MACEDONIA

http://www.aee.gr/

(Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο της ιατρού Δάφνης Πουλιανού: " ΄Αρης Ν. Πουλιανός - Ανατροπές - Από τη ζωή και το έργο του" - 2006)

Σε αυτό το βιβλίο, για τους κατοίκους των Η.Π.Α. έχει γίνει κάθε φορά ειδική αναφορά, μια και οι πολίτες αυτής της Χώρας δεν διαθέτουν σαφές όνομα. Συχνά για παράδειγμα αναφέρεται λανθασμένα ο "Αμερικανός" Πρόεδρος, ενώ εννοείται ο Πρόεδρος των Η.Π.Α., μια και για όλη την ήπειρο τέτοιος θεσμός δεν υπάρχει. Αλλά και στην επιστήμη δημιουργείται πρόβλημα, όταν π.χ. αναφέρεται ο μέσος όρος ζωής στην Αμερική ή η συχνότητα εμφάνισης μιας νόσου, αν δηλαδή πρόκειται για τις Η.Π.Α. ή για ολόκληρη την ήπειρο.

Ήδη από το 1820 ο Κοραής είχε αντιληφθεί το ζήτημα και αναφέρει τους πολίτες των Η.Π.Α. ως «Αγγλοαμερικανούς». Στην περίπτωση αυτή όμως δημιουργείται άλλο πρόβλημα, εκείνο του καθορισμού των Αμερικανών αγγλικής καταγωγής, σε αντιδιαστολή με τους Ελληνοαμερικανούς, Εβραιοαμερικανούς, Γερμανοαμερικανούς, Κινεζοαμερικανούς κλπ. Έτσι μέχρι σήμερα το θέμα έχει παραμείνει ανοικτό. Μια λέξη που αποδίδει πιθανόν καλύτερα τον επιδιωκόμενο όρο είναι Ηπιώτες (Epians, από τα αρχικά των Η.Π.Α. στην ελληνική γλώσσα), που με την χρήση, ίσως τους οδηγήσει και σε πιο ήπιες συμπεριφορές.

Η συζήτηση αυτή έχει ξαναγίνει τα τελευταία χρόνια με άλλα μέλη της ΑΕΕ. Ο Νίκος Παπάς επηρεασμένος από αυτές τις συζητήσεις, πρότεινε στα Aγγλικά τον όρο USians και τον χρησιμοποίησε στο διαδίκτυο. Επειδή όμως αυτός ο όρος μπορεί να εκληφθεί ως δηκτικός, αντιπροτείνεται η λέξη Epians, από τα αρχικά των Η.Π.Α. στην Ελληνική. Αντίστοιχα, Ελληνοηπιώτης, Εβραιοηπιώτης, Γερμανοηπιώτης, Κινεζοηπιώτης κλπ. Οι λέξεις Ελληνοαμερικανός κλπ, διατηρούνται για να εννοούνται οι Έλληνες που έχουν γεννηθεί ή ζούνε γενικά (μόνιμα εγκατασταθεί) στην αμερικανική ήπειρο.

Τέλος πάντων η ακριβολογία είναι σημαντική, διαφορετικά είναι δεδομένη η σύγχυση, με αποτέλεσμα να μην καταλαβαίνει (σχεδόν) κανείς (ξένος) γιατί το όνομα Μακεδονία δεν ταιριάζει στη νεοσυσταθείσα "Δημοκρατία των Σκοπίων". Οι Έλληνες, με την αρχαιότερη γλώσσα, χρησιμοποιούν συνήθως τις λέξεις με τη μέγιστη δυνατή ακρίβεια. Εξάλλου οι σημερινοί άνθρωποι χειρίζονται χιλιάδες καλοδουλεμένες ελληνικές λέξεις, που εάν αφαιρεθούν, όχι μόνο από τα Aγγλικά, αλλά και από όλες τις γλώσσες, δεν είναι δυνατόν να γίνει σε σύγχρονο επίπεδο καμία ουσιώδης επικοινωνία. Δυστυχώς οι αλλοδαποί όταν χρησιμοποιούν τις ελληνικές λέξεις που εμπεριέχουν οι γλώσσες τους, συνήθως δεν τις κατανοούν, γιατί δεν διδάσκονται Ετυμολογία, με δυσμενείς συνέπειες κατά τη χρήση τους στη διπλωματία, τις ανθρώπινες σχέσεις κλπ.

Δεν υπάρχει πολιτισμένος Έλληνας που δεν θέλει ομαλές σχέσεις με οποιονδήποτε λαό, ιδίως με τους γείτονές του. Πρέπει όμως να καταλάβουν οι φίλοι μας στα Σκόπια, και οι άλλοι ξένοι που αναμιγνύονται, ότι είναι αναγκαίος ο σεβασμός, πρώτα από όλα για τους ίδιους, των ελληνικών λέξεων που χρησιμοποιούν. Όσο ήταν επαρχία της Γιουγκοσλαβίας, δεν υπήρχε ιδιαίτερο ζήτημα. Σαν ανεξάρτητο Κράτος όμως δημιουργείται θέμα.

Το όνομα Τουρκία επίσης παρουσιάζει μεγάλο πρόβλημα. Εκτός από το ότι συνυπάρχουν εκεί πολλές εθνότητες, οι καθεαυτού μογγολικής καταγωγής Τούρκοι που έφτασαν από το σημερινό Τουρκμενιστάν, αποτελούσαν μια ελάχιστη ανθρωπολογικά μειονότητα, που σήμερα έχει χαθεί πια σχεδόν εντελώς. Μικρά Ασία ή έστω Ανατολία είναι οπωσδήποτε ένα πιο ταιριαστό όνομα.

