The territory of today
geographical Macedonia in the long past
has been settled by various tribes and
nations. Between the oldest tribes and
nations that lived on the Macedonian
territory were: Brigians (Phrygians),
Illyrians, Thracians, Edonians (Migdonians,
Bysalts, Sythinians) Paionians and Pelagonians.
All of them assimilated each other.
By the end of the IX century the all
territory of Macedonia without the area
of Skopje and Kumanovo has been settled
by Macedonian tribes. They lived on
south, the Pind mountain, and the valleys
of the rivers Vardar (Axius), Bistrica
(Halijakmon), Crna (Erigon), Struma
(Strimon) and the coast of the Aegean
sea. North of Macedonia has been located
Paionia, south Thessaly, west Epirus
and east Thrace. Macedonia has been
divided as Up and Down Macedonia. The
name MACEDONIA comes from the two ancient
Macedonian words macos = big, large
and don = land, which both together
have meaning big (large) land. The ancient
Macedonians have been the biggest population
of this region. In the part of Up Macedonia
have been the areas Orestida (river
Bistrica and the Kostur Lake), Pelagonija,
Elimea (the middle part of the river
Bistrica), Timphaja and Paravaja. I
the part of Down Macedonia were the
areas Pyeria (the region of Thermaikos
Gulf), Beothia (the central part of
the rivers Bistrica and Moglenica),
Eordaia, Alpomia, Migdonia, Krestonia
and Bysaltia (north of Chalkidiki).
Macedonia had excellent
climate, valleys by the big rivers and
lakes and sea access. There were also
mine treasures (gold, silver and iron).
The ancient Macedonians have been a
nation with their own language, culture,
different by other by their appearance,
clothes, weapons with symbols. The warrior
who still has not killed any one had
to wear rope in the middle of his body.
The ancient Macedonians had extremely
beautiful decorated temples. The newest
archeological researches made proved
that the ancient Macedonians had excellent
architecture.
The 16 pointed sun of
Kutleš, (Vergina), symbol of the ancient
Macedonian dynasty
The earliest files and
documents are full of legends. The same
is the case with the documents of their
origin. But the history as a science
knows that at the end of the IX century
BC, almost all territory of Macedonia
has been settled by ancient Macedonian
tribes. In the period of the VIII century
BC, there has been a fall of the Rodovsko
society. And after that period Macedonia
has been settled by more and more Macedonian
tribes, with their tribe leaders. The
tribe leaders between them had independence.
But in period of war those tribes have
been making contracts between themselves.
Sometimes they fights
between themselves for territory. In
the period of the VIII century BC, they
still had primitive way of preparing
the land. But the Macedonian aristocrats,
have started to use slaves. All tribe
problems have been decided in the people
assembly. The members of this assembly
have been all men that could use weapon.
The ancient Macedonians have been arrogant
nation. Every spring they have started
war with the neighboring countries.
Main targets have been Illyria and and
the coastal Greek (Hellenistic) colonies
(by this fact no one can say that the
ancient Macedonians have been Greeks).
And as the time goes on, the tribes
especially in Down Macedonia started
the sense of being one nation.
Result of this has been
the creation of the Ancient Macedonian
State in the year of 729 BC, by Perdica
I. The tribe called Argeady took the
authority of Down Macedonia and created
the first state of the ancient Macedonians.
By Herodius (ancient Greek historical),
from Argon Orestida, escaped the three
brother Guan, Aerop and Perdica. They
had went to Up Macedonia in the town
of Lebaja.
The state of the Argeady
took authority over bigger region of
Macedonia. The first ancient Macedonian
king has been Perdica I (729-678 BC).
For capital of this ancient state has
been chosen the town of Ajga (Kutleš,
Vergina), on the picture left. But this
town has been located high in the mountains
and had no merchant connection. But
the king Arhelaius I (413-399 BC) solved
this problem. He moved the capital from
Ajga (Kutleš, Vergina), to new town
with excellent geographical location,
Pella (on picture, down). Pella has
been town one of the biggest in its
period. This king built kings fortress
project of Greek architects and a lot
of Greek cultural workers have came
here for better life.
Some of them have been
known all over ancient Greece, like
Evripidius, who died in Pella and Zeuksius.
Also first ancient Macedonian king who
started making his own coins, has been
Alexander I Philhellene (498-454 BC).
On the picture left, one of his coins.
The ancient Macedonians had their own
language, different from the ancient
Greek. But today are kept only 104 words
of it and a list of names. They haven't
literary, so they didn't left any written
sources. Also a lot of Greek philosophers
and teacher had came in Pella, such
as Aristotle, teacher of Alexander
the Great
The king Philip II of
Macedonia (359-336 BC) has found a new
town, known as Heraklea Lynkestis (shown
on the picture left). And prove of their
culture is the coffin, discovered at
the archeological site Vergina, near
Solun (Thessaloniki) in 1977. There
are kept more important things from
the culture of the ancient Macedonians.
Thanks to the archeological researches
have been discovered plenty ancient
towns, like: Ajga, Pella, Dion, Heraklea
and others. One of the most important
monuments are the necropolis Trebenište,
near Ohrid and Sindos, near Solun, the
king Tombs at Ajga (Vergina).
Heraklea
