Ancient/ non-modern historians on Ancient Macedonia and Macedonians

[admin]

Great stuff here

[Ptolemy]

12 Egypt is now a Province; and it not only pays considerable tribute, but also is governed by prudent men81 — the praefects who are sent there from time to time. Now he who is sent has the rank of the king; and subordinate to him is the administrator of justice,82 who has supreme authority over most of the law-suits; and another is the official called Idiologus,83 who inquires into all properties that are without owners and that ought to fall to Caesar; and these are attended by freedmen of Caesar, as also by stewards, who are entrusted with affairs of more or less importance. There are also three legions of soldiers, one of which is stationed in the city and the others in the country; and apart from these there are nine Roman cohorts, three in the city, three on the borders of Aethiopia in Syenκ, as a guard for that region, and three in the rest of the country. And there are also three bodies of cavalry, which likewise are assigned to the various critical points. Of the native officials in the city, one is the Interpreter,84 who is clad in purple, has hereditary prerogatives, and has charge of the interests of the city; and another the Recorder;85 and another the Chief Judge;86 and the fourth the Night Commander.87 Now these officers existed also in the time of the kings, but, since the kings were carrying on a bad government, the prosperity of the cities was also vanishing on account of the prevailing lawlessness. At any rate, Polybius, who had visited the city, is disgusted with the state of p51things then existing; and he says that three classes inhabited the city: first, the Aegyptian or native stock of people, who were quick-tempered and not88 inclined to strife; and, secondly, the mercenary class, who were severe and numerous and intractable (for by an ancient custom they would maintain foreign men-at‑arms, who had been trained to rule rather than to be ruled, on account of the worthlessness of the kings); and, third, the tribe of the Alexandrians, who also were not distinctly inclined to civil life, and for the same reasons, but still they were better than those others,89 for even though they were a mixed people, still they were Greeks by ORIGIN and mindful of the customs common to the Greeks. But after this mass of people had also been blotted out, chiefly by Euergetes Physcon, in whose time Polybius went to Alexandria (for, being opposed by factions, Physcon more often sent the masses against the soldiers and thus caused their destruction) — such being the state of affairs in the city, Polybius says, in very truth there remained for one, in the words of the poet, merely "to go to Aegypt, a long and painful journey."90

Strabo Book XVII, 12

[Ptolemy]

The Khians were the first of the Hellenes to employ slaves after the Thessalians and the Lakedaimonians, but they did not acquire them in the same way. For it will become clear that the Lakedaimonians and the Thessalians recruited their slave labour force from the Hellenes who were already occupying the land which they now possess , the Lakedaimonians from the Akhaians and the Thessalians from the Perrhaiboi and Magnesians, and they call those who have been enslaved helots and penestai respectively.

Theopompus of Chios, 17th book of his histories (115 FGrHm)

Every day passing the fairy tale skopjans are living into is fading. Theopompus makes it clear Magnesians the closest relatives of Macedonians were Hellenes, just like Macedonians.

[Ptolemy]

50. Darius ruled for six years. Alexander, conquering Illyricum and Thrace, from there took Jerusalem and, entering the Temple, burned sacrifices to God. The kingdom of the Persians still remained standing. From this point began the kings of the Greeks.

51. Alexander the Macedonian ruled for fifteen years. In his last five years, in the order of years by which they are numbered, he obtained the monarchy of Asia, having destroyed the kingdom of the Persians. His first seven years are thought to have been spent among the kings of the Persians. From this point begin the kings of Alexandria.

52. Ptolemy, son of Lagus, ruled for forty years. Having seized Judea, he moved many of the Hebrews into Egypt. In this time Zeno the Stoic, Menander the comic, and Theophrastus the philosopher excelled. At the same time the first book of the Maccabees was begun.

53. Ptolemy Philadelphus ruled for thirty-eight years. He released the Jews that were in Egypt and, restoring the holy vase to Eleazar the priest, he sought out seventy translators and translated the divine scriptures into Greek. At the same time Aratus was acknowledged as an astrologer and the silver coins of the Romans were minted for the first time.

54. Ptolemy Evergetes ruled for twenty-six years. Under him Jesus, the son of Sirach, composed the Book of Wisdom. (4,978)

55. Ptolemy Philopator ruled for twenty-seven years. The Jews were defeated by him in battle, 60,000 soldiers falling. At the same time the consul Marcellus conquered Sicily.

56. Ptolemy Epiphanes ruled for twenty-four years. In his time the events occurred which are contained in the story of the second book of the Maccabees. In this age the Romans ordered the vanquished Greeks to be freed, saying: "It is impious to enslave people from the place where philosophy, the master of morals and the inventor of liberal disciplines, first arose." At the same time Ennius was celebrated as the first distinguished Latin poet of Rome.

57. Ptolemy Philomater ruled for thirty-five years. Antiochus overcame him in battle and oppressed the Jews with various calamities. At the same time Scipio conquered Africa. Terence the comic excelled.

58. Ptolemy Evergetes ruled for twenty-nine years. At this time Spain was conquered by the Romans under the consul Brutus.

