Analysis of historical events in Greek occupied Macedonia An interview with Risto Stefov Analysis of historical events in Greek occupied Macedonia An interview with Risto Stefov Published by: Risto Stefov Publications [email protected] Toronto, Canada All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written consent from the author, except for the inclusion of brief and documented quotations in a review. Copyright 2016 by Helen V. & Risto Stefov e-book edition July 15, 2016 2 INTERVIEWER – Risto, I found your name on the internet and want to ask you a few questions about Macedonia. In the past we have heard much about the Macedonians from various sources, the majority of which were non-Macedonian. You are among the first Macedonians on the internet to have contributed to the Macedonian point of view and to Macedonian history. What can you tell us about that? RISTO – Macedonian history begins in prehistoric times but the Modern Macedonian nation’s unique history begins after the invention, if I can call it that, of nationalism and accelerates during the breakup of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1800’s. The people that existed in the Balkan Region before the invention of nationalism cannot be called “nations”, something that was not yet invented. Before these modern nations were created, by the nation building process, and before borders were placed around them, all the people in the Balkans lived together within the confines of one large borderless region. As history tells us, the people in this large Balkan region began to openly and freely live together after Philip II, a Macedonian king (338 BC), opened the frontiers and united them under his kingdom which at the time extended from the Adriatic Sea in the west to the Black Sea in the east. This frontier remained open from the 4th century BC to the 19th century AD. In other words, all through the Macedonian Empire, the Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and the Ottoman Empire until the European Great Powers of the 19th century decided break up the Ottoman Empire and replace it with smaller nation states each with their own unique people and borders. The concept of “nationalism” and “nations” at the time was not known, was alien, to the people of the Balkans inside the borders of the Ottoman Empire. 3 Nationalism was introduced to these people by the European Western Powers, brought to them from the outside. In addition to having lived together without borders for over 2,300 years, the Christian people of the Balkans, for over 1,800 years, shared a common religion which served as a unifying force and kept them together. The Ottoman Empire of the 19th century was a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious pluralistic society, but outside of language and some folk traditions there was not much in the Balkans to distinguish one people from another. Unfortunately the real aim of the European Great Powers was not to free the Christian people in the Balkans but to get rid of the ailing Ottoman Empire and replace it with smaller and more manageable “nation states”. In retrospect, freeing the Christians was a side effect of that aim. To the Western European Great Powers it didn’t matter what kind of “nation states” they were creating as long as they were “non-Slav speaking” homogeneous societies which would agree to keep Russia out of the Mediterranean waters. And while the Western European Great Powers were trying to break up the Ottoman Empire into smaller and divergent states, Russia, another European Great Power, was attempting unite all the Slav speakers in the Balkans under a Russian leadership. The national awakening of Serbia, due to neighbouring Austro- Hungarian influence, was an accident that couldn’t be helped. But Greece, on the other hand, was purposely created by design. Greece was created to be the opposite of Serbia and a solution to keeping the balance of power in the Balkans. While Serbia was destined to become a Slav State, Greece would be destined to become the “opposite”. The Western European Great Powers chose the name “Greece” and “Greeks” for the new state because it was a Latin name denoting a 4 “Latin” lineage which was to represent the Latin “Romaos” (Roman) character of the people. [According to Strabo, the Phoenicians of Halkidiki were the first colonists of Eubeia who, in “Kampania” on the west coast of Italy, founded the cities “Kim”, in 757 BC and “Region”, about 730-720 BC. This was the oldest colony in that region. There, the Phoenicians made contact with the neighbouring Latin “Etrurci” and passed on to them their culture, their Phoenician alphabet and their myths. A few years later, around 600 BC, they founded the