Είμαι Μακεδόνισσα και ίσως μακρηγόρησα, αλλά όταν λέω πήγα στη Μακεδονία, εννοώ στο χωριό μου στην Ελλάδα και όχι στα Σκόπια. Ακούω σε συζητήσεις ότι οι «προστάτες» μας υποστηρίζουν την Τουρκία γιατί είναι μεγάλη Χώρα. Τα Σκόπια, μια μικρή Χώρα, γιατί την χρησιμοποιούν εναντίον της Ελλάδας; Για την ένταξη της Τουρκίας στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, ακούγονται λεονταρισμοί από μερικούς πολιτικούς για εσωτερική κατανάλωση. Όταν έρθει η ώρα της υπογραφής να δούμε! Θα πάρουν θέση υπέρ των εθνικών μας δίκαιων, όπως Κύπρος, σύνορα ή θα υπακούσουν στους «προστάτες» μας; Θα απαιτήσουν η Τουρκία να γίνει πρώτα ένα φιλειρηνικό Κράτος;

Σημ 1: Γεγονός, που αγνοούν πολλοί (άλλοι σκόπιμα, οι περισσότεροι όχι), είναι ότι από ανθρωπολογικής σκοπιάς, στη συντριπτική τους πλειονότητα, οι σλαβόφωνοι κάτοικοι της FYROM δεν έχουν σλαβική καταγωγή. Έτσι, όντας μεν σλαβόφωνοι, δεν είναι και Σλάβοι (όπως ούτε οι Σέρβοι κ.ά.), αλλά απόγονοι αυτόχθονων πληθυσμών. Σλαβομακεδόνες ονομάστηκαν κατά καιρούς προς διάκριση από τους ελληνόφωνους Μακεδόνες (:λέξη η οποία στα αρχαία Ελληνικά σημαίνει υψηλοί, συγκριτικά βέβαια με τους υπόλοιπους Έλληνες). Για παράδειγμα η συντριπτική πλειονότητα των Ινδών, των Νοτιοαφρικανών κ.ά., δεν είναι δυνατόν να θεωρούνται αγγλικής καταγωγής επειδή έχουν υιοθετήσει μια αγγλοσαξωνική γλώσσα. Τα αίτια για την εξάπλωση της σλαβικής γλώσσας, εκτός από τη Ρωσία, όσον αφορά και τα νότια Βαλκάνια, ως ιστορική διεργασία παραμένει ένα ανοικτό επιστημονικό ζήτημα. Το πιθανότερο διευκολύνθηκε από τον οθωμανικό ζυγό, κατά τον οποίο οι εξ Ασίας εισβολείς δυνάστευαν πολύ λιγότερο τους σλαβόφωνους από τους ελληνόφωνους. Σε ζητήματα δηλαδή εθνογένεσης και της συνεπαγόμενης εθνικής ταυτότητας, όταν δεν λαμβάνονται υπόψη τα αδιαμφισβήτητα ανθρωπολογικά δεδομένα (πέρα από τα γλωσσολογικά ή θρησκειολογικά), σχηματίζονται συχνά εσφαλμένες εντυπώσεις και τοποθετήσεις. Εν κατακλείδι, αντί να εξετάζεται, όπως έκανε ο Ρήγας Φεραίος τι μας ενώνει σαν ανθρώπους, με όσα τερτίπια μας επιφύλαξε η όποια ιστορική διαδρομή, ακολουθείται συχνά ο δρόμος του εθελότυφλου φανατισμού, εξυπηρετώντας τελικά το «παιχνίδι» των απανταχού πολεμοκάπηλων, και βέβαια όχι της ευμάρειας και προκοπής των λαών μας. Όλοι έχουμε πολλά ακόμα να διδαχτούμε από την απρόσκοπτη και χωρίς παρωπίδες παραπέρα έρευνα σχετικά με την ιστορία της ευρύτερης περιοχής της ΝΑ Ευρώπης, στα πλαίσια μιας διακρατικής, ιδίως διαβαλκανικής, συνεργασίας. Θα ήταν όμως τουλάχιστον παράδοξο να θέλουν οι γείτονές μας να προσδιορίζονται με λέξεις από την ελληνική γλώσσα (Μακεδονία, Μακεδόνες, Σκόπια κλπ) και να μην επιθυμούν τη σύμπνοια με τους Έλληνες - γεννήτορες αυτών των ονόματων.

Σημ 2: Πέρυσι κυκλοφόρησε μαζί με το «Βήμα» ένα DVD του "National Geographic" για τη μικρασιατική καταστροφή. Μια ενότητα σχετίζεται με την ανταλλαγή των πληθυσμών του 1922-3, όπου ξένοι ανταποκριτές (μεταξύ των οποίων και ο Χέμινγουεϊ) αναφέρουν ότι απέναντι από τη Λέσβο, στο Αϊβαλί, στήθηκαν χιλιάδες σκηνές υποδοχής ελληνόφωνων μουσουλμάνων, οι οποίοι δεν γνώριζαν να ομιλούν την τουρκική γλώσσα. Εκεί, πριν τους διεκπεραιώσουν στους προορισμούς τελικής εγκατάστασης, ήταν υποχρεωτικό πρώτα να εκμάθουν τη γλώσσα της «νέας» τους πατρίδας. Προφανές είναι ότι οι ελληνικές αρχές έστειλαν απέναντι Έλληνες, οι οποίοι είχαν εν τω μεταξύ βίαια εξισλαμιστεί, ενώ πληθώρα ανάλογων περιστατικών έχουν καταγραφεί από την Αδριατική μέχρι τον Εύξεινο Πόντο (με αλλαγές γλώσσας ή/και θρησκείας).

