11-17-2010, 12:49 PM
I hope this thread does not turn too political. Anyways, "Greek" in the 4th century bore two meanings :
1. "ethnic Greek", that is sharing a common Hellenic identity regardless of cultural differences and time of hellenization, that is believing and having the other Hellenes agree that you are a Greek
and
2. "geographically Greek", that is living or being situated "in Greece", which to the ancients was the region below Thessaly, sometimes including it. In later years, Strabo expanded the borders of geographic "Greece" including Epirus and Macedonia.
They used the term in a very "free" way that sometimes has to be analyzed to exactly understand it and the ancient Greek language (that is the way they expressed themselves) many times does not help. In my opinion, the Macedonians were regarded as and themselves felt Greek, yet, first of all Macedonians.
1. "ethnic Greek", that is sharing a common Hellenic identity regardless of cultural differences and time of hellenization, that is believing and having the other Hellenes agree that you are a Greek
and
2. "geographically Greek", that is living or being situated "in Greece", which to the ancients was the region below Thessaly, sometimes including it. In later years, Strabo expanded the borders of geographic "Greece" including Epirus and Macedonia.
They used the term in a very "free" way that sometimes has to be analyzed to exactly understand it and the ancient Greek language (that is the way they expressed themselves) many times does not help. In my opinion, the Macedonians were regarded as and themselves felt Greek, yet, first of all Macedonians.
