Monday, April 26, 2010

Γκρουέφσκι: Δεν έρχομαι στην Ελλάδα!...Ε! Καί;...

"Sikime kadar!" Τουρκιστί, ή, άλλως,
"Εις τα κάτωθι του ημετέρου ανδρικού μορίου" (γεγραφθέντα)!
Κι άν έλθει κι άν δεν έλθει! Θα κλάψουμε κι όλας που αποφάσισε ο Γκρούης να μην παραβρεθεί στην διάσκεψη που διοργανώνεται από το περιοδικό "The Economist"; Άς αλυχτάει μόνος του στην Δαρδανία! Χολώθηκε προφανώς που δεν αφήσανε το προεδρικό αεροσκάφος της Ρεπούμπλικα Μακεντόνιγια να υπερπτήσει Ελληνικού αεροδιαδρόμου και να προσγειωθεί στο Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος, καί άλλαξε γνώμη. Καλόμαθε από πέρισυ με την Ντόρα στην Κέρκυρα, και ήθελε προφανώς να δοκιμάσει πάλι τις αντοχές μας εφέτος. Ο κύριος Παπανδρέου πάντως εξέφρασε την κατανόησή του γιά την απόφαση του σκοπιανού ομολόγου του.
Καί γιά να λέμε την πικρή αλήθεια, αρκετές τρόϊκες, ύενες καί "μαύρα κοράκια με νύχια γαμψά" συνάχθηκαν στο Κλεινόν Άστυ τώρα τελευταία...το ανθελληνικό μίσος καί η γουρσουζιά του Γκρούη μας έλειπε!
Τώρα, θα πεί κανείς, αφού δεν έρχεται ο Γκρουέβσκι, δεν τους στέλνουμε εμείς τον Μητσοτάκη;...ή έστω την κόρη του;
Να πετάξουμε λίγη γουρσουζιά από πάνω μας!

Y.Γ. Η φώτογραφία είναι απο το προηγούμενο Σκοπιανό Προεδρικό αεροπλάνο, στην πτώση του οποίου χάθηκε ο πρώην Πρόεδρος της ΠΓΔΜ, ο Μπόρις Τραικόβσκι. Κάτι ξέρει ο Γκρούης και τα αποφεύγει τα πολλά αεροπορικά πέρα δώθε...Οχι τίποτε άλλο, αλλά εάν βάλει ο Δίας των Μακεδόνων το χέρι του και γίνει κάτι καλό, θα έχουμε μετά τα γνωστά "Πολωνέζικα" μπλεξίματα των Ρώσσων, καί άντε να μας φύγει η ρετσινιά!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

H "Βόρεια Μακεδονία" καί το Αθηναϊκό παζάρι της ντροπής: Κόκκινες γραμμές σε ρόζ πουάν φόντο

Επανέρχεται το «Βόρεια Μακεδονία» στο προσκήνιο για την ονομασία της ΠΓΔΜ



Χρόνια πριν, στα μέσα της δεκαετίας του '80, ήμουν επισκέπτης στο σπίτι του Μανώλη και της Ράνιας στην Κρήτη. Καλοκαίρι, καθισμένοι στο μπαλκόνι, και νά'σου μας κολλάει σαν βεντούζα μια γύφτισα που πουλούσε τραπεζομάντηλα. Ένα από αυτά ξεχώριζε.
Αρχίζει το παζάρεμα:
"Έλα καλέ κυρία, καλό τραπεζομάντηλο, να το πάρεις! Τρία χιλιάρικα, μόνο γιά σένα! Τζάμπα είναι!"
Η Ράνια, τἰποτα.
"Καλέ κυρία, κοίτα το, τέτοιo τραπεζομάντηλο, που θα το δείς ξανά εσύ;"
Πάλι η Ράνια τίποτα...στήλη άλλατος.
"Καλέ κυρία, τέτοιo τραπεζομάντιλο, πόσο θα το βρείς σε μαγαζί; Kοίτα εδώ νταντέλα καλέ...άντε γιά σενα εγώ δυόμισυ χιλιάρικα καλέ, να, πάρτο, άντε!"
Της το έβαζε μπροστά της, της το άνοιγε, αλλα η Ράνια πάλι τίποτα:
"Οχι, δεν το θέλω!", της έλεγε που καί πού.

Περνούσε η ώρα καί η γύφτισα άρχισε να χάνει την υπομονή της. Η τιμή κατέβαινε σιγά σιγά,αλλά σταθερά, απο τις τρείς χιλιάδες έπεσε στις δυόμισυ, μετά στις δύο, στο ενάμισυ χιλιάρικο, στο ένα, η Γύφτισα άρχισε να γίνεται όλο καί πιό ανυπόμονη, καί μετά κυριολεκτικά έξαλλη, αλλά η Ράνια παρέμενε απαθέστατη:
"Μα δεν το χρειάζομαι...δεν το θέλω!".
Αλλά δεν την έδιωχνε κι όλας...Το καταλάβαινε η γύφτισα καί μύριζε κάπου εκεί την πώληση, και δεν το έβαζε κάτω...η τιμή συνέχισε να πέφτει μονόπλευρα, πήγε στις οχτακόσιες, στις εφτακόσιες, εγώ είχα ιδρώσει:
"Βρε Ράνια, εάν είναι να το πάρεις, πές της κι εσύ μιά τιμή, να τελειώνουμε"...Βούδας η Ράνια...απάθεια...Κούδας η γύφτισα, στην επίθεση, ούτε "Καλέ κυρία", ούτε ευγένειες πλέον, της το πετούσε το τραπεζομάντηλο στο πρόσωπο:
"Πάρτο μωρή σου λέω! Τζάμπα στο δίνω! Δώσε με ένα πεντακοσάρικο πιά!"...έξαλλη κατάσταση!

Φρέσκος τότε απόφοιτος από πανεπιστήμιο της Εσπερίας εγώ, δεν καταλάβαινα από παζαρέματα τότε. 'Αρχισα μέσα στην ασχετοσύνη μου, καί μην αντέχοντας την αφόρητη πλέον πίεση της κατάστασης, να την παρακαλώ την Ράνια:
"Πές της Βρε Ράνια να φύγει, αφου δεν θέλεις να το πάρεις, μην την τυρανάς, διώξε την"...τίποτα η Ράνια! Στο τέλος η Γύφτισα, έχοντας πλέον χάσει μιάμισυ - δυό ώρες ανέπρακτη, σε κατάσταση ελεεινή, με βραχνή πλέον φωνή και τσακισμένο το ηθικό της, πετάει γιά μιά τελευταία φορά το δαντελωτό τραπεζομάντηλο στην αγκαλιά της Ράνιας καί την παρακαλά: "Καλέ αφού ξέρω οτι το θέλεις to τραπεζομάντηλο...πόσα δίνεις πιά, να φύγω κι εγώ;".
Επί τέλους σπάει και η Ράνια την ακριβή την σιωπή της:
"Πόσα θέλεις;"
"Τί πόσα θέλω καλέ; Έχασα την όλη μέρα μου με σένα, δώσμε ένα κατοστάρικο να φύγω!". "΄Εχω ένα πενηντάρικο!" της λέει ήρεμα η Ράνια, κοιτάζοντας, επιτέλους, μέσα στο πορτοφόλι της...το αρπάζει η γύφτισα από τα χέρια της, καί όπου φύγει φύγει, σαν δαρμένο σκυλί, με την ουρά κάτω από τα σκέλια...
Άρχισαν αίφνης να καταλαβαίνω επιτέλους κι εγώ.
Η γύφτισα γνώριζε τρία πράγματα:
A΄. Επρεπε να πουλήσει, άρα εάν έφευγε έχανε την πώληση.
Β΄. Το τραπεζομάντηλο άρεσε στην Ράνια, αλλά
Γ'. Η Ράνια δεν προτίθετο να το αγοράσει στην προσφερόμενη τιμή, παρά μόνον σε τιμή ΜΕΓΑΛΗΣ ευκαιρίας, όπως και έγινε.
Παρά τα κόλπα, τις γκρίνιες καί τις φωνές, στο τέλος αυτή που ΕΙΧΕ ΑΝΑΓΚΗ να πουλήσει έκανε πίσω και προσαρμόστηκε τελικά σε λογικό συμβιβασμό, σύμφωνα με τις απαιτήσεις αυτής που ΔΕΝ ΕΙΧΕ ΑΝΑΓΚΗ να κλεισει η συμφωνία με οποιοδήποτε ακριβό αντίτιμο.

Πέρασαν χρόνια από τότε. Κάτοχος πλέον αυτού που εάν είχαν ευκαιρία να το μελετήσουν στο Harvard Business School θα το ονόμαζαν Rania Method of Bargaining (RMB ή Νεοελληνιστί: Μέθοδος Παζαρέματος της Ράνιας - ΜΠΡ), βρέθηκα σε κάποιο ταξείδι μου στην Ινδία, σε μία διεθνή κλαδική έκθεση προϊόντων που με ενδιέφεραν.
Επικέντρωσα την προσοχή μου σε μία εταιρεία, της οποίας τα προϊόντα μου άρεσαν, αφού όμως είχα κοιτάξει πρώτα τις αντίστοιχες τιμές παρόμοιων προϊόντων άλλων εταιρειών. Ξεκίνησα την κουβέντα, αδιάφορα..."τί είναι αυτό; πόσο κάνει είναι εκείνο;...πόσο πάει το άλλο".

Aρχίσαμε τους κύκλους, σαν τον καρχαρία. Ρωτούσα γιά τιμές άσχετων προϊόντων, που ναί μεν δεν με ενδιέφεραν, αλλά όμως είχα τιμές γιά αυτα από άλλες εταιρείες, πολύ ανταγωνιστικότερες. Τους τις πέταγα τις τιμές αυτές, από εδώ κι από εκεί, γιά να τους ταρακουνήσω και να τους εκνευρίσω λίγο, εκεί που τους πόναγε. Σάν να λέμε όπως κάνουν οι Σκοπιανοί με εμάς, ονοματίζοντας δρόμους στάδια καί αεροδρόμια Μεγαλέξανδρος καί Φίλιππος, έτσι γιά να μας την σπάνε, βάζοντας επί πλέον θέματα στο τραπέζι, στα οποία μετά θα "συμβιβαστούν" γιά να μας βοηθήσουν να κάνουμε εμείς πίσω στα ουσιαστικά.