Σημ 3: Προ ετών έκανε τουρισμό στην Ελλάδα νεαρή Εγγλέζα φιλόλογος. Κατά τη διάρκεια μιας συζήτησης, για να υποστηρίξει τη θέση της ότι οι σύγχρονες κοινωνίες είναι ανδροκρατούμενες, ετυμολόγησε τη λέξη history ως his story (:η ιστορία του). Προφανές ότι με την χρήση αβάσιμης επιχειρηματολογίας, έστω και για «καλό» σκοπό, είναι αναπόφευκτο να προκύπτουν συμπεράσματα που οδηγούν σε μια γενικευμένη σύγχυση, τροφή για όσους καιροφυλακτούν να κερδοσκοπήσουν από αυτή.

Το παρόν κείμενο μεταφράστηκε και για τις αγγλικές ιστοσελίδες μας.

Macedonians, Americans and Turks

(Excerpt from doctor Daphne Poulianou book: "Aris N. Poulianos - Reversals - From his life and work" - 2006)

In this book there have been special reports for the USA residents, since the citizens of this country have not an explicit name. For example, it is often erroneously reported the "American" president (instead of the USA president), as there is not such institution in the American continent. In scientific matters there is also a problem, when eg the average of life expectancy is reported in America or the frequency of an illness appearance, if that is to say is about USA or about the entire continent.

Since 1820 already the Greek doctor and writer Korais had perceived the question and reports the USA citizens as "Angloamericans". In this case however another matter arises, that of the determination of the English origin Americans, in contradiction to the Greek-Americans, Jew-Americans, German-Americans, Chinese-Americans etc. Thus up to today the issue has remained open, creating however a lot of controversy. A word that may more likely be attributed the term sought is perhaps Epians (on the basis of the acronym in Greek language of USA - Η.Π.Α.) that with its use, perhaps could lead them to a more benign (:ήπιος - epios - in Greek) behavior.

This discussion has taken place in the past few years with other members of the Anthropological Association of Greece. Nikos Papas influenced from these discussions, proposed the term USians on the Internet. However as this term can be considered caustic, the word Epians is counterproposed, and, respectively, Ellinoepians, Hebrewepians, Germanoepians Chinoepians etc. The words Greek-American etc are maintained in order to mean the Greeks that are born or permanently living in the American continent.

In any case accuracy is important, otherwise confusion is certain, so that almost no foreigner understands why the name Macedonia is not suitable for the newly formed "Republic of Skopje" (FYROM). Commonly the Greeks, with the most ancient language, use the words with the highest possible accuracy. Moreover humankind now uses thousands of fine-elaborated Greek words, that if removed, not only from the English, but also from all languages, no substantial communication is now days possible. Unfortunately, when foreigners use the Greek words that their languages include, usually do not comprehend them, because they are not taught Etymology, with unfavourable consequences at their use in diplomacy, human relations etc.

There is no civilized Greek who does not want smooth relations with any population, especially with his neighbours. However our friends in Skopje, as well as the other foreigners that get involved, should understand that it is necessary to respect, first of all for their sake, the Greek words they use. As long as Skopje was a province of Yugoslavia, no particular question existed, but as an independent state serious matter arises.

The name Turkey also poses a big problem. Besides the fact that a lot of nationalities coexist there, the Turks of Mongol origin that reached from current Turkmenistan constituted a minimal anthropological minority, which today has been lost almost completely. Asia Minor or Anatolia is anyway a more well fitting name.

I am a Macedonian woman and perhaps I spoke at great length, but when I say I went to Macedonia, I mean in my village in Greece, not in Skopje. I hear in discussions that our "protectors" support Turkey because it is a big country. Why then do they use Skopje, a small country, against Greece? For the integration of Turkey in the European Union several politicians, for internal consumption, exercise braggadocios. When the hour of signature comes, then we 'll see! Will they stand in favour of national matters as for example Cyprus and our borders integrity or will they obey to our "protectors"? Will they require Turkey to become first a peaceable state?

Note 1: A fact that many people ignore (some intentionally, most not) is that from the anthropological point of view the Slav-speaking residents of FYROM, in their overwhelming majority, do not have a Slavic origin. Thus, although being Slav-speaking, are not Slavs (as neither Serbs etc), but autochthonous population descendants. Slavomacedonians were named at times in distinction to the Greek-speaking Macedonians (a word that in ancient Greek means high people, obviously in comparison to the other Hellenes). For example, the overwhelming majority of Indians, South Africans and others, cannot be considered of English origin just because adopted an Anglo-Saxon language. The reasons of spreading the Slav language, besides Russia, also in the southern Balkans, as a historical process is still an open scientific question. It is likely that the ottoman yoke had facilitated this, when the Asian invaders oppressed less the Slav-speaking populations than the Greek-speaking ones in SE Europe. That is to say in ethnogenesis questions and of the implying national identity, when the indisputable anthropologic data are not taken into account (beyond linguistic or religious - hierographic matters), mistaken impressions and attitude often take place. In conclusion, instead of examining, as Rigas Fereos did, what unites us as humans (with all ploys that history reserved to us), often the way of an ostrich fanatism is followed, eventually serving the "games" of passim warmongers, obviously not in favour of our peoples prosperity and progress. We all have a lot to learn from the unhindered and blinker-free further study of the SE Europe history, in an interstate, and especially inter-Balkan, cooperation. Nevertheless, it would be at least a paradox for our neighbours to insist on self-determination with words from the Greek language (Macedonia, Macedon, Skopje), but not wanting togetherness with the Hellenes - generators of these names.

Note 2: Recently a "National Geographic" DVD circulated be the "Vima" newspaper with regard to the Asia Minor catastrophe. A part of the DVD is dedicated to the exchange of populations during 1922-3, where foreign correspondents (Ernest Hemingway among them) report that opposite to the island of Lesvos, in Aivali, thousands tents were set up to receive the Greek-speaking Muslims, which did not know the Turkish language. There, before their expedition to the destinations of final installation, it was obligatory first to learn their "new" language. It is obvious that the Greek authorities sent across the Aegean Sea Greeks, who had meanwhile been violently Islamized, while an abundance of analogous occurrences has been registered from the Adriatic up to the Black Sea (including changes of language and/or religion).

