had given him a darker tan.
19. The fact that both the Greeks and Macedonians have kept their ancient names is proof that both have been aware of, and preserved their lineage since most ancient times.
20. Finally the latest scientific genetic research conducted by the University in Madrid, Spain concluded that the Macedonians are direct descendents of the ancient Macedonians, while the Greeks are unrelated to European origins and to the "older" Mediterranean substratum to which Macedonians belong to.