Modern historians about Macedonia – Hilding Thylander

Hilding Thylander – Den Grekiska världen p. 349 (Svenska humanistiska förbundet, 1985)

Quote:

It is possible that the earlier inhabitants of the Macedonian area spoke various languages like illyrian, thracian and paionian. However, the later inhabitants of upper and lower Macedonia spoke Greek of ‘Macedonian’ dialect, that was a bit different than Attic and closer to Aeolic. The inhabitants of the northwestern Macedonia spoke a form of western Greek, that reminds of the dialect spoken in the neighboring Epirus. The Macedonian names and months point clearly to a Doric Greek dialect. The local customs and religion were Greek. The main gods worshiped were Zeus, Dionysos and Herakles. Zeus cults are found in Aigai and Dion, while Herakles was worshiped in Aigai and Pella. The Macedonians were people of the borders and some of their customs were misunderstood by the southern Greeks. Under the 4th century BC the Macedonian population was approximately 1 million. A big part of the northern population was non-Macedonian. Hilding Thylander – Den Grekiska världen, p. 350 Quote: The Macedonians were at an early stage, greek patriots. When Argos destroyed Mykene 478 BC, the Macedonian King hosted half of the citys escaping population. When Athens under the years of Perikles, took over Histiaia on Eubeas north shore, its population moved to Macedonia.

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