Note 3: Years ago a young English philologist visited Greece. During a discussion, in order to support her position that modern societies are male-dominated, she etymologized the word history as "his story". It is obvious that with the use of groundless argumentation, even if for a "good" purpose, equally inevitable is obtaining conclusions leading to a general confusion, giving ground to those who hold out to profiteer from such a confusion.

ΔΕΙΤΕ ΤΑ ΒΙΝΤΕΟ... WATCH THE VIDEOS...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8187301869971500776

NEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD HISTORY, AN INVENTED STATE TO TRY TO STEEL THE HISTORY OF ANOTHER NATION!!!

THE BEGGARS OF THE HISTORY!

OF COURSE THE FACT ISN'T SO SIMPLE, BEING INVOLED THE USAMERICANS, WHO WANT TO CONTROL THE WHOLE REGION OF THE BALKAN PENINSULA!

THE MORE COUNTRIES ARISE TO THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD, THE MORE EASY TO BE CONTROLED BY THE SUPER POWER OF USA!

ALL NATIONS HAVE TO BE SUSPICIOUS OF THE USA POLICY, BUT CONTROLLED AND CORRUPTED GOVERMENTS AND POLITICIANS ARE INVOLVED TO THE USA PROJECT!

In Greece today people start from an a priori assumption of the "Greek identity of Macedonia as an obvious historical fact". Identifying the Greeks from the ethnic and linguistic point of view with the ancient Macedonians, the current Greek regime accuses "Skopje" of encroaching upon the name Macedonia and on a part of a cultural heritage which belongs only to the Greeks.

In fact this is nothing more than their conviction which for years now has been handed out to young people in Greek schools from their earliest years and, most recently, has been propagated throughout the entire world. The thesis of the "Greek identity of Macedonia" is not scientifically supportable. We shall concentrate here on the earliest period.

Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia (336-323 BC)

In Greek scholarship, in numerous articles and books, the historical facts which go against the thesis of a "Greek Macedonia" are passed over. It is universally known that the classical Greek authors did not recognize the Macedonians as their fellow-countrymen, calling them barbarians, and they considered Macedonian domination in Greece as an alien rule, imported from outside by the members of other tribes, the, as Plutarch says, allophyloi.

This historical right and this "Greek identity of Macedonia" have for a long time been "proved" with the hypothesis that the ancient Macedonians were a Doric tribe and their language a Doric dialect. Since this could not be supported by definite facts from historical sources, and even less by archaeological or linguistic proofs, not long ago official Greek scholarship discarded this hypothesis. After the deciphering of Linear B in 1952, and more particularly after 1970. when the luxurious edition of The History of the Greek Ethnos' was published, Greek linguists and historians went far into the past to seek for foundations for their thesis of a "Greek Macedonia".

Although none of the Mycenaean scholars in the world takes seriously their hypothetical interpretations of Mycenaean texts, they nevertheless wish to discover in them "proofs" that the ancient Macedonians were Indo-Europeans, Proto-Hellenes, and that their language was the oldest, purest and most conservative Greek dialect which at the same time cast a new light on the oldest history of the Greek ethnos. This thesis reached its culmination at the beginning of the 1980's when an unusual jubilee under the title of "4,000 Years of Greek Macedonia" was celebrated with great pomp. The theory thus constructed has pretensions to scholarship but in fact starts out from pre-suppositions which are not supported by a single historical fact.

The history of the ancient Macedonians over a lengthy period of 1,600 years (2,200-600 B.C.) has been reconstructed on the basis of a prejudgement that they could have been nothing other than Greeks. It should be noted that no text whatsoever has been preserved in the ancient Macedonian language. Only about a hundred glosses are known, from which it is not possible to reconstruct the language. For more than 150 years these words have been a subject of comparative linguistic studies, but quite a large number of these remain with only a hypothetical explanation or even with no explanation at all.

While earlier on Doric forms were being sought in the Macedonian glosses, Greek linguists are now investing great efforts in revealing archaic Aeolian. Arcado-Cypriot and Mycenaean parallels. In fact the sparse linguistic material is extremely complex and heterogeneous. It is clear that among the glosses there are borrowings from Greek which in antique times was a language of great prestige; the Greek words, however, have been adapted according to a different, non-Greek phonetic system, [e.g.: Macedonian ade "sky", Greek aither "air"; Mac. danos, Gk. thanatos "death"; Mac. keb(a)]le Gk. kephale "head", etc.] But at the same time there are among the glosses such words as are not found in Greek but have parallels in other Indo-European languages, [e.g.: aliza "a white layer under the bark of a tree", Slavonic e/oa xa; Mac. goda "innards", Gk. entera, Old Indian Sanskrit gudam "intestine"; Mac. pella "stone", Germ. Fels < + pel-sa, etc.]

As proof of the cognation of the ancient Macedonians with the Greeks a photograph has been presented of the inscription from Vergina with Greek names. It should be mentioned that the majority of the names of Macedonians from the ancient period are those of members of the ruling dynasty or the aristocracy who consciously identified with the sphere of Hellenic culture so that it is in no way strange that the names of the majority of them are Greek. But alongside them are to be found Macedonian names which cannot be explained by means of Greek etymology.

With regard to their religion which, it is maintained, was the same as that of the Greeks, it should be borne in mind that the names of the divinities were translated into Greek in accordance with their functions, just as the names of the Greek divinities were altered by Roman authors writing in Latin: Jupiter in place of Zeus, Minerva for Athena, Venus for Aphrodite, etc. From an analysis of the ancient Macedonian glosses it can be concluded that ancient Macedonian was an Indo-European language distinct from Greek.

