Paeonia-Was the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ever part of Greece?

Alan Piersonn, MA from Heidelberg University

The modern Slavic Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) corresponds to ancient Paeonia, not to ancient Macedonia, which was – and still is – a part of Greece. Paeonia was annexed by the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon in 358 BC, but it was not really Macedonia, consequently it wasn’t a part of Greece. Likewise, for example, Egypt, may have been ruled by Macedonians, including the famous Cleopatra, but it was never called Macedonia or was a part of Greece.

“Macedonia, of course, is a part of Greece.” (Strabo, "Geography", 7, Frg. 9)

“Paeonia is to the east of these nations, and to the west of the Thracian mountains; on the north it lies above Macedonia.” (Strabo, “Geography”, 7, Frg. 4)

"The so-called Republic of 'Macedonia' [FYROM] is located in what was ancient Paeonia and the ancient Paeonians were non-Greeks whom the Greeks (Macedonians) conquered and incorporated into their European empire." (Paul Cartledge, University of Cambridge, UK)

“Paeonia, roughly where the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is today.” (Timothy Howe, Jeanne Reames, “Macedonian Legacies”, Regina Books, 2008, p.239)

“Ovid was lax in his geography, not least over Paeonia (in fact roughly coextensive with the present Slav republic of Macedonia).” (Ovid [Author], Peter Green [Translator], “The Poems of Exile”, University of California Press, 2005, p.319)

“Besides the former kingdom of Macedon [Greece], the Roman region included the territories of Paeonia where the contemporary FYR Macedonia rests.” (Ridvan Peshkopia, “Conditioning Democratization”, Anthem Press, 2015, p.189)

"Macedonia was - and still is - a territory of northern Greece. The Ancient Macedonians were of Greek origin and spoke a broader rougher dialect of Greek." (Stephen Batchelor, “The Ancient Greeks for Dummies”, 2008)

Source:

Quora.com