Hello, you're listening to the Hellenistic Age podcast.

Since the early 19th century, the Greek peninsula and the Balkans states have been a hotbed of fervent nationalism.

The nature of Greek identity became a rallying cry against the ruling Ottoman Empire during the war of Greek independence in 1821,

and the gradual political fragmentation in the Balkans for

the next 150 years left the newly formed states desperate to establish some form of political

legitimacy.

In 1991, the Republic of Macedonia formally declared independence from Yugoslavia.

Despite recognition by the United Nations, an outraged Greece cried out of the historical

thievery and revisionism, claiming that Macedonians have always been considered Greek,

not like the Slavic migrants who entered into the Byzantine Empire some 1300 years prior.

Further gripes were voiced when the Republic incorporated Alexander as their representative

hero, appearing upon their money and even having an airport

named after him. Why is this background relevant? I feel the need to address the elephant in the

room, largely because this is a sore subject that, despite my relative obscurity, will inevitably

generate some mild controversy among the listeners. The nature of Macedonians and whether they've

been qualified as Greeks has

been in debate even since before Alexander's birth. So, I felt the need to clarify this

before I deliver my evidence and state my beliefs.

The earliest Greek source from Macedonian history comes from Herodotus, who relays a tale

of the brothers of the house of the Temenids, a lineage originally from

Argos who also claimed descent from the heroic demigod Heracles.

In the 7th or 6th century BC, one of the brothers, Perdicasse, manages to become involved

...