The well-known French Indo-European scholar A. Meje says that Greek is no closer to ancient Macedonian than is any other Indo-European language. In his classification of the Indo-European languages, J. Pokorny with complete justification puts Macedonian together with Phrygian in his Indo-European etymological dictionary. In support of the thesis that the ancient Macedonians were Greeks it is stressed that Philip II and Alexander the Great not only behaved as Greeks but were incarnations of the idea of a united Greek state.

The state which was ruled by Philip II and Alexander the Great, who subdued the Greek city-states and extended their frontiers to Central Asia, is nowhere called a Greek state. Educated by the great Greek philosopher Aristotle, Alexander highly valued classical Greek education and spread it to Central Asia. He abandoned, moreover, the dogma of the "difference" between Greeks and barbarians. He introduced into his policy a new spirit of the equality of all peoples, a spirit alien even to his teacher, who had prepared him for leadership of the Greeks and mastery of the barbarians.

In accordance with his cosmopolitan ideology, Alexander showed an extraordinary broadmindedness both towards the Greeks and towards the other Balkan and Asiatic peoples. With this approach he laid the foundations of Hellenism too, which was a mixture of Greek philosophic and educational ideas with the cultural and religious understandings of the peoples of the east. Alexander spread Hellenism in the Greek language, which he considered to be the language of culture, but his mother tongue was not understood by the Greeks: a fact of which there are explicit proofs.")

Greek scholarship passes over with an underestimation the historic fact of the migration of peoples which fundamentally redrew the ethnic map of Europe, and especially of the Balkans, during the early Byzantine period. Macedonia has been represented as a buffer protecting Hellenism from the waves of the barbarians throughout the centuries.

The Slavonic element in Greece is either denied or minimalized and it is well known that the Byzantine historian Constantine Porphyrogenitus openly says that the whole of Hellas had been Slavicized - It is likewise a known fact that the Slavonic tribes of the Ezerites and the Milingi were independent in the Peloponnese in the 7th and 8th centuries and did not pay tribute to Byzantium. If such facts are borne in mind, it is not difficult to understand whether Macedonia at that period was really a "bastion of Hellenism".

There have been protests in Greece that we have not used toponyms from the Aegean part of Macedonia in the forms which were given to them by decree after 1913 and more especially in 1926 because this has called Greek sovereignty into question. Demelios Georgakas" notes that even today in the Peloponnese no matter in which direction one moves one cannot go three miles without encountering a Slavonic place-name. Similar statements have been made by Ph. Malingudis.

If there are so many Slavonic place-names in the Peloponnese, how many more are there in the Aegean part of Macedonia where the Slavonic tribes dwelt? And today Slavs have been living there for a period of 1,400 years. What is more natural than that the Balkanized Slavs who have lived so long and continuously in Macedonia should be called Macedonians and their language Macedonian.

During the period of Thucydides (11, 99) the population of Northern (Upper) Macedonia was distinguished from the Macedonian conquerors; but even those from Upper Macedonia were likewise called Macedonians. It is very unscholarly to speak of a homogenization of just one nation in these regions of the Balkans.

http://www.panmacedonian.info/

OPEN LETTER TO THE HONORABLE CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE

Re:  Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Dear Madame Secretary:

On behalf of the nation-wide membership of the undersigned organizations we write to you to express our strong concerns regarding the administration's continuing failure to properly address the name issue regarding the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as it relates to our interests and that of our most important ally in the BalkansGreece.

The U.S. has important interests in Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. The projection of U.S. interests in the region depends heavily on the stability of the region. Therefore, the U.S. has an important stake in fostering good relations among neighboring countries in the region.

To this effect, Greece is of vital importance in the region by virtue of among other factors, its geographic location and by being home to the most important naval base in the Mediterranean Sea, Souda Bay, Crete. There are thousands of visits by U.S. military ships and planes to Souda Bay and its adjacent air base annually.

This sentiment has been expressed several times by our government in the past few years, by President Bush and by you, Madame Secretary.

Stability in the Balkans is not only critical for overall U.S. interests, but also because it serves the interests of every country in the Balkans.

Greece is by far the most stable country, politically and economically, in the Balkans and the biggest investor with over 22 billions dollars.  By contrast, FYROM is of limited significance to the national security interests of the United States.

Yet, FYROM continues to provoke Greece, usurping history which has been Hellenic for thousands of years, while FYROM refuses to negotiate in good faith over the name issue.  Unfortunately, actions over the years such as distortion of geographic maps, naming its airport "Alexander the Great," revisionist textbooks in schools, and inflammatory comments by top government officials, encourages new generations in FYROM to cultivate hostile sentiments against Greece. Further, this continuing systematic government policy will hinder FYROM's accession to both the EU and NATO. This is the real threat to stability in the Balkans, to the detriment of U.S. interests.

We wish to remind you that currently there are over 100 members of the Congress who have signed onto H.Res. 356, calling on FYROM to cease it "hostile activities or propaganda" against Greece.

As you prepare to meet today with Greece's Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyianni, we know that a main topic on the agenda will be the FYROM name issue and how this continuing unresolved issue threatens the forthcoming expected application of FYROM to join NATO. Since this issue first arose back in the year 1991-1992 the Greek American community has been against a permanent name for the neighboring state which would include the name Macedonia/Macedonian. The U.S. supports FYROM's admission to NATO.  Greece obviously objects to admission without a resolution to the name issue, and has stated it will use their veto, if necessary, which Greece is within her rights to exercise. 

         The immediate settlement of the name issue, in a way that is acceptable to Greece, will allow the United States' strongest ally in the Balkans to be the driving force for FYROM's membership to NATO and ultimately to the European Union.

FYROM's "passport" to NATO and the European Union is Greece.

