Historical perceptions of Greco-Macedonian ethnicity in the Hellenistic Age
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Abstract
Whatever the perceptions and problems of Greek and Macedonian
ethnicity among themselves in the Age of Philip and Alexander, those
questions took on their own dynamics in the Hellenistic period.
Partially because of the expanded orbit of their own Hellenic world
following the conquests and death of Alexander, and largely because the
principals were forced to deal with large numbers of people for whom
the traditional ethnic differentiation between the two was essentially
meaningless, the distinctions and barriers between Greeks and Macedonians broke down. Demetrius Poliorcetes could still reorganize a “League of Corinth” to aid the Antigonid cause in Greece in 302 B.C., and the propaganda slogan of “freedom and autonomy” for the Greek cities (έλευθερία καί αυτονομία) was used throughout the period, but in its political rather than ethnic sense.
By the end of the Third Century, Polybius (quoting from the treaty
between Hannibal and Philip V) referred to the exchange of oaths between “Macedonia and the rest of Greece” (7.9.3) and Carthage to uphold
that treaty’s obligations, in what clearly was an official formula
accepted by both the Carthaginians and Macedonians. Likewise, the
Achamanian envoy Lykiskos (again in Polybius), addressing the Spartans on the Aetolian threat, spoke of the politics and rivalry among Greek states, but in doing so specifically stated that Achaea and Macedonia were of the same people (όμοφύλους) (9.32.7). Whether dealing with external or internal threats, the ethnic perceptions of the Greeks and Macedonians had become inclusive. Finally, despite the Roman organization of a province of Macedonia separate from Greece in the Second Century, Strabo prefaced his treatment of Macedonia in
the First Century with the statement that Macedonia was peut of Greece,
but then had to go on to justify placing it topographically in the study
with Thrace (7.9). Clearly a transformation had occurred in which Macedonia as part of Greece became the standard paradigm, and any deviation from that must be explained.
ethnicity among themselves in the Age of Philip and Alexander, those
questions took on their own dynamics in the Hellenistic period.
Partially because of the expanded orbit of their own Hellenic world
following the conquests and death of Alexander, and largely because the
principals were forced to deal with large numbers of people for whom
the traditional ethnic differentiation between the two was essentially
meaningless, the distinctions and barriers between Greeks and Macedonians broke down. Demetrius Poliorcetes could still reorganize a “League of Corinth” to aid the Antigonid cause in Greece in 302 B.C., and the propaganda slogan of “freedom and autonomy” for the Greek cities (έλευθερία καί αυτονομία) was used throughout the period, but in its political rather than ethnic sense.
By the end of the Third Century, Polybius (quoting from the treaty
between Hannibal and Philip V) referred to the exchange of oaths between “Macedonia and the rest of Greece” (7.9.3) and Carthage to uphold
that treaty’s obligations, in what clearly was an official formula
accepted by both the Carthaginians and Macedonians. Likewise, the
Achamanian envoy Lykiskos (again in Polybius), addressing the Spartans on the Aetolian threat, spoke of the politics and rivalry among Greek states, but in doing so specifically stated that Achaea and Macedonia were of the same people (όμοφύλους) (9.32.7). Whether dealing with external or internal threats, the ethnic perceptions of the Greeks and Macedonians had become inclusive. Finally, despite the Roman organization of a province of Macedonia separate from Greece in the Second Century, Strabo prefaced his treatment of Macedonia in
the First Century with the statement that Macedonia was peut of Greece,
but then had to go on to justify placing it topographically in the study
with Thrace (7.9). Clearly a transformation had occurred in which Macedonia as part of Greece became the standard paradigm, and any deviation from that must be explained.
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