Macedonian Symbols

[Ptolemy]

[paniskos]

in the macedonia highlands under the hellenic sky

[Amyntas]

i think the goat is the earlier symbol. Some historians (Malcolm Errington for example) believe that Aigai's name (today Vergina) derives from the greek word for goat ("áßãá" in modern greek)

[Ptolemy]

Originally Posted by paniskos

in earlier times there are other symbols than the 8 and 16 ray sun as well like the goat (see Aigai the capital before Pellas) and the lion



the goat head (on the right) just rocks



Alexander (the great one) himself seemed to be very fond of the horns as well (an ancient symbol of fertile and plenitude which btw is part of the goat head)

...I wonder if the sun is earlier than the goat....i d say the goat should be earlier since Karanos was lead to Aigai by a herd of goats sent by Zeus but on the other hand the other legend of the Temenidai establishing the MAcedon kingdom favors the choice of the sun...

Actually the two goat horned helmet was the characteristical symbol of Macedonian kings, with its most famous owner, being Alexander the Great.
Even Pyrrhus who admired Alexander and became for a while King of Macedon wore the distictive headdress. If you are aware of the event, when Philip V of Macedonia was slained, he was recognised by his distinctive two horned helmet from Aetolians.

Another unique symbol of Macedonian Kings is Kausia 'Diadematophoros'. This is shown in some coins of Philip II, from Amphipolis dating to 323-316 BC and noone except the king was allowed to wear it. A classic example is the one of Arrian [An. 7.22.4] where a sailor during his attempt to retrieve it, wore the royal kausia and was punished from Alexander and in the aftermath of Pyrrhus' death, Antigonos Gonatas honoured the dead Pyrrhus by covering his head with his own kausia.

[paniskos]

in the macedonia highlands under the hellenic sky

[Ptolemy]

Originally Posted by paniskos

Well all the Macedonian symbols are symbols of the royal house and the kings of Macedon as well including the sun with the rays

ptolemy do u happen to have any other example with mac kings, predating Alexander, wearing the horns...just out of curiosity
I mean the first macedonian king who shows up with the horns everywhere is Alexander himself (everyone of the Greek lads have seen it at least once even from just having a close look at the old 100 drachmas coin)
btw just recalled that I had come across an info once about the very early Macedonian leaders (none of the historical ones) wearing a goat skin for headcover (one can guess with the horns still attached)

if we consider that Karanos who established Aigai city and is related with the goats, means "leaders" then the whole thing makes sense I guess

I wouldnt say the sunburst is symbol of the macedonian royal house with certainty. This claim presupposes its use to be restricted only to Macedonian kings/royal family. However the available archaeological evidence shows it was a national symbol, especially during Hellenistic ages. It was certainly found in the royal tombs but has also been found in quite a number of other Macedonian tombs, so it seems to have been popular throughout ancient Macedonia. The tomb of Lyson and Kallikles isnt royal but the sunburst exists in wall-painting. It appears also in the Kinch tomb but oddly borne by the enemy.

I cant say for sure either for a Macedonian king before Alexander to wear the horned helmet. I have read somewhere about Perdiccas, the king of Macedon and brother of Philip to wear it in the battle against Bardylis where he was killed along with 4,000 Macedonians but i havent found any literary evidence to verify it. It shouldnt surprise me even if sometime we would find evidence that the early kings, far back as Perdiccas I, the alledged founder of the dynasty wore it. Even in Troyan war, kings like Agamemnon are attested to wear a helmet with two horns. (Iliad 11.41)

[Ptolemy]

Nymfaio Florina


Oikia Papatheodorou


Archontiko Hatzimihali-Kanatzouli


Archontiko Hatzimihali-Kanatzouli


Eratyra Kozani


Naos Agiou Georgiou Kozani


Oikia Nerantzopoulou Siatista


Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης

[akritas]

As I have already quoted Vergina Sun was in usage and from other Greek tribes like the Spartans and Athenians.

Americans in Nashville, Tennessee, build in 1897 a full-scale replica of Parthenon.






Look the below picture from the inner side ?






Americans knew since 19th century!!!!!

[Ptolemy]

One Skopjan idiot claimed elsewhere that the 16-rayed star had been found on tombs in Fyrom and gave me a link of their crap site

historyofmacedonia.org Macedoniansymbols MacedonianSun.html

Geez, these lobotomized morons use photos from symbols found in Vergina and the so-called tomb of FYROM is actually...the tomb of Lysson and Calicles in Greece.

The religious icons are pure crap. I have bought a religious icon myself one year and had the same symbol. Meteora is full of them and so is Patmos.

[Cadmus]

Hi!

Seeing the goat symbols it reminded me of a topic about the cult of the goat a mysterious cult even outdating the Dionysus one (with the Dionysus cult) having its cult of course pre dating the real Dionysus, since he was one of the newer gods) it seems to have ancient Thracian roots...

But this cult of the horned goat that's what its called seemed to have ancient Pelasgian roots, (Epirus area...)it seemed to be at least as old as the Dodona oak and myth...anyone more info on this horned goat cult?