Οι Ινδοί μου ζητούσαν επίμονα να καθήσω κάτω γιά κουβέντα, προσφέροντάς μου παραδοσιακά Ινδικά γλυκίσματα και τσάϊ, κι έγώ αρνιόμουν, λέγοντας τους ότι "πρώτα πρέπει να σοβαρευτούν να μην μου παίζουν παιχνίδια με τις τιμές, γιατί δεν είχα καθόλου χρόνο γιά χάσιμο, πολλές εταιρείες με περιμέναν να κουβεντιάσω γιά τα προϊόντα μαζί τους". Πήγα να φύγω...Αυτό ήταν:..."εμείς θα σού δώσουμε ΟΤΙ ΤΙΜΕΣ ΘΕΛΕΙΣ!" Κάθησα. Αρχίσαμε να παζαρεύουμε ένα-ένα όλα τα αντικείμενα που πραγματικά ήθελα, και τράβηξε το παζάρεμα τέσσερις ώρες. Γύρω μας είχαν μαζευτεί ολόκληρη κουστωδία από περίεργους πελάτες καί άλλους πωλητές και ανταγωνιστές. Υπήρχε ένταση, βράση, νεύρα, ιδρώτας, αντιδικία, φωνές, αλλά στο τέλος καταλήξαμε σε συμφωνία.
"Μάς έβγαλες τα σκώτια", μου λένε στο τέλος "...Τέτοιον Αμερικάνο πρώτη φορά βλέπουμε! Ποτέ δεν μας κάνουν Αμερικάνοι αγοραστές τέτοια παζάρια"! "Σωστά", τους απαντώ, "αλλά εγώ δεν είμαι Αμερικάνος, Έλληνας είμαι!"
"Καί δεν μας τό'λεγες από την αρχή; Αλλη μιά φορά δουλέψαμε με ΄Eλληνα και τα ίδια βάσανα τραβήξαμε στο παζάρεμα!".

Γενικά μιλώντας, όποιος αιτείται, όποιος έχει την μεγαλύτερη ανάγκη, είναι αυτός που κάνει αναγκαστικά και τις μεγάλες καί πολλές υποχωρήσεις. Οι συγκεκριμένοι Ινδοί θέλανε να μου πουλήσουν τα προϊόντα τους. Εγώ ήθελα μεν να τα αγοράσω, αλλά δεν καιγόμουν κι' όλας. Εάν αποχωρούσα επομένως, δεν είχαν πολλά άλλα περιθώρια: Είμασταν πάρα πολύ λίγοι οι ξένοι αγοραστές στην έκθεση, και ακόμη πιό λίγοι όσοι ενδιαφερόντουσαν γιά τα συγκεκριμένα προϊόντα που αυτοί διέθεταν.
Το να δεχτώ εγώ να πληρώσω ακριβή τιμή, θα ήταν επομένως, επιοικώς, βλακεία. Οταν φτάσαμε στην τελική συμφωνία, είχαμε κλείσει συμφωνία όχι μονον γιά την συγκεκριμένη πώληση, αλλά και για μακροχρόνια συμφωνία, επιδή δημιουργήθηκε αμοιβαία κατανόηση και αλληλοσεβασμός, εφόσον τους απέδειξα πως γνωρίζω τον αντικείμενό μου, και δεν θα τους έπαιρνε να προσπαθήσουν καν να με εξαπατήσουν στο μέλλον. Μπήκαν υγιή όρια στην συνεργασία, με άλλα λόγια.

Είτε αγοράζεις πέρσικα χαλιά σε παζάρι της ανατολής, είτε ξεπουλάς το μισό Αιγαίο μέσα από γκρίζες ζώνες και συνδιαχείρηση με τους χαντζαροφόρους Τούρκους, ενώ έχεις όλο το διεθνές δίκαιο, τις διεθνείς συνθήκες καί το Δίκαιο της Θάλασσας με το μέρος σου, η τέλος ξεφορτώνεσαι όσο-όσο την Μακεδονία στους Σκοπιανούς, το παζάρεμα έχει παντα τους δικούς του απαράβατους κανόνες.

Εάν θέλεις αγοράζεις, εάν δεν έχεις ανάγκη δεν αγοράζεις. Εάν πρέπει να πουλήσεις, πρέπει να πουλήσεις, έστω και με έκπτωση. Στο παζάρεμα έχεις ανταλλαγή. Ωραία, να σου δώσω εγώ το μισό Αιγαίο, εσύ όμως μου δίνεις την μισή Μικρά Ασία; Αλλιώς, ποιό είναι το αντικείμενο, τι να συζητάμε; Εάν το απαιτείς, τότε ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, δεν έχουμε παζάρι, έχουμε ληστεία, έχουμε πόλεμο, άρα θα ματωθείς γιά να μου το πάρεις, άρα πάλι κάτι θα πληρώσεις.

Οι Τούρκοι διπλωμάτες βάζουν θέμα: "Οι Τουρκοκύπριοι είναι απομονωμένοι οικονομικά από την ΕΕ! Οι Ελληνοκύπριοι φταίνε!"
Ωραία, μαζί σας κι εμείς, να βγάλουμε την Τουρκοκυπριακή πλευρά από την απομόνωση. Κι εμείς μαζί μας τους θέλουμε, συμπολίτες μας. Aλλά δεν στέλνουμε πρώτα τον Τουρκικό στρατό κατοχής εδάφους κράτους μέλους της Ευρωπαϊκής ΄Ενωσης πίσω στην Ασία, να συνενοούμαστε καλλίτερα, μιάς και η Τουρκία θέλει καί έχει ανάγκη να ανοίγει τα κεφάλαια συνεργασίας με την ΕΕ; Και μιας και ξεκινήσαμε την κουβέντα με τους Τουρκοκύπριους, δεν καθορίζουμε πρώτα ποιός είναι Τουρκοκύπριος καί ποιός είναι εξ Ανατολίας παράνομα κατέχων Ελληνοκυπριακή περιουσία άποικος γιά να μην μπερδευόμαστε με τις ένοιες;

Ερχόμαστε και στο ζήτημα των Σκοπίων:
Στις 13 Απριλίου 1992, ο τότε πρόεδρος της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής κάλεσε το συμβούλιο των πολιτικών αρχηγών με σκοπό να παρθεί επίσημη θέση του Ελληνικού πολιτικού κόσμου για την ονομασία και την επακόλουθη αναγνώριση του κράτους των Σκοπίων. Μετά το περας της συνάντησης των αρχηγών, ο Πέτρος Μολυβιάτης, πρέσβης παρά τω Προέδρω, διάβασε το εξής ανακοινωθέν:
«Η Ελλάδα θα αναγνωρίσει ανεξάρτητο κράτος των Σκοπίων μόνον εάν τηρηθούν και οι τρεις όροι που έθεσε η ΕΟΚ στις 16 Δεκεμβρίου ’91 με την αυτονόητη διευκρίνιση ότι στο όνομα του κράτους αυτού δεν θα υπάρχει η λέξη “Μακεδονία”».

Δεκαοχτώ χρόνια μετά, τα Σκόπια ακόμη προσπαθούν να γίνουν αποδεκτά με το ψευδεπώνυμο τίτλο της επιλογής τους. Το Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας το έχουν δεχτεί πάμπολα κράτη, αλλά όσες χώρες καί άν αναγνωρίσουν τα Σκόπια, εφόσον η Ελλάδα τους λέει όχι, δεν έχουν ελπίδα να μπούν στο ΝΑΤΟ καί στην ΕΕ, δύο στόχοι που τους καίνε. Τα κλειδιά τα κρατούσε πάντα καί τα κρατά ακόμη η Ελλάδα.

Με την βαρυσύμαντη στάση του συμβουλίου πολιτικών αρχηγών το 1992, με τον Κωνσταντίνο Καραμανλή και τον Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου είχε τότε ταχθεί σύσωμος ο ελληνικός λαός στην Ελλάδα και στόν αποδήμο Ελληνισμό, καί είχαν όλοι τότε ταχθεί κατηγορηματικά κατά της χρήσης του όρου «Μακεδονία» στην ονομασία των Σκοπίων. Το συμβούλιο του 1992 έβαλε την Ελληνική "κόκκινη γραμμή"στο θέμα της ονομασίας των Σκοπίων.

2010: Tα Σκόπια παραμένουν σε Δαντώνιο λίμπο. Αυτό από μόνο του αποτελεί άθλο της κατά τα άλλα ασθμαίνουσας Ελληνικής διπλωματίας. Aς αρχίσουμε επομένως να βλέπουμε το ποτήρι μισογεμάτο, αντί γιά μισοάδειο. ΤΙΠΟΤΑ ΜΕΧΡΟ ΣΤΙΓΜΗΣ ΔΕΝ ΧΑΘΗΚΕ! Τώρα αρχίζουν τα δύσκολα γιά τους Σκοπιανούς καί τώρα αρχίζουν τα εύκολα γιά εμάς.
Με μία απειλή βέτο στην είσοδό τους στο ΝΑΤΟ στο Βουκουρέστι, με οικονομία στα πρόθυρα κατακλυσμιαίας κατάρευσης (τα δικά μας δεν ειναι τίποτα...η κατάσταση επάνω είναι δραματική: Eλλάδα του 1955, πάνω κάτω, και με 35% ανεργία), καί με τους Αλβανούς Τετοβάρους να έχουν ξεθάψει τα Καλασνίκοβ, και να δείχνουν σημάδια άμεσης εξέγερσης, η κατάσταση άρχισε να ξεφεύγει αστραπιαία από τα χέρια τους. Ο Γκρουέβσκη αρχίζει να φαίνεται σαν τον καπετάνιο ενός καραβιού που βυθίζεται καί αυτός παζαρεύει την τιμή του με όσους ήλθαν να τον σώσουν! Όσοι ημεδαποί αφελώς νομίζουν ότι το θέμα της ονομασίας το χάσαμε, άς το ξανασκεφτούν! Σίγουρα δεν το γνωρίζουν το θέμα! Αρκεί η Ελλάδα αυτη την στιγμή να δράξει της ευκαιρίας και να θέλει να κάνει ντόπιες συμμαχίες, παρά να τα αναθέτει όλα τα θέματα σε υπερατλαντικούς μεσίτες. Τον Ε. Βενιζέλο πήγαν να τον κατασπαράξουν οι υπερεθνικιστές της εποχής όταν ήλθε σε αντιτουρκική συμφωνία με τους Βούλγαρους. Στο τέλος, η Μακεδονία ενσωματώθηκε στην Ελλάδα καί η Βουλγαρία δεν κερδισε παρά ψίχουλα. Μία συμφωνία με τους Αλβανούς των Σκοπίων καί υποστήριξη των δικαίων τους σε θέματα ανθρωπίνων δικαιομάτων, θα έκανε τον Γκρουέβσκι επιλληπτικό, και έτρεχε ικέτης στην Αθήνα...το ζήτημα θα λυνόταν αυτοστιγμή.