city Naples, and in Sicily they founded the cities “Mesena”, “Katana” (730 BC) and “Naks”. The Latins called the new colonists “Graios” in accordance with their origin, the land of the “Greia” (Graias), today’s “Orop”, a boundary located between Boeotia and Attica, at the mouth of the river Asop.] (Page 83, Antonije Shkokljev, “Prehistory - Central Balkans Cradle of Aegean culture”) The name “Hellas” and “Hellenes” was later discovered by German historians. This was a more suitable, realistic and unique name for the new state and on top of that it had local origins. [King Deukalion (Deykalion) was considered to be father of all Hellenes. He was married to Pira, daughter of Epimetei and Pandorar and lived in Thessalian Ftia together with the indigenous Pelasgians and later among the Achaean Mirmidonians in their existing cities. According to Homer (Homer, Iliad and Odyssey, II, 681, Novi Sad, 1985. (Prev. Gjurigj MN)), “… Some were from Arg and lived in Pelasgian cities. Some were from Alopa, Al in Trehina, and from Ftia and Hellada. They had beautiful women. They were called Mirmidonians, Hellenes and some still called themselves Achaeans. They had fifty ships and their leader was Ahilei.” From what we know from Homer, it would appear that the cities Arg, Alop, Al, Hellada and Trahin existed in Thessalian Ftia before Deukalean’s arrival. Each place name had special meaning. The word “Ftia” comes from the verb “fino” meaning land of the dead, disappearance, destruction. The word “Hellada” comes from the word “helos” meaning swamp, mud. The word “Trahin” comes from the word “trahus” meaning brittle, rocky. The word “Al” comes from “alos” and “als” meaning salt. The word “Alopa” means salty, 5 salty island. The word “Arg” means white. The river which created the plain where these cities were located was called “Sperhei” meaning fiercely attacking. A mountain to the south bears the name “Eta” meaning misery, suffering. It was on this mountain that Hercules lit himself on fire to escape his pain. This is also the location of the Thermopolis Gorge and where the city Lamia, capital of Ftia, is located. (The word “Lamia” is a Macedonian word meaning dragon). If the toponyms are names associated with real objects and events, then the stories in mythology must also have realistic meaning. And as such the ethno genesis of the Hellenes can be derived from the myths about who Pindar (Pindar, Olympia, IX, 41), Apolodori (Apollodori, Bibliotheca (I-II) I, 7, 2) and others have informed us.] (Pages 185, 186, Antonije Shkokljev, “Prehistory - Central Balkans Cradle of Aegean culture”) In other words the 19th century German scholars found a more selective ancient name and history for the modern Greeks, now called “Hellenes”. Unfortunately, both names, “Greece” and “Hellas”, were foreign to the 19th century Balkan people who lived in that region. But, if you ask a Modern Greek person in English today to identify his or her “nationality” they will say they are “Greek”. If you ask them what is that in “Greek”? They will say “Ellinas” or “Ellinida”. There is no word for “Greek” in the Greek vocabulary. If there is it is rarely used and unknown to most Greeks. According to most modern Greeks today, “Greek” and “Ellines” are synonymous. In other words a “Hellene is a native of either ancient or modern Greece; a Greek”. The pre-19th century Balkan people had no notion of “nationalism” or knowledge of any “ancient City States”. Encouraged by the European Great Powers, the Balkan people’s main aim was to drive the Ottomans out of the Balkans and replace 6 their Muslim Empire with a Christian Empire which they themselves could then rule. But this was not what the Western European Great Powers wanted. As I said earlier, the European Great Powers wanted to break up the “large Ottoman state” and replace it with smaller divergent “nation states” and make sure they never again combined. The process of “Hellenization” began by educating some of the elite Balkan people about the existence of the old City States and their exploits. People who studied abroad, London in particular, were seduced by the eloquently written, romantic stories the European had written about a people who lived at the bottom of the Balkans a long time ago. These Balkan people were especially thrilled when they were received by westerners as the descendents of those ancient people. But, not all Balkan people were willing to be Hellenized or convinced to take the Hellenic road, some still wanted to replace the Ottomans with themselves in the existing large state. Unfortunately the Western Great Powers did not agree. Also, it was one thing to create a theoretical “nation state” and another to give it life and a past.