Answer to the Letter to President of the Republic of Hellenes by UMD by Harris D. Roufas

 

 

I have read your letter to the President of the Greek Republic with
astonishment for the inaccuracies concerning both ancient and modern Greece.

Let me try to correct the misunderstanding as briefly as possible.

First of all the name Hellenes (Greeks) has always been used as an umbrella
definition to describe a number of tribes that lived in the southern
Balkans, South Italy, and western Asia Minor and spoke similar dialects, had
the same religion and culture and most of all considered themselves to be
Greeks.

The ancient Macedonians were one of these tribes and met all these criteria.
They spoke an archaic Greek that was the same as Homeric Greek and
dialectically was related to Doric. They did not speak the "Koine" dialect,
as you claim in your letter, which was the Athenian dialect and became
common after the time of Alexander.

It is true that the Romans adopted Greek culture, but they spoke Latin and
considered themselves Roman, not Greek. They did not have Greek names and
did not participate in a basic activity of the Greek world, the Olympic
Games, and never joined the Greek confederation. The Macedonians, in
contrast, were an integral part of the Greek world.

Regarding modern Greece, all its citizens, no matter where they live,
whether in Attica, Peloponnesus, Macedonia or any other part of Greece,
consider themselves equal and have the same legal rights.

Having said the above, I am flattered that you want to be considered also as
the descendants of the Macedonians and I would welcome you as such, once you
stop distorting the historical record and start learning the language of our
common ancestors.

Sincerely,

Haris D Roufas