"Το "Βόρεια Μακεδονία" συγκαταλέγεται στις ιδέες, τις οποίες έχει κατά καιρούς εκφράσει ο διαμεσολαβητής του ΟΗΕ κ. Νίμιτς και είναι προφανές ότι ταιριάζει στο πλαίσιο που περιέγραψα. Αυτή είναι η θέση της Ελλάδας και της μεγάλης πλειοψηφίας των πολιτικών κομμάτων της χώρας." Τάδε έφη Δημήτρης Δρούτσας, αναπληρωτής υπουργός Εξωτερικών του Αθηναϊστάν, μιλώντας στην εφημερίδα Free Sunday.

"Η ονομασία «Βόρεια Μακεδονία», εφόσον χρησιμοποιηθεί έναντι όλων, συγκαταλέγεται στις προτάσεις που ταιριάζουν στο πλαίσιο των ελληνικών θέσεων για το θέμα της ονομασίας της ΠΓΔΜ, δηλώνει ο αναπληρωτής υπουργός Εξωτερικών Δημήτρης Δρούτσας, καλώντας παράλληλα τα Σκόπια να κάνουν το «άλλο βήμα».
Σχετικά με το "Βόρεια Μακεδονία" o κ. Δρούτσας δηλώνει: "Η θέση μας (ενοεί την θέση που επέβαλε το Στέϊτ Ντηπάρτμεντ στους Αθηναίους κολαούζους του, ξεκινώντας με την Ντόρα την πολιτική της οποίας συνεχίζει) είναι δεδομένη και γνωστή σε όλους: μία ονομασία με γεωγραφικό προσδιορισμό και για όλες τις χρήσεις."

"Δεν είναι θέση που υιοθετήσαμε με ελαφριά καρδιά, σαφώς αποτελεί συμβιβασμό (έλα τώρα, τί κουβέντες είναι αυτές...!), αλλά αποδεικνύει την ετοιμότητά μας για την επίτευξη λύσης. Ας κάνουν επιτέλους και στα Σκόπια το άλλο βήμα, για να μας συναντήσουν στη μέση" τονίζει ο αναπληρωτής υπουργός Εξωτερικών. Γιά ποιά μέση μιλάμε δηλαδή;
Από to:
"Η Ελλάδα θα αναγνωρίσει ανεξάρτητο κράτος των Σκοπίων μόνον εάν τηρηθούν και οι τρεις όροι που έθεσε η ΕΟΚ στις 16 Δεκεμβρίου ’91 με την αυτονόητη διευκρίνιση ότι στο όνομα του κράτους αυτού δεν θα υπάρχει η λέξη “Μακεδονία”", μέχρι το:
"Στο ζήτημα της ονομασίας της ΠΓΔΜ ακολουθούμε επιθετική, ανοικτή διπλωματία. Λέμε ξεκάθαρα τι θέλουμε σε όλους τους συνομιλητές μας. Στηριζόμαστε στην "εθνική κόκκινη γραμμή", την οποία έχουμε χαράξει μαζί με την μεγάλη πλειοψηφία των πολιτικών δυνάμεων της χώρας.", σίγουρα υπάρχει κάποια μικρή απόσταση...
Να χαρώ τις κόκκινοσκουφίτσες καί τις ρόζ γραμμές! Μα ποιόν κοροϊδεύουν τελικά;

"Όλα αυτά έχουν αλλάξει το παιχνίδι...αλλά δεν αρκούν για να φτάσουμε σε λύση. Για λύση χρειαζόμαστε συνομιλητή και ο κ. Γκρούεφσκι δεν έχει αποδείξει ακόμα ότι θέλει να διαπραγματευθεί."

Μα τι τον περάσατε τον Γκρουέβσκη; Tόσο ανόητος είναι να κάνει πίσω τώρα που μύρισε άτακτη υποχώρηση απο μέρους μας; Βρήκε ευκαιρία καί κάνει τον ζόρικο, τώρα, επειδή νικά καί νικά κατά κράτος, καί φυσικά πολύ καλά κάνει. Οι Σκοπιανοί μία θέση είχαν καί έχουν. Εμείς σού λένε είμαστε Μακεδόνες, το κράτος μας είναι η Δημοκρατία της Μακεδπονίας, η γλώσσα μας είναι Μακεδονική, καί ότι όνομα άς θέλει να μας δώσει η Ελλάδα άς μας δώσει, εμείς δεν έχουμε πρόβλημα, αρκεί στον υπόλοιπο κόσμο να είμαστε η Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας, καί το συνταγματικόμας ονομα παραμένει ώς έχει. ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΘΕΣΗ ΑΥΤΗ ΟΙ ΣΚΟΠΙΑΝΟΙ ΔΕΝ ΤΟ ΚΟΥΝΗΣΑΝΕ ΟΥΤΕ ΕΝΑ ΧΙΛΙΟΣΤΟ!
Εμείς είμαστε που από εδώ:

"Η Ελλάδα θα αναγνωρίσει ανεξάρτητο κράτος των Σκοπίων μόνον εάν τηρηθούν και οι τρεις όροι που έθεσε η ΕΟΚ στις 16 Δεκεμβρίου ’91 με την αυτονόητη διευκρίνιση ότι στο όνομα του κράτους αυτού δεν θα υπάρχει η λέξη “Μακεδονία”"
πήγαμε εδώ:

"Η ονομασία «Βόρεια Μακεδονία», εφόσον χρησιμοποιηθεί έναντι όλων, συγκαταλέγεται στις προτάσεις που ταιριάζουν στο πλαίσιο των ελληνικών θέσεων για το θέμα της ονομασίας της ΠΓΔΜ"!

Γιατί λοιπόν να συνομιλήσει με τον όποιο κύριο Δρούτσα, ο Γκρουέβσκη, την στιγμή που γνωρίζει από πριν την Bασινγκτώνια κοροϊδία στην οποία σαν κιοτής καί σαν κότα η Αθήνα συνένεσε;

Τί λέμε στην ξιφασκία; "Όταν χτυπήσεις σε ατσάλι υποχωρείς, όταν διαισθανθείς υποχώρηση χτυπάς με ατσάλι!" Καί θα πρόσθετα: όταν δείς κάποιον να κάνει συνέχεια πίσω, τότε τον βαράς στο ψαχνό μέχρι να τον ξεκάνεις. Ο δειλός, αυτός που υποχωρεί άτακτα δίχως κάν να δώσει μάχη, καί μάλιστα μπροστά σε αμελητέο εχθρό, δεν αξίζει έλεος καί συμπόνεια, μόνο περιφρόνηση. Σε αυτή την ελεεινή θέση μας έχουν φέρει οι ατελείωτες υποχωρήσεις μπροστά στον Τούρκικο στσαμπουκά καί επεκτατισμό. Αυτό βλεπουν καί οι Σκοπιανοί καί παίρνουν μαθήματα. Καί κάτι άλλο: ο Γκρουέβσκι πυγμάχος ήταν, πριν ασχοληθεί με την πολιτική, ας μην το ξεχνάμε αυτό. Τραμπούκος τη ζωής καί της πολιτικής, με διασυνδέσεις με την Γιουγκοσλάβικη καί την Αλβανική μαφία. Κάτι περισσότερο από τους δικούς μας πρέπει να καταλαβαίνει από θάρρος, θράσος, αντοχή καί επιμονή ενώ τα δικά μας σαλονάτα παλικάρια είναι μαθημένα στην σοκκολάτα καί την πολιτική δειλία.

Οι Αμερικάνοι μάς έμαθαν πιά, εξηνταπέντε χρόνια τώρα, ότι στην παραμικρή πίεση γυρίζουμε πλάτη. Οι Σκοπιανοί το βλέπουν(καί εάν δεν το γνώριζαν, τους το σφύριξαν οι Τούρκοι, που επισης μας έμαθαν, από τα γεγονότα του '55 καί μετά) ότι σε κάθε κέλευσμα ή έστω απλό νεύμα του Στέϊτ Ντηπάρτμεντ οι δικοί πολιτικοί καί διπλωμάτες μας βάζουν πειθήνια την ουρά κάτω από τα σκέλια. Η περήφανη στάση του Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου στην κρίση του Αιγαίου το 1987 αποτελέι την μοναδική εξαίρεση που επιβεβαιώνει δυστυχώς τον λυπηρά κατάπτυστο κανόνα.

Οι καιροί αλλάζουν. Τα γεωπολιτικά δεδομένα από Βαλκάνια καί μέση Ανατολη, έως τον Καύκασο από δεκαετία σε δεκαετία συνεχώς ξαναμοιράζονται. Η Ελλάδα κατασπατάλησε αλόγιστα δισεκατομύρια δισεκατομυρίων σε πανάκριβα μα παντελώς άχρηστα οπλικά συστήματα καί το αποτέλεσμα να το βλέπουμε απτό πλέον μπροστά μας: η χώρα χρεωκόπησε!

Καί γιατί λέμε άχρηστα"; Επειδή απλούστατα ποτέ δεν υπήσξε η πολιτική βούληση να τα χρησιμοποιήσουμε, ή να απειλήσουμε με σοβαρότητα πως είμαστε έτοιμοι να τα χρησιμοποιείσουμε. Μόνη εξαίρεση καί πάλι, η κρίση στο Αιγαίο του 1987, όπου μπροστά στην επιμονή του πατέρα του σημερινού πρωθυπουργού οι Τούρκοι στρατηγοί πισογύρισαν πρύμνα και με την ουρά στα σκέλια.

