Over the past several years I've been researching and learning as much about our history as I possibly can after finding this website and other resources. There are still some gaps to fill, but overall I feel like I've reached a point where I can comfortably identity with all facets of our history. For example, I am a believer in that we are the products of all indigenous and migrating groups in the region of Macedonia. The migrating Slavic/Turkic groups are our most recent ancestors, but obviously we have ancestors stretching all the way back to antiquity, who were assimilated into these migrating groups.
However, I am struggling with how to understand the Macedonian identity in antiquity. In my opinion (like others I've seen on here), all tribes living in Macedonia Proper were of a similar Thraco-Illyric mix that were assimilated together to form one political entity and identity (i.e. ancient Macedonians). The Paeonians, Enhelians, Dassaretae, and Brygians all lived in Upper Macedonia. Would these tribes/peoples be of the same Thraco-Illyric mix as those in Lower Macedonia? Seeing as my family is from the Struga/Western portion of Macedonia, would we be more "Illyric" in our descent from the Thraco-Illyric mix (i.e. the Enhelians were referred to as Illyric "eel-people")? Would those from Eastern Macedonia or Aegean be different? Perhaps more Thracian? Several of my relatives from Ohrid say that they prefer to use Illyrian/Brygian or Paeonian. How would this Thraco-Illyric mix and modern Macedonians relate to the Illyrian Movement for South Slavs? I've also seen other resources refer to Philip and his dynasty as coming from a Doric-Epirean stock (link: http://www.pollitecon.com/html/ebook...-Macedonia.pdf)
Sorry if this is a loaded question but I've been obsessing over this lately as I feel like this is the last piece of the puzzle I am missing before I can fully complete my beliefs/theories/viewpoints on our people and history. Thank you!
However, I am struggling with how to understand the Macedonian identity in antiquity. In my opinion (like others I've seen on here), all tribes living in Macedonia Proper were of a similar Thraco-Illyric mix that were assimilated together to form one political entity and identity (i.e. ancient Macedonians). The Paeonians, Enhelians, Dassaretae, and Brygians all lived in Upper Macedonia. Would these tribes/peoples be of the same Thraco-Illyric mix as those in Lower Macedonia? Seeing as my family is from the Struga/Western portion of Macedonia, would we be more "Illyric" in our descent from the Thraco-Illyric mix (i.e. the Enhelians were referred to as Illyric "eel-people")? Would those from Eastern Macedonia or Aegean be different? Perhaps more Thracian? Several of my relatives from Ohrid say that they prefer to use Illyrian/Brygian or Paeonian. How would this Thraco-Illyric mix and modern Macedonians relate to the Illyrian Movement for South Slavs? I've also seen other resources refer to Philip and his dynasty as coming from a Doric-Epirean stock (link: http://www.pollitecon.com/html/ebook...-Macedonia.pdf)
Sorry if this is a loaded question but I've been obsessing over this lately as I feel like this is the last piece of the puzzle I am missing before I can fully complete my beliefs/theories/viewpoints on our people and history. Thank you!
Comment