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The Forum > Article Comments > What's in a name? > Comments

What's in a name? : Comments

By Peter Hill, published 2/2/2011

Greek national identity seems to be so fragile that it is threatened even by a dispute over who 'owns' Alexander the Great.

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Interesting.The dispute seems ridiculous from this distance, however one person's farce is another's tragedy. I'm always fascinated how some immigrants who are 'multicultural' supporters in Australia don't seem to have the same sentiments in regard to their homelands.

Whatever the Macedonians ethnic and cultural affinities, the ancient Greeks thought that they were barbarians and not genuine Greeks. I doubt if the average 4th century BC Athenian would have wanted to 'own Alexander', before his successful rampage through Asia.

Perhaps Australia is not the only country 'searching for identity'.
Posted by mac, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 7:10:23 AM
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"Nationality is a matter of self-ascription"

This maybe so but there HAS to be some give and take between the competing nations. Something the Slavic speakers from FYROM refuse to do.

Just say Greece decides to split into two? A decision is made to split the country into north and south.

They called the southern section 'Greece', and the northern section 'Macedonia'.

What happens to FYROM? What will they be called?

See my point?
Posted by Savvas Tzionis, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 8:31:12 AM
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“The perceived threat may actually be quite different. Does the Government of the Hellenic Republic need the dispute with its small neighbour in order to bolster national unity?”

Perhaps it does:
it doesn’t seem to have learned much in the couple of millennia since the rival city-states were at each other’s throats.
How could the barbarians of Sparta be expected to rub shoulders in national conformity with the philosophers of Athens
Posted by colinsett, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 9:15:33 AM
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[Deleted for abuse.]
Posted by Pletho, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 9:17:48 AM
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I always find it fascinating those that call FYROM nationalists "Macedonians" on the basis of self-identification... are the exact same ones who always end up changing the rules when it comes to ancient Macedonians..... who self-identified as Greeks for centuries at the ancient Olympics.

"Men of Athens... In truth I would not tell it to you if I did not care so much for all Hellas (Greece); I myself am by ancient descent a Greek, and I would not willingly see Hellas change her freedom for slavery. " (Speech of Alexander I of Macedonia upon being admitted to the Olympic games as a self-identifying Greek, Herodotus, " Histories", 9.45, ed. A. D. Godley)

It would be fun to go back in time and watch Mr.Hill (and the supporters of the former self-identifying ethnic Bulgarians of the former Yugoslavia) tell ancient Macedonians they weren't Greeks. My guess is Alexander would have cleaved him in two faster than a Gordian Knot.
Posted by Pletho, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 9:28:53 AM
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[Deleted for abuse.]
Posted by Shannon, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 9:40:49 AM
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