Σε αντιπαράθεση με τον Αντρέα, οι Σημίτης καί Πάγκαλος, με τον εξευτελιστικά δειλό τρόπο που διαχειρίστηκαν την κρίση των Ιμίων το μόνο που κατάφεραν είναι να δημιουργήσουν τετελεσμένα γεγονότα καί γιά πρώτη φορά μετά το 1922 υπήρξε ουσιαστικό χάσιμο Ελληνικής γής καί άνοιγμα του κιβωτίου της Πανδώρας όσον αφορά τις γκρίζες ζώνες στο Αιγαίο καί την συνδιαχείρηση με την Τουρκία.
Οι Λατίνοι έλεγαν Si vis pacem, para bellum, εάν θέλεις ειρήνη, προετοιμάσου γιά πόλεμο. Ο εχθρός σου θα πρέπει να σε υπολογίζει σαν επικίνδυνο αντίπαλο, καί διατεθειμένο να πόλεμο, αλλιώς δεν σε παίρνει στα σοβαρά. Τί να τα κάνω τα όπλα όταν δεν είμαι διατεθειμένοςνα τα χρησιμοποιήσω; Μας ακούν οι Σκοπιανοί να μιλάμε γιά κόκινες γραμμές καί μας βλέπουν στα ρόζ πουάν, καί μας παίρνουν στην πλάκα!

Τί τους τα δίνουνε τους φρουρούς των φυλακών τα όπλα όταν φεύγουν με την άνεσή τους οι κρατούμενοι με ενοικιασμένα ελικόπτερα μέσα από τις φυλακές καί οι φρουροί δεν τολμούν να ρίξουν μία σφαιρα, έστω στα πόδια, έστω στον αέρα γιά εκφοβισμό! Τί να τα κάνουμε τα ακριβά αεροπλάνα, πού οι μίζες τους μόνο σε βίλες γιά τον Παπαντωνίου και σε γαμήλια γλέντια γιά τον Τσοχατζόπουλο κατέληξαν, όταν οι Τούρκοι σκοτώνουν σε σύγκρουση τον σμηναγό Κ. Ηλιάκη στο Καρπάθιο πέλαγος πέφτοντας επάνω στο αεροπλάνο του καί δεν τρέχει τίποτα, δεν υπάρχει άμεση αντίδραση παρά μόνον κλαψουρίσματα. Συγκρίνετε την φοβική στάση μας με την στάση του δολοφόνου Τούρκου αεροπόρου που απείλησε με το πιστόλι του τους δικούς μας που πήγαν να τον σώσουν, αρνούμενος κάθε βοήθεια περιμένοντας τους δικούς του, καί αμέσως μετα την ανακοίνωση του χατζαροφόρου Τουρκικού Στρατιωτικού κατεστημένου που έριχνε τις ευθύνες στην Ελλάδα γιά την φονική σύγκρουση καί την δολοφονία του σμηναγού Κ. Ηλιάκη: "Κύριοι, μας είπαν, άς μην μας αναχαιτίζατε!"

Αυτά βλέπει ο Γκρουέβσκη, καί δεν κάνει πίσω. Αφήνει τους Έλληνες αναπληρωτές Υπουργούς Εξωτερικών να κλαψουρίζουν:

"Για λύση χρειαζόμαστε συνομιλητή και ο κ. Γκρούεφσκι δεν έχει αποδείξει ακόμα ότι θέλει να διαπραγματευθεί."

Ο Γκρουέβσκη αγαπητέ μου αναπληρωματικέ όχι μόνον δεν είναι διατεθειμένος να διαπραγματευτεί, αλλά επί πλέον ετοιμάζει τά "Μακεδονικά" του επινίκια. Τα ορειχάλκινα αγάλματα του Μεγαλέξανδρου καί των Μακεδόνων πεζαιτέρων έχουν ήδη φτάσει από την Φλωρεντία. Μετά τις υπογραφές θα βγεί ο Γκρούης στην Μακεντόνσκα Τελεβίζιγια καί θα πεί εντάξει, δεχόμαστε το Βόρεια Μακεδονία καί μετά την είσοδο στο ΝΑΤΟ θα κάνει καί ένα ξεγυρισμένο δημοψήφισμα καί τίποτα δεν θα αλλάξει στο τέλος, ούτε συνταγματική ονομασία, ούτε erga nomes ούτε τίποτα! Δεν τα λέω εγώ αυτά, ο ίδιος o Γκρούης το υποσχέθηκε δημόσια στον λαό του. Εάν το γνωρίζω εγώ καί όσοι διαβάζουμε τα μπλόγκ καί τις εφημερίδες, δεν το γνωρίζουν οι διπλωμάτες μας; Πολύ αμφιβάλω.

Μπορεί ο κύριος Δ. Δρούτσας να βαυκαλίζεται ότι όλα τα προβλήματα θα λυθούν πλέον με την λεγόμενη "Βόρεια", αλλα οι προετοιμασίες γιά τα εγκαίνεια του αγάλματος του Μεγαλέξανδρου στην κεντρική πλατεία των Σκοπίων, αποδεικνύουν οτι οι Σκοπιανοί τον ανθελληνικό τους οίστρο δεν πρόκειται να τον παρατήσουν, ΑΝΤΙΘΕΤΑ, όπως καί με τους Τούρκους μετά τα Ίμια, οι προκλήσεις τους θα μονιμοποιηθούν καί θα παγιωθούν! Εάν τους αναγνωρίσουμε όνομα με Βόρεια, Άνω, Πάνω, Κάτω, Παραδίπλα "Μακεδονία", καί μάλιστα με το Μακεδονία αυτόνομα υπαρκτό, τότε το πρόθεμα θα ξεχαστεί καί θα μας μείνει σκέτο το "Μακεδονία"! Την γεύση την πήρε ο ίδιος ο Δρούτσας τις προάλλες κατά την έναρξη της Μακεδονικής Προεδρίας στο συμβούλιο της Ευρώπης, όπου οι εκπρόσωποι της "Πρώην Γιουγκοσλαυικής Δημοκρατίας της Μακεδονίας" έβγαλαν λογότυπο γιά την "Μακεδονική Προεδρία. Δηλαδή, συγνώμην, σαν τί θα έπρεπε να εμφανίζονταν, σαν Πρωηνγιουγκοσλαυικηδημοκρατιατηςμακεδονιαςιακή Προεδρία; Να μην αυτογελοιοποιούμαστε διεθνώς...εφόσον τους αφήσουμε να έχουν το "Μακεδονία" καί μάλιστα αυτόνομο καί όχι σύνθετο (πχ Σλαυομακεδονία), τότε ΟΛΟΙ θα τους αποκαλούν "Μακεδόνες", και φυσικά ότι έχει σχέση με αυτούς θα είναι "Μακεδονικό", γλώσσα, εθνότητα, κράτος, ιστορία, γή, τα πάντα. Επομένως, ότι ισχύει με το ΠΓΔ της "Μακεδονίας" θα ισχύει καί με οποιαδήποτε "μπλαμπλαμπλα Μακεδονία". Τα προσδιοριστικά (γεωγραφικά ή άλλα) μπλαμπλαμπλα υποπέπτουν καί το Μακεδονία παραμένει. Δεκαπέντε τόσα χρόνια μετα το ΠΓΔΜ ακόμη δεν το καταλάβαμε αυτό; Μην γελιώμαστε λοιπόν: ΤΙΠΟΤΑ ΔΕΝ ΘΑ ΑΛΛΑΞΕΙ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΒΟΡΕΙΑ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑ! To δηλητήριο στα δόντια του φιδιού παραμένει άθικτο. Όλα τα ίδια προβήματα που αντιμετωπίζουμε τωρα παραμένουν! Όλα τα διμερή με τα Σκόπια προβλήματα όχι μόνον παραμένουν αλλά γεωμετρικά επαυξάνονται καί παγιόνονται! Γιά πιό λόγο άραγε σε καθεστώς οικονομικής κατάρευσης παρήγγηλε ο Γρουέβσκη τα πολλών εκατομυρίων ευρώ Αρχαιομακεδονικά αγάλματα, αλλά δεν τα στήνει ακόμη παρόλο που εχουν παραληφθεί;

Το πρόβλημα με τα Σκόπια, μπορεί μεν να εμφανίζεται σαν μιά απλή διαφορά στο όνομα, η ουσία όμως είναι στον Μακεντόνσκικο αλυτρωτισμό που εμπεριέχει εκρηκτικές εστίες έκρηξης καί διαλυτισμού. Όλοι είναι μπλεγμένοι στο Μακεδονικό: Έλληνες, Βούλγαροι, Αλβανοί, Τούρκοι, Σλαβομακεδόνες και δυτικοί. Επομένως οποιαδήποτε λύση δεν σπάσει τα δόντια του "Μακεντονισμού" των Σκοπιανών, και δεν λύσει το καυτό θέμα της γλώσσας καί της εθνικότητας, που ο Κύριος Δρούτσας χαζοχαρούμενα παρακάμπτει, δεν μπορεί να θεωρηθεί μακροπρόθεσμη καί τελική λύση, αλλιώς κοροϊδευόμαστε. Δεν χρειαζόμαστε άλλες Ζυρίχες καί Λονδίνα, γιά να μην ξεχνάμε καί τους σκελετούς στην ντουλάπα του λεγόμενου εθνάρχη. Ας μην ξεχνούμε πως η Ζυρίχη καί το Λονδίνο είναι ακριβώς οι συνθήκες που μέσα από την διπλωματική υποχώρηση μας έφεραν αργότερα καί με μαθηματική ακρίβεια στην καταστροφή της Τούρκικης εισβολής του Αττίλα.

Την υπογραφή σου, λένε, μεταξύ άλλων, οι πατεράδες στους γιούς τους στην Ελλάδα, πρέπει να ξέρεις πού την βάζεις!