59. Ptolemy Soter ruled for seventeen years. Varro and Cicero were born. Thrace was subjected to the Romans.

60. Ptolemy Alexander ruled for ten years. Syria passed under the dominion of the Romans under the general Gabinus. Also the poet Lucretius was born, who later killed himself as a result of a lover's madness.

61. Ptolemy, son of Cleopatra, ruled for eight years. At the same time Plotius Gallus was the first to teach Latin rhetoric in Rome. At that time also Sallust the historian was born.

62. Ptolemy Dionysius ruled for thirty years. Pompey, having captured Jerusalem, made the Jews tributaries to the Romans. At the same time the philosopher Cato excelled. Virgil was born in Mantua, Horace in Venusia. At that time also Apollodorus, preceptor of the emperor, was regarded as illustrious and Cicero was celebrated with praise for his oratory.

63. Cleopatra ruled for two years. She was the daughter of Ptolemy (XI), king of the Egyptians, and sister and wife of her brother Ptolemy (XIII). Desiring to defraud him of the kingdom, in a time of civil war in Alexandria, she went to Caesar, who was besieging the city, and, using pretense and debasing herself, she begged, in the presence of Julius, for the death of Ptolemy and to have the kingdom for herself. The kingdom of Alexandria, in the third year of the reign of Cleopatra, passed under the dominion of the Romans under Julius Caesar.

Isidore of Seville, 'Chronicon'. English Translation

[Flipper]

Pausanias, A Description of Greece [1.37.5]

Of the tombs, the largest and most beautiful are that of a Rhodian who settled at Athens, and the one made by the Macedonian Harpalus, who ran away from Alexander and crossed with a fleet from Asia to Europe. On his arrival at Athens he was arrested by the citizens, but ran away after bribing among others the friends of Alexander. But before this he married Pythonice, whose family I do not know, but she was a courtesan at Athens and at Corinth. His love for her was so great that when she died he made her a tomb which is the most noteworthy of all the old Greek tombs.

[Flipper]

PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE, [1.9.8]

Besides, Lysimachus was surely aware that they were the ancestors not of Pyrrhus only but also of Alexander. In fact Alexander was an Epeirot and an Aeacid on his mother's side, and the subsequent alliance between Pyrrhus and Lysimachus proves that even as enemies they were not irreconcilable. Possibly Hieronymus had grievances against Lysimachus, especially his destroying the city of the Cardians and founding Lysimachea in its stead on the isthmus of the Thracian Chersonesus.

[10.19.7]

Ptolemy himself perished in the fighting, and the Macedonian losses were heavy. But once more the Celts lacked courage to advance against Greece, and so the second expedition returned home.

[Flipper]

Aristotle, Politics

Whereas the natives of Asia are intelligent and inventive, but they are wanting in spirit, and therefore they are always in a state of subjection and slavery. But
the Hellenic race, which is situated between them, is likewise intermediate in character, being high-spirited and also intelligent.

http://www.greektexts.com/library/Ar...rint/1571.html

[Flipper]

Lucian, writes about the dead dialogues of Alexander and Hannibal. Alexander says he is a better man and asks Minos to decide about that. Minos doesn't know none of the two men, but is willing to be a judge.

MINOS
Well, you shall each have your say in turn: the Libyan first.

In the speech of Hanibbal we read the following:

HANNIBAL

Fortunately for me, Minos, I have mastered Greek since I have been here (Hades);
.
.
.

Yet I was a barbarian all unskilled in Greek culture; I could not recite Homer, nor had I enjoyed the advantages of Aristotle's instruction; I had to make a shift with such qualities as were mine by nature
.
.
.
for Macedonians such things may have charms

Hannibal is trying to put a stop to any advantage that Alexander might use, especially in terms of Greek culture. He presents the dissadvantage that he (Hannibal) is a barbarian from Libya, contrary to Alexander, but since he went there (Hades) he had mastered his Greek. Greek culture, language and education is what Macedonians have charm to.


Alexander would then have to use his merrits as a millitary commander.

ALEXANDER
By the destruction of Thebes, I inspired the Greeks with such awe, that they appointed me their commander-in-chief.

Commander in chief of what? The Greek states and Kindoms ofcourse. Would he need to ask them? Ofcourse not, the Greeks had found their new leader.

[Truth Bearer]

The original quote by Titu Livius in original Latin clearly bombing the Skops
Bk 31 section 29

Aetolos Acarnanas Macedonas, eiusdem linguae homines, leues ad tempus ortae causae diiungunt coniunguntque: cum alienigenis, cum barbaris aeternum omnibus Graecis bellum est eritque; natura enim, quae perpetua est, non mutabilibus in diem causis hostes sunt. sed unde coepit oratio mea, ibi desinet.

http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/livy/liv.31.shtml

It's clear that he says same language.....

Trifling causes occasionally unite and disunite the Aetolians, Acarnanians, and Macedonians, men speaking the same language. With foreigners, with barbarians, all Greeks have, and ever will have, eternal war: because they are enemies by nature, which is always the same, and not from causes which change with the times.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12582...2582-h.htm#e29