Therefore, we call upon you, Madame Secretary, to please use your influence with FYROM to impress upon them to negotiate in good faith with Greece to resolve the name issue that would clearly differentiate that country from, Macedonia the northern province of Greece and its Hellenic history and for FYROM to cease immediately their irredentist propaganda against Greece, which violates the UN-brokered Interim Accord, as stated in Article 7 paragraph 1 of the Accord, signed in New York on September 13 1995 between FYROM and Greece.  Only in this way will the interests of all parties be satisfied.

We write to you in the interests of the United States and for the support of our long-time and loyal ally Greece, who is our most important strategic partner in the region and the key country for stability in the region.

Respectfully yours,

Alexander III was born in 356 BC in Pella, capital at the time being of the Macedonian kingdom. He was son of the Macedonian king Philip II and Olympias, princess of Molossians in Epirus.

The Macedonian Royal House

The Macedonian royal house was called "Argeads" or "Temenidae". According to the tradition, the founder of the royal house Perdiccas - even if the name of the founder differs in reference with the ancient source used - along with his brothers, the "Temenidae" came to the place called Macedonia from the Greek city of Argos. These Temenidae were descendants of Heracles, through Temenus, thus they were called also 'Heracleids'.

Since the time of Alexander I, who was better known as the "Philhellene", Macedonian kings participated in Olympic games, which as we all know only Greeks could take part. The Argive origin of the Macedonian royal house was well-attested and widely believed both from Macedonians, as well as the rest of Greeks. Rifles like the political intricasies of Demosthenes against Philip is the tenuous exception to the general rule.

Philip II, father of Alexander, was son of the Macedonian king Amyntas III and Eurydice, a Lyncestian princess. Lyncestians were incorporated earlier to Molossians, hence we could find them in ancient sources [1] as 'Molossian Ethne' or as Lyncestian Macedonians. A strong Illyrian influence can be recognised in the nearby Lyncestian kingdom but their royal house was widely believed in the ancient world to be descedants of the Greek Bacchiades coming from Corinth. Eurydice was daughter of a Lyncestian princess, daughter of Arrabaios, king of Lyngos and Sirras - a person shrouded in great darkness - since his ethnicity is obscure. There are conflicting theories which identify him either as Illyrian or as a native Lyncestian [2]. We can only conclude, Philip's greek ancestry is proved beyond doubt by the traditions of the greek royal houses both in Macedon and Lyngos.

Molossian Royal House

Now we will analyze the lineage coming from the mother of Alexander, the Molossian Olympias. Her original name as a child was called Polyxena and then, at marriage, Myrtale; later in life she was also known as Olympias and Stratonice. [3] The name Olympias was given to her, according to the tradition, after her husband Philip won in Olympic games.The members of Molossian royal house , the so-called 'Aeacidae' thought of themselves as descendants of Acchiles' son, Neoptolemus and Andromache. They both took refuge in the area in the aftermath of Troy's fall. Their son was Molossus, the founder of Molossians. Olympias herself, was daughter of Neoptolemus, king of Epirus and most likely of an Epirotan woman, Anasatia [4]. In the early 6th century, the tyrant of Sicyon Cleisthenes wished to find a suitable husband for his daughter Agariste. He invited "the best of the Greeks" in order to decide which one would marry his daughter. Among the Greek contestants was the Molossian king Alkon. Conclusion of the above is that the members of the Molossian royal house considered themselves as Greeks and were viewed as such by the rest of Greeks.

So far we have examined the lineages of the royal houses connected with Alexander. What remains is another crucial question to our issue. What did Alexander perceived himself to be?

From all the ancient sources we are receivers of the same message. Alexander the Great never missed a chance to verify his pride for his Greek ancestry. His parents had Greek origins. Alexander considered himself as a Greek. He spoke Greek. He grew up and was educated from famous Greek teachers like Aristotle and had as his favourite book Iliad of Homer. He worshipped the same gods like the rest of Greeks. He undertook and accompliced to a military campaign based on the long-term hostility between Greeks and Persians, as leader of the Greeks. Both he and his army spread the ancient Greek language and culture to the fringes of India and therefore Alexander has justifiably been used for centuries as a symbol of Greek civilisation.

[1] Hecataeus
[2] Kapetanopoulos 'Sirras - Eurydice'
[3] Waldemar Heckel "Who's Who In The Age Of Alexander The Great: Prosopography Of Alexander's Empire" p. 181
[4] Favorinus ap. Jul Val 1.7 (frg. 49)    

http://www.lysimachos.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=27

http://www.macedoniaontheweb.com/forum/macedonia-articles/1520-alexander-great-greek.html

H καλύτερη -συμβολικά- εκδήλωση εκτός Ελλάδας γιά την 25η Μαρτίου 1821 έγινε την Κυριακή 25 Μαρτίου 2007, στηνπόλη... Ελλάδα, στο βόρειο μέρος της Πολιτείας της Νέας Υόρκης, γιά να τιμηθούν, η 25η Μαρτίου και τα 185 χρόνια από  την ίδρυση της πόλης. Διοργανώθηκε από το δημαρχείο και την μικρή ελληνική παροικία. H Ελλάδα (κυβέρνηση, πολιτικοί, διπλωμάτες μας στις ΗΠΑ), εξακολουθεί προκλητικά ν' αγνοεί την ''Ελλάδα'', την μόνη πόλη σε όλο τον κόσμο που oνoμάστηκε ''Greece'' στα 1822, γιά να τιμήσει την επανάσταση του 1821 και την προσφορά των προγόνων μας: "The name is also a tribute to this old-world nation, a symbol of intellectual and athletic excellence"... Το πρώτο γυμνάσιό της ονομάστηκε "Ολυμπία". Τα επόμενα 4: "Αρκαδία", "Απόλλων", "Αθηνά", "Οδύσσεια"... (Η διακήρυξη της πόλης γιά την 25η Μαρτίου και το πρόγραμμα της εκδήλωσης).

www.kalami.net

Γνωρίστε την πόλη...