Είναι αυτονόητο πως η προτεινόμενη λύση στην οποία σύρεται από Σόρους καί από Νιμίτς η Αθήνα με την ψευδεπίγραφη "Βόρεια Μακεδονία", των "εθνικά Μακεδόνων" που ομιλούν την "Μακεδονική" γλώσσα, και κατάγονται κατευθείαν από τον Αριστοτέλη, τον Φίλιππο καί τον Μεγαλέξανδρο, αποτελεί σπορά ανθελληνικών ανέμων που θα θερίσει Βαλκανικές θύελες! Το δυστύχημα είναι πως αυτή την φορά δεν θα υπάρχει γιά αργότερα ελπίδα λύσης, γιατί η καταστροφή θα έχει επέλθει αυτή την φορά ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΥΠΟΓΡΑΦΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΣ! Εάν πάρουν το εισιτήριο γιά την ΕΕ καί το ΝΑΤΟ, το θέμα πλεον ληγει! Το παζάρεμα τώρα πρέπει να γίνει. Έστω καί τώρα, με πρόφαση την άκαμπτη στάση του Γκρουέβσκη (πυ έχει νευριάσει καί τους Αμερικάνους!), η Αθήνα έχει την δυνατότητα να αποσύρει την αυτοκαταστροφική υποστήριξη του "γεωγραφικού προσδιορισμού" καί της "Βόρειας Μακεδονίας" καί να προτείνει λύση που να μας συμφέρει, και να βοηθά καί στον υγιή εθνικό αυτοπροσδιορισμό των Σλαβομακεδόνων της ΠΓΔΜ, μακρυά από τις εθνοπαραποιητικές γελοιότητες του αρχαιοψευδομακεδονισμού των βαμμένων ανθελληνιστών του ΒΜΡΟ.

Όσοι μιλούν τα Σλαβομακεδονικά καί αυτοπροσδιορίζονται ως Σλαύοι-Μακεδόνες, Σλαβομακεδόνες, θα πρέπει να δεχτούν το αυτονόητο, καί να ονομάσουν το κρατικό τους μόρφωμα ανάλογα. Δικό μας καθήκον είναι να βοηθήσουμε τον λαό αυτό στο να απαγκιστρωθεί από την μισαλλόδοξη, λυσσαλέα ανθελληνική και υπερεθνικιστική ηγεσία των Γρουεβσκικών, πράγμα πολύ πιό εύκολο στις σημερινές συνθήκες εκ των έσω διάλυσης των Σκοπίων. Όσοι παρακολουθούν τα τεκτενόμενα στην ΠΓΔΜ γνωρίζουν ότι η στιγμή γιά παζάρια είναι τώρα.

Αρκεί να απαρνηθούμε τον ρόλο της γύφτισας που εσαεί υποχωρεί καί να ακολουθήσουμε επιτέλους την σκληρή τακτική της Ράνιας! Στο κάτω κάτω κύριε Δρούτσα, ΔΕΝ ΕΙΜΑΣΤΕ ΕΜΕΙΣ ΠΟΥ ΘΕΛΟΥΜΕ ΝΑ ΜΠΟΥΜΕ ΣΤΟ ΝΑΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΕΕ...εμείς ήδη μέσα είμαστε. Πρέπει να το καταλάβουμε σε κάποια φάση ότι δέν είμαστε εμείς οι ικέτες καί οι ζήτουλες, οι Σκοπιανοί είναι που κρουταλούν την θύρα! Όσο γιά τους Ατλαντικούς καί Ευρωπαιστές μας συμμάχους, κάπου καί αυτοί θα καταλάβουν πως πρέπει να βάλουν νερό στο κρασί τους και να δούν πως αρκετά ζόρια τραβάει η κυβερνηση του Γιώργου Παπανδρέου με τα οικονομικά...δεν έχει ανάγκη και από την ρετσινιά του εθνικού μειοδότη με ένα επαπειλούμενο φιάσκο στο Σκοπιανό!

Το κλειδί με άλλα λόγια, με σωστούς ελιγμούς, στο χέρι μας είναι!...

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Macedonian names and makeDonski pseudo-linguistics: The case of the name Atarchias

This article was originally published on May 15, 2009 in the American Chronicle.
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/102397
Miltiades Elia Bolaris


Balkan Illusion - phantasia archaica:

"...it is very interesting to note that many of the authentic ancient Macedonian words, according to their etymology and pronunciation, have a striking resemblance to the appropriate words used in the modern Macedonian language (and other so called "Slav"[sic] languages)."..."Atarhi(as). The root of this name contains the noun "atar". This is a Macedonian archaism for the word "love". Names that contain the word "love" exist in a majority of lexicons." From: "Similarities between ancient Macedonian and today's' Macedonian Culture (Linguistics and Onomastics)" by Aleksandar Donski, celebrity folk "historian" from FYROM.


Atarchias/ Ἀταρχίας

In most Slavic languages we encounter the beautiful Slavic word Ljubov/любовь, Ljubav/љубав, Lubov, Ljubav/любaвь, Ljubov,/любов, with slightly changes from one Slavic language to another: it is the Slavic word for Love. There are other Slavic words for Love, like Kocham, Láska, Oбичам /Ovitsham etc. But search as much as I did, I could not find any language, Slavic or other, where "atar" means "love". While it is true that I am deficient in the occult and other spiritualist connections that some of the pseudo-makedonists seem to possess ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZE-v5Iqmvk ) I wish I was given more references as to where they get their profound linguistic, historical and other information. Not being privy of their assistance on this issue, and lacking their references for "atar-as-love", we decide to proceed alone in our search.

Τhere was a man in Thebes called Archias/Ἀρχίας, and during the turbulent times of the early 4th century BC in Greece he was one of the strongmen governing dictatorially that city. He was one of the oligarchs, an ally of oligarchic Sparta. The democratic Thebans, under the leadership of a young revolutionary, Pelopidas, with the support of democratic Athens, wanted to stage a coup and kill Archias and his fellowmen. They arranged to attack him in a party, given by the crypto-democrat Phyllidas/Φυλλίδας, where he had been invited. But another man also called Archias, an Athenian sent him a message, describing the plot to him:

ἧκε γάρ τις ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν παρ' Ἀρχίου τοῦ ἱεροφάντου πρὸς Ἀρχίαν τὸν ὁμώνυμον, ξένον ὄντα καὶ φίλον, ἐπιστολὴν κομίζων οὐ κενὴν ἔχουσαν οὐδὲ πεπλασμένην ὑπόνοιαν, ἀλλὰ σαφῶς ἕκαστα περὶ τῶν 8 πρασσομένων φάσκουσαν, ὡς ὕστερον ἐπεγνώσθη.

for a messenger came with a letter from one Archias, the Hierophant at Athens, to his namesake Archias, who was his friend and guest. This did not merely contain a vague conjectural suspicion but, as it appeared afterwards, disclosed every particular of the design.

τότε δὲ μεθύοντι τῷ Ἀρχίᾳ προσαχθεὶς ὁ γραμματοφόρος καὶ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπιδούς "ὁ ταύτην" ἔφη "πέμψας ἐκέλευσεν εὐθὺς ἀναγνῶναι· περὶ σπουδαίων γάρ τινων γεγράφθαι.

The messenger being brought in to Archias, who was now pretty well drunk, and delivering the letter, said to him, 'The writer of this desired it might be read at once; it is on urgent business

9 " καὶ ὁ Ἀρχίας μειδιάσας "οὐκοῦν εἰς αὔριον" ἔφη "τὰ σπουδαῖα," καὶ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν δεξάμενος ὑπὸ τὸ προσκεφάλαιον ὑπέθηκεν, αὐτὸς δὲ πάλιν τῷ Φυλλίδᾳ 10 περὶ ὧν ἐτύγχανον διαλεγόμενοι προσεῖχεν. ὁ μὲν οὖν λόγος οὗτος ἐν παροιμίας τάξει περιφερόμενος μέχρι νῦν διασῴζεται παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησι.

Archias, with a smile, replied, 'Urgent business tomorrow,' and so receiving the letter, he put it under his pillow, and returned to what he had been speaking of with Phillidas, and these words of his are a proverb to this day amongst the Greeks.

Two and a half milennia later, Greeks indeed still use this expression, that has so much mortal irony in it. It is like the negation of the Mexican Mañana (leaving things of today for tomorrow), with a heavy doze of black humor: εἰς αὔριον τὰ σπουδαῖα"/ eis aurion ta spoudaia /leaving important-urgent matters for tomorrow, is the expression still very popular among Greeks. But they mean the opposite: something that needs to be done NOW, needs to be done NOW, not Mañana: for there may never be a tomorrow!!

But let us see what happened to Archias:

ἐσπάσαντο τὰς μαχαίρας καὶ φερόμενοι διὰ τῶν τραπεζῶν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀρχίαν καὶ Φίλιππον ἐφάνησαν οἵπερ ἦσαν, ὀλίγους μὲν ὁ Φυλλίδας τῶν κατακειμένων ἔπεισεν ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν, τοὺς δ' ἄλλους ἀμύνεσθαι μετὰ τῶν πολεμάρχων ἐπιχειροῦντας καὶ συνεξανισταμένους διὰ τὴν μέθην οὐ πάνυ χαλεπῶς ἀπέκτειναν.

they drew their swords, and making at Archias and Philip amongst the tables, disclosed who they were. Phillidas persuaded some few of his guests to sit still, and those that got up and tried to assist the polemarch, being drunk, were easily killed.

Plutarch, Parallel Lives, Pelopidas

The unfortunate Theban Archias was not the only one Greek man known by that name. There was also the Macedonian Archias son of Anaxidotus from Pella / Ἀρχίας Ἀναξιδότου Πελλαῖος / Archias Anaxidotou Pellaios, who was an officer and a geographer who served as Trierarch (governot of a trireme/τρίηρης ship) under admiral Nearchos/Νέαρχος, in Alexander's India to Mesopotamia navy. Alexander's army had taken the return road from India by land, while Nearchos had sailed along the Indian Ocean coast and then along the north coast of the Persian Gulf. They had lost each other, but at some point, Arrian tells us:

ἐνταῦθα ἐκβαίνουσί τε ἐκ τῶν νεῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν πόνων ἄσ­μενοι ἀνεπαύοντο, μεμνημένοι, ὅσα κακὰ κατὰ τὴν θάλασσαν πεπονθότες ἦσαν, καὶ πρὸς τῇ γῇ τῶν Ἰχθυοφάγων, τήν τε ἐρη­μίην τῆς χώρης καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅπως θηριώδεες, καὶ τὰς σφῶν ἀπορίας ἐπι­λεγό­μενοι. καί τινες αὐτῶν ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἐς τὸ πρόσω ἀνῆλθον, ἀποσκεδασθέντες τῆς στρατιῆς κατὰ ζήτησιν ἄλλος ἄλλου.

