June 15, 2012

Alexander the Great - Philip Freeman

Ancient Macedonians of Alexander the Great spoke their own language (which was unrecognizable by the ancient Greeks)

Extract from the book "Alexander the Great" by Philip Freeman:

"...Macedonians of the mountains differed from the lowland farmers in many ways, they shared a common language that defined them as a single people - and separated them from the Greeks to the south. (page 5)

...The Macedonian tongue was so far removed from the Greek of Athens or Sparta that it may as well have been a different language entirely. (page 5)

...he switched from his usual Greek speech to yell at his guards in Macedonian.

Later still his soldiers mocked an officer on trial for addressing them in Greek rather than normal Macedonian of the ranks.

Macedonians were known for their odd words and strange pronunciation - they could never quite get Greek sounds right even when they tried..."

Инфо благодарение на Modernes Griechenland

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