Ελλάδα(Greece),

στην Πολιτεία Νέα Υόρκη, των

ΗΠΑ
Δημιουργήθηκε στα 1822 και ονομάστηκε "Ελλάδα", ως συμπαράσταση των κατοίκων της στον αγώνα των Ελλήνων γι' ανεξαρτησία από τους Τούρκους. "The name is also a tribute to this old-world nation, a symbol of intellectual and athletic excellence"...
Το πρώτο γυμνάσιο της πόλης (δεκαετία '60) ονομάστηκε "Ολυμπία". Τα επόμενα 4 ονομάστηκαν: "Αρκαδία", "Απόλλων", "Αθηνά", "Οδύσσεια".

Town of Greece (Πόλη, Ελλάδα): Population-Πληθυσμός (year 2000): 94,141. Males-'Ανδρες: 45,186 (48.0%), Females-Γυναίκες: 48,955 (52.0%)
County-Κομητεία, "νομός": Monroe,  State-Πολιτεία, "κράτος": New York

(Από την ιστοσελίδα του Εμπορικού Επιμελητήριου της πόλης, αντιγράφουμε

GREECE - EARLY HISTORY
In the early 1300s, Algonquin Indians and the Iroquois began settling along the shores of Lake Ontario, near its bays and ponds and in the Genesee Valley. As their civilizations grew, and the Seneca joined the Iroquois League, paths through the woods became main thoroughfares, many of which are still in use today. According to local historians, many of the main roads in town, including parts of Ridge Road, Long Pond Road and Dewey Avenue, were constructed along these paths.
The first white settlers to the area, arriving in the 1790s, were William Hincher, a Revolutionary War veteran, and James Latta, a merchant seaman. Though no documentation exists, it is believed that the Latta family was heavily involved with the famed Underground Railroad. Slaves seeking freedom in Canada were hidden in Samuel Latta's warehouse in Charlotte where they awaited transportation across the lake.

THE OFFICIAL BEGINNING
The Town of Greece was incorporated in 1822. It was named after the country of Greece, as a show of support as the Greek people fought for their independence from Turkish rule. The name is also a tribute to this old-world nation  a symbol of intellectual and athletic excellence.
The Town of Greece was formed from the northern part of the town of Gates. In 1823, extension of the Erie Canal resulted in the development of the southern part of town. Mason workers came from Europe to help build the canal and often settled here. Many of them built cobblestone houses, some of which still stand today.
Throughout the 1800s, the local economy centered on agriculture. Many of the beautiful farmhouses that were built during this period have been converted for commercial use. The Upton-Paine house, now Ridgemont Country Club, is one such home. (A handful of people associated with the club even claim that the house is haunted by Mr. & Mrs. Upton.) The Greece Historical Society currently occupies the charming Larkin-Beattie-Howe house built in the 1850's. (Gordon Howe, former Greece Supervisor, raised his family there.)

CHARLOTTE
The history of Greece would not be complete without mentioning Charlotte. Incorporated as a village in 1869, Charlotte was the center of the community for many years. Its quaint lighthouse has been pictured in the town seal since its inception.
In the early 1900s, the Manitou Trolley carried summer vacationers to the many resort hotels contained within eight scenic miles along the shore of Lake Ontario. It only cost a nickel to go from Charlotte to Manitou Beach, crossing Braddocks Bay on a wooden trestle. In 1916, Charlotte was annexed from Greece to become the 23rd Ward of the City of Rochester.

NEW BEGINNINGS
The turn of the century brought about changes which shifted the economic focus from agriculture to industry. Photography magnate George Eastman opened the first Kodak plant in 1891. Kodak became the largest employer in the area, and its success fueled the town's growth. Further economic development was also spurred by local grocers: brothers John and Walter Wegman founded Wegmans Food Markets, in 1931. Wegmans has been expanding ever since, and is recognized as one of the country's premier grocery operations. (Many members of the Wegman family still reside in Greece.)
The shift from agriculture to industry was also a result of devastating crop losses in 1934. An unusually severe freeze that winter destroyed many orchards. Additionally, World War II brought about the building of more industrial plants to support the war effort. Post-war peace combined with a swell in population throughout the late 1940s and 50s, lead to even more industrialization and commercialization, especially along Ridge Road.
Greece Olympia, the town's first high school, was built in the 1960s. With the town's population approaching 75,000 in 1970, many new shopping plazas and churches were formed. Park Ridge Hospital was built in 1975 on Long Pond Road, and the Historical Center opened on English Road in 1978.

RECENT HISTORY
One of the most important new developments was in 1983 with the construction of the I-390 highway running north from Ridge Road to the Lake Ontario Parkway. Another remarkable development was the formation of Greece Ridge Center in 1994. It was formed when Greece Towne Mall and Long Ridge Mall were connected, making it one of the largest shopping malls in the northeastern United States.
In 1997, the town government moved to its new location on Vince Tofany Boulevard, and the old town hall on Ridge Road was demolished as part of the redevelopment of Ridge Road. The original cupola from the old town hall was saved and is now part of the Greece Historical Center and Museum, in the old Larkin-Beattie-Howe house, now on Long Pong Road.

Greece today is the gateway to recreational paradise. Nearby ski areas like Brantling and Bristol Mountain and state parks like Darien Lakes, Hamlin Beach, Oak Orchard Marine and Lakeside Beach cater to a variety of recreational needs. Locals partake in camping, biking, hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling at Hamlin State Park. More adventurous residents hike Lake Ontario's Waterfront Trail, which spans 218 miles.