καὶ τὰς σφῶν ἀπορίας ἐπι­λεγό­μενοι. καί τινες αὐτῶν ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἐς τὸ πρόσω ἀνῆλθον, ἀποσκεδασθέντες τῆς στρατιῆς κατὰ ζήτησιν ἄλλος ἄλλου.

ἐνταῦθα ἄνθρωπός σφισιν ὤφθη χλαμύδα τε φορῶν Ἑλληνικὴν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὡς Ἕλλην ἐσκευασμένος, καὶ φωνὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐφώνεε. τοῦτον οἱ πρῶτοι ἰδόντες δακρῦ­σαι ἔλεγον· οὕτω τι παράλογόν σφισι φανῆναι ἐκ τῶν τοσῶνδε κακῶν Ἕλληνα μὲν ἄνθρωπον ἰδεῖν, Ἑλλάδος δὲ φωνῆς ἀκοῦσαι. ἐπηρώτων τε, ὁπόθεν ἥκοι καὶ ὅστις ὤν· ὃ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ στρατοπέδου τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἀποσκεδασθῆναι ἔλεγε, καὶ εἶναι οὐ πόρρω τὸ στρατόπεδον καὶ αὐτὸν Ἀλέξανδρον. τοῦτον τὸν ἄνθρωπον βοῶν­τές τε καὶ κροτέοντες ἀνάγουσι παρὰ τὸν Νέαρχον· καὶ Νεάρχῳ πάντα ἔφρασε, καὶ ὅτι πέντε ἡμερέων ὁδὸν ἀπέχει τὸ στρατό­πεδον καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης.

There they disembarked, and had a welcome rest from their long toils, remembering the miseries they had endured by sea and on the coast of the Fish-eaters; recounting one to another the desolate character of the country, the almost bestial nature of the inhabitants, and their own distresses. Some of them advanced some distance inland, breaking away from the main force, some in pursuit of this, and some of that. There a man appeared to them, wearing a Greek cloak, and dressed otherwise in the Greek fashion, and speaking Greek also. Those who first sighted him said that they burst into tears, so strange did it seem after all these miseries to see a Greek, and to hear Greek spoken. They asked whence he came, who he was; and he said that he had become separated from Alexander's camp, and that the camp, and Alexander himself, were not very far distant. Shouting aloud and clapping their hands they brought this man to Nearchos; and he told Nearchos everything, and that the camp and the King himself were distant five days' journey from the coast.

Reading the narrative above, I would think that someone who had doubts about the language of the Macedonians will think twice after this: Why should these battle hardened Macedonian men cry like children expressing their raw emotions after having heard someone speaking Greek to them, Ἑλλάδος δὲ φωνῆς ἀκοῦσαι/having heard the voice of Greece, in exact translation, had Greek not been their own language too? I cannot think that a Frenchman will cry out of joy hearing someone speaking German in a foreign land, yet these Macedonians ἰδόντες δακρῦ­σαι ἔλεγον· οὕτω τι παράλογόν σφισι φανῆναι ἐκ τῶν τοσῶνδε κακῶν Ἕλληνα μὲν ἄνθρωπον ἰδεῖν, Ἑλλάδος δὲ φωνῆς ἀκοῦσαι/ they burst into tears, so strange did it seem after all these miseries to see a Greek, and to hear Greek spoken. Being a Greek in the United States, I have yet to see a Slavomacedonian cry out of joy hearing me speak Greek to him, yet somehow I harbor the suspicion that had I ever spoken to them in their Bulgarian-derived Slavic dialect (which regrettably I do not speak) maybe they would! But let us allow Arrian to continue:

ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τῶν τινες κατὰ ζήτησιν τοῦ Νεάρχου ἐσταλμένων ἵππους τε ἐπὶ κομιδῇ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπήνας δὲ ἄγοντες ἐντυγχά­νουσι κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῷ τε Νεάρχῳ καὶ τῷ Ἀρχίῃ καὶ πέντε ἢ ἓξ ἅμα αὐτοῖσιν· μετὰ τοσούτων γὰρ ἀνῄει. καὶ ἐντυχόντες οὔτε αὐτὸν ἐγνώρισαν οὔτε τὸν Ἀρχίην - οὕτω τοι κάρτα ἀλλοῖοι ἐφάνησαν, κομό­ωντές τε καὶ ῥυπόωντες καὶ μεστοὶ ἅλ­μης καὶ ῥικνοὶ τὰ σώματα καὶ ὠχροὶ ὑπὸ ἀγρυπνίης τε καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ταλαι­πωρίης - ἀλλὰ ἐρομένοις γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἵναπερ εἴη Ἀλέξανδρος, ὑποκρινάμενοι τὸν χῶρον οἳ δὲ παρήλαυνον. Ἀρχίης δὲ ἐπιφρασθεὶς λέγει πρὸς Νέαρχον "ὦ Νέαρ­χε, τούτους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δι' ἐρη­μίας ἐλαύνειν τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν οὐκ ἐπ' ἄλλῳ τινὶ συντίθημι, ἢ ὅτι μὴ κατὰ ζήτησιν τὴν ἡμετέρην ἀπεσταλμένους. ὅτι δὲ οὐ γιγ­νώσκουσιν ἡμέας, οὐκ ἐν θώματι ποιέο­μαι· οὕτω γάρ τι ἔχομεν κακῶς ὡς ἄγνω­στοι εἶναι. φράσωμεν αὐτοῖσιν, οἵτινές εἰμεν, καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐρώμεθα, καθότι ταύτῃ ἐλαύ­νου­σιν." ἔδοξε τῷ Νεάρχῳ ἐναίσιμα λέ­γειν· καὶ ἤροντο ὅποι ἐλαύνουσιν· οἳ δὲ ὑπο­κρίνον­ται, ὅτι κατὰ ζήτησιν Νεάρχου τε καὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ τοῦ ναυτικοῦ. ὃ δέ "οὗτος" ἔφη "ἐγώ εἰμι Νέαρχος, καὶ Ἀρχίας οὗτος. ἀλλ' ἄγετε ἡμέας· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς στρατιῆς Ἀλεξάνδρῳ ἀπηγησόμεθα."

Meanwhile, however, some of those sent to search for Nearchos, who had horses to convey him, and chariots, did meet on the way Nearchos and Archias, and five or six others; that was the number of the party which came inland with him. On this meeting they recognized neither Nearchos nor Archias -- so altered did they appear; with their hair long, unwashed, covered with brine, wizened, pale from sleeplessness and all their other distresses; when, however, they asked where Alexander might be, the search party gave reply as to the locality and passed on. Archias, however, had a happy thought, and said to Nearchos: 'I suspect, Nearchos, that these persons who are traversing the same road as ours through this desert country have been sent for the express purpose of finding us; as for their failure to recognize us, I do not wonder at that; we are in such a sorry plight as to be unrecognizable. Let us tell them who we are and ask them why they come hither.' Nearchos approved; they did ask whither the party was going; and they replied: 'To look for Nearchos and his naval force.' Whereupon, 'Here am I, Nearchos,' said he, 'and here is Archias. Do you lead on; we will make a full report to Alexander about the expeditionary force.'

Arrian, Allexander Anabasis / Ἀρριανού, Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἀνάβασις

Archias seems to have been an immensely popular name among ancient Greeks. Hundreds of inscriptions with the names Archias have been found.

http://epigraphy.packhum.org/inscriptions//main?url=gis%3Fregion%3D4%26subregion%3D11

Among many others, there were actually several Greek poets by this very name, like Archias of Macedon/Αρχίας ο Μακεδών, Archias of Byzantium/Αρχίας Βυζαντινός, Archias of Mytilene/Αρχίας ο Μυτιληναίος, Archias the Grammarian or the Younger / Αρχίας ο Γραμματικός ή Νεώτερος, and others.

Here is a poetic fragment from Archias the Macedonian who wrote in the Doric Greek dialect (should we maybe ask the later day "Μakedonists" to "translate" it, using their Bugarski-derived Slavic dialect? I am sure professor Aleksandar Donski would be up to the task, or better yet, another pseudo-makedonist going under the pseudonym "Petrus Invictus", who published a "treatise" on why Homer's language is purely Slavic and has -of course!- no relation to Greek:

http://issuu.com/petro_invictus/docs/slavic_elements_in_homer ).

Then of course we also have the testimonial of another FYROM's pseudo-makedonist regime apologist, Dr. Petar Popovsky, who in all seriousness propagates in front of Skopje's Makedonska Televizija (the state-controlled tv station), why and how Homer wrote his Iliad and Odyssey epics in the yugo-Slavic Makedonski dialect, and not in the Greek language:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly3Gyq-5XGo&feature=related and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGshp9qS5Z8&feature=related .

Given the earth shaking nature of such a revelation, someone could propose the immediate and irrevocable shutting down of all the Homeric studies departments in Universities, worldwide, starting with Oxford, Sorbonne, Cambridge and Harvard for having so grossly misled us for centuries now! They might as well invite Dr. Petar Popovsky of Skopje instead, to assist them in the reconstitution of Homeric studies by incorporating them as part of the Slavic languages curriculum...

Balkan nationalistic delusions and Skopje-originating pseudo-macedonian propaganda aside, we move to Archias the (real) Macedonian's/Αρχίου τού Μακεδόνος poetic verses:

Καὶ γενέταν τοῦ νέρϑε καὶ οὔνομα καὶ χϑόνα φώνει,

στάλα, καὶ ποίᾳ κηρὶ δαμεὶς ἔϑανε. –

Γεννήτωρ Πρίαμος, γᾶ δ' ῎Ιλιον, οὔνομα δ' ῞Εκτωρ,

ὦνερ, ὑπὲρ πάτρας δ' ὤλετο μαρνάμενος.

And the family ancestor, the one below the ground and the name and the earth all cried loud

the gravestone, and what evil injury having he at last subdued he died,

Priamos was the Ancestor, and Ilion the land, and the name is Hector

having bargained for the sake of the fatherland, and destroyed it through fraternal strife

Archias the Macedonian 7.140 / Aρχίου τού Μακεδόνος 7.140 (translation by MEB)

Another poet named Archias was Aulus Archias/Αύλος Αρχίας, born circa 120 BC, in Antiochia/Αντιόχεια, Syria. Οnce he became a Roman citizen, he also added his Roman middle name Licinius: Aulus Licinius Archias/Αύλος Λικίνιος Αρχίας. Here is one of his epigrammatic poems, about the futility of fighting back an attack of Eros, the winged God of Love:

Φεύγειν δὴ τὸν ῎Ερωτα· κενὸς πόνος· οὐ γὰρ ἀλύξω

πεζὸς ὑπὸ πτηνοῦ πυκνὰ διωκόμενος.

Trying to escape from Eros? a futile effort; I won't get stressed over it!

since I am on foot while being closely chased by a winged one...

Archias/Αρχίας 5.59 (Translation: MEB)

Aulus Licinius Archias was accused by a certain Roman named Gracchus of pretending to have acquired the rights of the Roman citizen illegally and he had none other than his former student Cicero defend him at his trial, leaving for posterity one of the most celebrated speeches in Latin language: Pro Archia Poeta Oratio.

1] Si quid est in me ingeni, judices, quod sentio quam sit exiguum, aut si qua exercitatio dicendi,

in qua me non infitior mediocriter esse versatum, aut si hujusce rei ratio aliqua ab optimarum artium studiis ac disciplina profecta, a qua ego nullum confiteor aetatis meae tempus abhorruisse, earum rerum omnium vel in primis hic Archias Licinius fructum a me repetere prope suo jure debet.

IF there be any natural ability in me, O judges,—and I know how slight that is; or if I have any method in my oratory, drawn from my study of the liberal sciences, and from that careful training to which I admit that at no part of my life have I ever been disinclined; certainly, of all those qualities, this Aulus Licinius is entitled to be among the first to claim the benefit from me as his peculiar right.

Nam quoad longissime potest mens mea respicere spatium praeteriti temporis, et pueritiae memoriam recordari ultimam, inde usque repetens hunc video mihi principem et ad suscipiendam et ad ingrediendam rationem horum studiorum exstitisse.

For as far as ever my mind can look back upon the space of time that is past, and recall the memory of its earliest youth, tracing my life from that starting-point, I see that Archias was the principal cause of my undertaking, and the principal means of my mastering, those studies.

Therefore, I say that the men by whose genius these exploits are celebrated, make illustrious at the same time the glory of the Roman people.

Quae quorum ingeniis efferuntur, ab eis populi Romani fama celebratur.

Nam si quis minorem gloriae fructum putat ex Graecis versibus percipi quam ex Latinis, vehementer errat: propterea quod Graeca leguntur in omnibus fere gentibus, Latina suis finibus, exiguis sane, continentur. Qua re si res eae quas gessimus orbis terrae regionibus definiuntur, cupere debemus, quo manuum nostrarum tela pervenerint, eodem gloriam famamque penetrare: quod cum ipsis populis de quorum rebus scribitur, haec ampla sunt, tum eis certe, qui de vita gloriae causa dimicant, hoc maximum et periculorum incitamentum est et laborum. Quam multos scriptores rerum suarum magnus ille Alexander secum habuisse dicitur! Atque is tamen, cum in Sigeo ad Achillis tumulum astitisset: "O fortunate" inquit "adulescens, qui tuae virtutis Homerum praeconem inveneris!" Et vere. Nam nisi Illias illa exstitisset, idem tumulus, qui corpus ejus contexerat, nomen etiam obruisset.

For if any one thinks that there is a smaller gain of glory derived from Greek verses than from Latin ones, he is greatly mistaken, because Greek poetry is read among all nations. Latin is confined to its own natural limits, which are narrow enough. Wherefore, if those achievements which we have performed are limited only by the bounds of the whole world, we ought to desire that, wherever our vigor and our arms have penetrated, our glory and our fame should likewise extend. Because, as this is always an ample reward for those people whose achievements are the subject of writings, so especially is it the greatest inducement to encounter labors and dangers to all men who fight for themselves for the sake of glory. How many historians of his exploits is Alexander the Great said to have had with him; and he, when standing on Cape Sigeum at the grave of Achilles, said, "O happy youth, to find Homer as the panegyrist of your glory!" And he said the truth; for, if the Iliad had not existed, the same tomb which covered his body would have also buried his renown.

Pro Archia Poeta Oratio, Cicero / In Behalf of Archias the Poet, Cicero

Centuries before Cicero's teacher the poet Archias, another man by the same name, the semi-mythical person Archias of Corinth/Αρχίας ο Κορίνθιος, was a citizen of Corinth, in the Peloponnese. He was said to have led a colonial expedition of fellow Corinthian colonists to Cicily/Σικελία and he thus became the founder of the city of Syracuse/Συρακούσαι, circa 734 or 733 BC.

Τὰς δὲ Συρακούσσας Ἀρχίας μὲν ἔκτισεν ἐκ Κο ρίνθου πλεύσας.

As for Syracuse, Archias built them, having sailed from Corinth.

Στράβων, Γεωγραφία/Strabo, Geography, 6.2.4

For the Greek colonists of Cicily having as a leader a man named Archias, was actually quite appropriate, for it signified a new beginning for them, in their new life in their new land, beyond the Ionian Sea. I will explain:

Everything at some point has to have a beginning. Τhe word "beginning" in Greek is called Αrchê / Ἀρχή.

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος καί ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρός τόν Θεόν καί Θεός ἦν ὁ Λόγος· οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρός τόν Θεόν. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:1

En archê een o Logos kai o Logos een pros ton Theon kai Theos een o Logos; outos een en archê pros ton Theon.]

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. John 1:1

This is the archê/ἀρχή of John's Gospel, in the original language it was written: the Alexandrian Coene/Koine/Κοινή which was a linguistic mix of Attic Greek with infusions of the Macedonian and other Greek dialects.

The Jews of Hellenistic Alexandria had forgotten their Hebrew, and (like American Jews today who speak only English, with bare minimal knowledge of Hebrew), they only spoke Greek Koine. To accommodate his Jewish subjects, Ptolemaios II Philadelphos / Πτολεμαίος Β' ο Φιλάδελφος (309-246 BC) ordered a translation to be undertaken of the sacred bible of the Jews into Koine Greek, at the library of Alexandria. It became known as the translation of the 0', the Greek numeral for the 70, for the number of the scholars who worked on it. This is how it begins:

1᾽Εν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ ϑεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν.

Γένεσις α΄1

En archê epoiesen o Theos ton ouranon kai ten gen.]

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1

Archê, is the source, the beginning, the starting point. And since everything has to have its own beginning, even archê/ἀρχή had its own archê: it started most probably as a humble Indo-European word: *h4erh2os, which meant the border, the line, the limit. Incidentally, if you were an Indo-European farmer, standing by your field, *h4erh2os would be the beginning of the boundary of your field and *termn would be the other end of it, the limit of your property. A Latin speaking Roman farmer would call that end terminus, and a Greek farmer would call this part of the field's border the archê/ἀρχή and the end of his property he would call it the terma/τέρμα. The politician's dreaded term santorinilimits come from this terminal word, and so is the term paper that college students have to write. And in modern Greek, the goalkeeper is called termatophylacas, the phylacas/φύλακας/guard of the terma/τέρμα, the net at the end of the field. But that is the end and we are still at the beginning: archê. If you were the owner of the land from here to there, you were the Archon/Ἄρχων of that property, the one in control. Archo/Ἄρχω, the verb, in Greek means:

I. a. of time: to begin, to make a beginning of a thing

b. to begin from or with

c. to make preparations

d. to show the way to someone

II. a. to rule to be a leader

b. passively Archomai/Ἄρχoμαι: to be ruled, under someone's control

Consequently, Archon/Ἄρχων in different circumstances can mean a property owner, a ruler, a captain, a noble, a magistrate, a king, etc.

In other words, the prefix Arche-/Ἀρχε- and the prefix Archi-/Ἀρχι- in the beginning of a word, can mean either "the leader of" or "the beginner of".

Ἀρχιτέκτων/Architecton is the "master builder", Ἀρχιερέυς/Archiereus is the "chief priest", Ἀρχιμανδρίτης/ Archimandrites is the "chief shepherd", Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος/Archiepiskopos is the "leader of the επισκοποι/episkopoi, the bishops,", Ἀρχηγός/Archegos is the "master guide", th leader, Ἀρχάγγελος/Archangelos is the "leader of the messangers", the master of all Angels, Ἀρχικυβερνήτης/Archikybernetes is the "supreme governor", or the chief pilot of a ship, Ἀρχιπέλαγος/Archipelagos is the "great, unrestricted, sea", Ἀρχἐλαος/Archelaos is "the leader of the people in arms".

On the other hand, Ἀρχηγενής/Archigenes is the "one causing the beginning or origin of something", Ἀρχέτυπον/Archetypon is the archetype, the "original, the beginning pattern". Ἀρχαίον/Archaion is "the ancient one, the very old", the one closer to the very beginning, in other words. Ἀρχαιολόγος/Archaiologos is the "person that is studying the ancient", the archaically original items, of our beginning, the writer of ancient history. Ἀρχαικός/Archaicos is the "very ancient one" the archaic one, Ἀρχαιότροπος/Archaiotropos is the "one imitating the very ancient ways" the very "original" ways.

The verb Ἀρχετέω/ Archigeteo means "to make a beginning", while on the other hand Ἀρχιγετεύω/ Archigetevo means "to be a leader".

There are numerous words in Greek that are associated with leadership positions which end with arche, the power. The usual endings are -arches/ -άρχης and -archos/ -αρχος and in Dorian or Aeolian also -archas/ -αρχας.