Niagara Reservation State Park, a few hours away, is the home of the famous Niagara Falls, Prospect Point and plenty of islands. In addition, a scenic trolley, a discovery center and an observation tower enhance visitors outdoor experience. Shoppers embrace the Greece Ridge Center Mall, which has numerous department stores and more than 200 specialty stores.
Greece's Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse Museum and Rochester's International Museum of Photography enrich the area's culture and history. Students can choose from many local colleges and universities including Roberts Wesleyan College, University of Rochester and State University of New York College.
...................................................................................
Approximately 94,000 people reside in Monroe County's Greece, a northwestern suburb of Rochester. About 40% of the city's land is undeveloped and rural, providing a reminder of the area's agricultural past. Lake Ontario is adjacent to town. Greece is just an hour or two from exciting destinations including Niagara Falls, Buffalo and the Canadian border. Ski areas and state parks are nearby as well, allowing for endless recreational fun.
The Niagara Reservation State Park  the nation's oldest state park  makes for a perfect weekend getaway. In addition to enjoying their town's favorable location, residents also enjoy its seasonal climate. Rainy autumns, cold and snowy winters, cool and rainy springs and hot summers are created in part by Greece's proximity to the Great Lakes. Downtown Rochester is about 15 minutes from town. The Greater Rochester International Airport is about four miles away and an Amtrak station and bus services are nearby as well.
More than 14,000 students attend more than 20 schools in the Greece Central School District. Several private or parochial schools are also available. The Greece Performing Arts Society encompasses choral, theater and arts groups and an orchestra, providing a cultural richness to the community.
Greece's largest industry is the Eastman Kodak Company. IBM, Bausch & Lomb and Xerox are large employers as well. Real estate offerings consist mainly of single-family detached homes, although some condominiums and townhouses are also available at very affordable prices. The lush scenery, cultural wealth and diverse, affordable real estate market of Greece make it a dynamic hometown for families of any shape or size.

http://www.kalami.net/2005/cosmos/greece_ny.html

Μα πώς είναι δυνατόν να μην έπαθε τίποτα;;;!!!
Αποστολέας: Γιώργος Πούντος

e-tipos.com

NEVER FORGET!

THE TOTALITARY REGIM OF TURKEY INVATED AND SEPARATED THE INDEPEDENT STATE OF THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS IN 1974, AND SINCE THEN CYPRUS IS UNDER OCCUPATION!!!

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, ALTHOUGHT HAD CONDEMNED THE INVASION, LITTLE OR NOTHING HAD DONE FOR A SOLUTION!

Το ένα τέταρτο σχεδόν των μελών της Βουλής των Αντιπροσώπων έχει συνυπογράψει σχέδιο ψηφίσματος το οποίο εκφράζει την άποψη του Σώματος ότι η ΠΓΔΜ θα πρέπει να παύσει να χρησιμοποιεί υλικό που παραβιάζει τις προβλέψεις της Ενδιάμεσης Συμφωνίας. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό καλεί την ΠΓΔΜ να σεβαστούν και να εφαρμόσουν τις πρόνοιες του άρθρου 7 της συμφωνίας, αποθαρρύνοντας δημόσιους και ιδιωτικούς φορείς από το να προβαίνουν σε δραστηριότητα και προπαγάνδα που υποθάλπει εχθρικά και αλυτρωτικά αισθήματα από πλευράς ΠΓΔΜ έναντι της Ελλάδας και της ιστορίας της.

    Το ψήφισμα καλεί επίσης την ΠΓΔΜ να εργασθεί από κοινού με τα Ηνωμένα Έθνη και την Ελλάδα προκειμένου «να επιτευχθεί ο στόχος της πολιτικής του ΟΗΕ αλλά και των ΗΠΑ», ήτοι η εξεύρεση αμοιβαίως αποδεκτής λύσης στο ζήτημα του ονόματος. Ειδική αναφορά γίνεται σε εγχειρίδια της Στρατιωτικής Ακαδημίας της ΠΓΔΜ καθώς και στην πρόσφατη μετονομασία του διεθνούς αεροδρομίου Σκοπίων σε «Μέγας Αλέξανδρος». Το ψήφισμα ζητεί από την ΠΓΔΜ να αναθεωρήσει σχολικά και μη εγχειρίδια, καθώς και σχετικούς χάρτες.

    Σημειώνεται ότι η πολιτική και συμβολική σημασία της συγκέντρωσης τόσο μεγάλου αριθμού Αμερικανών νομοθετών που έχουν συνυπογράψει το ψήφισμα απορρέει από το γεγονός ότι εκ των 816 ψηφισμάτων που έχουν υποβληθεί στο 110ο Κογκρέσο (που άρχισε τις εργασίες του τον Ιανουάριο του 2007), μέχρι στιγμής μόνον άλλα τρία από αυτά που αφορούν ζητήματα εξωτερικής πολιτικής και έχουν συγκεντρώσει άνω των 100 συγκηδεμόνων: αυτό για τη γενοκτονία στο Νταρφούρ, αυτό για την ιαπωνική πολιτική κατά το Δεύτερο Παγκόσμιο πόλεμο, και αυτό για τη γενοκτονία των Αρμενίων.

    Από τους 101 βουλευτές που έχουν συνυπογράψουν το ψήφισμα οι 79 ανήκουν στο Δημοκρατικό Κόμμα και οι 22 στο Ρεπουμπλικανικό. Μεταξύ αυτών είναι ο πρόεδρος της υποεπιτροπής Ευρώπης κ. Γουέξλερ, ο επικεφαλής της μειοψηφίας στην ίδια υποεπιτροπής κ. Γκάλεγκλι, και οι συμπροέδροι της Ελληνικής Ομάδας στο Κογκρέσο, Κάρολιν Μαλόνι και Γκας Μπιλιράκης.