Let us look at some typical examples of words ending in -arches/ -άρχης:

Εθνάρχης/Ethnarches, leader of the ethnos, the tribe,, Θιασάρχης/Thiasarches, leader of a theatrical troup, a thiasos, Νομάρχης/Nomarches leader of the Nome, province, Πατριάρχης/Patriarches, the religious father-leader, Tαξιάρχης/Tachiarches, leader of a Taxis in the Macedonian army, Tαγματάρχης/Tagmatarches and Συνταγματάρχης/Syntagmatarches, leader of a Tagma or syntagma Syntagma (many tagmata-taxeis), respectively, in the Macedonian army (the last three words are still being used in the modern Greek army), Γενεάρχης/Genearches, leader of the genos, the family, Τοπάρχης/Toparches, leader of the topos, the land, Μακεδονιάρχης/Makedoniarches, leader of the Macedonians, etc etc.

There are also many names ending in -arches/ -άρχης:

Female names (the "s" is eclipsed in the female form): Ἀριστάρχη/Aristarche, Ἀγαθάρχη/Agatharche, Δημάρχη / Demarche, Πολυάρχη/Polyarche, Πλουτάρχη/Ploutarche, Φιλάρχη/Philarche, Ναυάρχη/Nauarche, Φοινάρχη/Phoinarche, and also male names:

Ἀσιάρχης/Asiarches, Νεάρχης/Nearches, Πολυάρχης/Polyarches, Ἑλλαδάρχης/Helladarches, Πολεμάρχης/Polemarches, etc.

Now let us look at typical examples of words ending in -archos/ -αρχος: Πολέμαρχος/Polemarchos the leader in war, ∆ήμαρχος/Demarchos, leader of the Demos, ie the mayor of the city, ἴλαρχος/ilarchos, leader of the ile, the cavalry squadron, in the Macedonian or Thessalian cavalry, now used in the modern Greek army to describe the captain of tank squadron, χιλίαρχος/chiliarchos, leader of a thousand (chilioi) infantry men in the Macedonian army, γυμνασίαρχος/gymnasirchos, the manager of the Gymnasion, the athletic club, Ναύαρχος/Nauarchos, the admiral, leader of the naus, the ships, Φίλαρχος/Philarchos, leader of the phyle, the local tribe, into which most cities were divided, φρούραρχος/ phrourarchos, the leader of a phrourion/castle, a castle guard leader.

Here are a few typical Greek names ending in -archos/ -αρχος:

Πλούταρχος/Plourtarchos, Κλέαρχος/Clearchos, Πλείσταρχος/Pleistarchos, Ἀρίσταρχος/Aristarchos, Ἄρχος/Archos, Ξέναρχος/Xenarchos, Θεσσάλαρχος/ Thessalarchos, Μνήσαρχος/ Mnesarchos, Ἐτέαρχος/ Etearchos, Κώμαρχος/Komarchos, Τίμαρχος/Timarchos, Εἴσαρχος/Eisarchos, Ἀγάθαρχος/Agatharchos, Νίκαρχος/Nicarchos, Πολ̣ίαρχος/Poliarchos, Θαλίαρχος/ Thaliarchos, Βούλαρχος/ Boularchos,

Πρώταρχος/Protarchos, etc etc. There is simply too many of them!

We can also mention some typical examples of words ending in -archas/ -αρχaς, an ending more typical with Dorians, Aeolians, and Northwest dialect speaking Greeks: ἱππάρχας/hipparchas, leader of the men with hippoi/horses, a cavalry leader, Φωκάρχας/Phokarchas, leader of the Phocian league, Βοιωτάρχας/Boiotarchas, leader of the Boiotian league, etc.

Now we mention some names ending in -archas/ -αρχας:

Ἀρχὰς/Archas, Πυθάρχας/Pytharchas, Δικαιάρχας/Dikaiarchas, and more commonly used, names with a derivative similar ending very common in Sparta and other Dorian areas, names such that end in: -ᾱρχίδας/ -archidas:

Ἀρχίδας/Archidas, Ἀγαθαρχίδας/Agatharchidas, Ἀρισταρχίδας/Aristarchidas, Ἀρχωνίδας/Archonidas, Δαμαρχίδας/Damarchidas, Εὐαρχίδας/Euarchidas, Θυναρχίδας/Thynarchidas, Λαρχίδας/Larchidas, Λααρχίδας/Laarchidas, Μνασαρχίδας/Mnasarchidas, Νεαρχίδας/Nearchidas, Νικαρχίδας/Nicarchidas, Ξεναρχίδας Πολεμαρχίδας/Polemarchidas, Τειμαρχίδας/Teimarchidas, Φιλαρχίδας/Philarchidas etc.

Finally, there are other names, all leader-related that have other endings, names like: Ἀρχῆς/Arches, Ἀρχῆναξ/Archenax, Ἀρχὴν/Archen, etc.

Ἀρχίας/ Archias as it becomes obvious, is a well attested Greek name which means "the leader" and it is not a "lonely" name: there is literally hundreds of ancient Greek names that include the "leader" formative part "ΑΡΧ" / "ARCH" in them:

But our name is not Ἀρχίας/ Archias, it is Ἀταρχίας/ Atarchias. Atarchias is a contemporary of Alexander the Great and most probably followed the young Macedonian king in his expedition to conquer Asia, from Anatolia and Syria to Mesopotamia, Bactria and India.

Let us also travel with Atarchias to India for a moment and find the meaning of a Sanskrit word that has become so popular lately through the internet: the word Avatar. When you want to put your own image on the internet, or a symbol of yourself, your alter ego, you are being asked to upload your "avatar". Avatar, or Avatara (in Sanskrit: अवतार, Avatāra) meaning incarnation. The divinity takes on a human manifestation, it brings himself or herself embodied in human form. In its divine descent to the earth we see a change and a transition of one self into another, of the divine to the human. Change means that you were this but now you are manifesting yourself as that, before you were a god but now you seem to be a human. In Sanskrit "or" is "va".

One word for "but" in Greek is Ἀλλά/Alla, from which the word "change" is derived. The noun "change" is called Ἀλλαγή/Allage, while the verb "to change" is Ἀλλάσσω/Alasso. The word "but" in Latin is "Autem" and it is linguistically and thematically connected and related to the Sanskrit "va" and "avatara". But they are both related to the ancient Greek Aυτάρ/Autar which is another Greek word for "but".

Let us look at a beautiful Greek poem written on the funerary marble stele of a twelve year old boy from Thessaloniki, the capital of Macedonia, circa 2nd c AD:

Regions : Northern Greece (IG X) : Macedonia

SEG 26:777 SEG 26:773 SEG 27:246

Makedonia (Mygdonia) — Thessalonike — ca. 2nd c. AD — IG X,2 1 368 — ZPE 22 (1976) 92 (W. Peek)

See also: IG X,2 1 368

Μοῖρα πικρή, Λήθης Ἀχερουσίδος ἔν-

τροφε, λυγρὸν θρῆνον ἐναψαμένη

Μάγνον ἄγ´ εἰς Αΐδεω· παῖδα δυωδε-

χέτη {δωδεκέτη} πατρὶ μὲν γόον, ἄλγεα μητρὶ

ἠδὲ κασιγνήτῳ πένθεα λυγρότατα·

ἄρτι γὰρ ἦν γονέεσσι μέριμνα μέν,

αὐτὰρ ἀδελφῷ κόσμος· χἠ πικρὴ

Μοῖρ´ ἀπενοσφίσατο· ἀλλ´ ὦ τὸν πάν-

τεσσι βροτοῖς μόνον οἶκον ἐσοιχνῶ

Μάγν´, ἐπιτυμβιδίοις χαῖρε καὶ εἰνὶ τάφο

Μοῖρα πικρή/Moira pikre/Bitter Faith, it starts...and I will translate the 6th and 7th lines which concern us:

ἄρτι γὰρ ἦν γονέεσσι μέριμνα μέν,

just now he was on the one hand the solicitude of his parents

αὐτὰρ ἀδελφῷ κόσμος· χἠ πικρὴ Μοῖρα

αὐτὰρ – autar = but

but (αὐτὰρ) also the good example to his brother, the bitter Moira

Now let us read another similar funerary inscription, this one from Samos:

Samos 483

Samos (IG XII,6 1)

μ̣ή̣ με λίπηις ἀγέρασ̣[τον, ἀτὰρ χαίρειν με κελεύσας]

αὖθις ἄπει, δήμου, ξεῖν̣[ε μαθὼν χάριτας,]

I translate the first line:

μ̣ή̣ με λίπηις ἀγέρασ̣[τον, ἀτὰρ χαίρειν με κελεύσας]

ατὰρ – atar = but

don't feel sorry for me that I never grew old, but (ἀτὰρ) happily having called on me...

There is a difference between the two inscriptions on the "but":

One is αὐτὰρ – autar and the other is ἀτὰρ – atar.

Let us look it up at our Liddell & Scott Greek English Lexicon, Oxford University, 1952 reprint:

ἀτάρ, Ep. also αὐτάρ (q.v); ἀFυτάρ.

What does this mean? Atar is semantically the exact equivalent to Autar, and both were derived from ἀFυτάρ/aFutar, the ancient Greek F being pronounced approximately as the W. Therefore it was originally: Awutar.

Without regard to dialectical or geographic differentiation, "but" was pronounced by Greeks at this time (classical years, 5th and 4th c BC) as either αὐτὰρ – autar or ἀτὰρ – atar, whether in Athens, Macedonia, Ionia or south Italy. Both forms are found to have been used alternatively, everywhere where Greek was spoken. This (occasional) disappearance of the "u" vowel is called synairesis in Greek, and is not unusual at all. Let us take another word as an example:

We will start again with Sanskrit, to make it more interesting.

There is the Sanskrit word ātman/आत्मन् , which originally meant breath', but it later came to connote 'soul' or 'principle of life'. As it happens, this word has an Indo-European cousin isogloss word in Homeric Greek: ἀυτμή/autme:

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μη̂ρ' ἐκάη καὶ σπλάγχνα πάσαντο,

μίστυλλόν τ' ἄρα τἀ̂λλα καὶ ἀμφ' ὀβελοι̂σιν ἔπειραν. [365]

καὶ τότε μοι βλεφάρων ἐξέσσυτο νήδυμος ὕπνος,

βη̂ν δ' ἰέναι ἐπὶ νη̂α θοὴν καὶ θι̂να θαλάσσης.

ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἠ̂α κιὼν νεὸς ἀμφιελίσσης,

καὶ τότε με κνίσης ἀμφήλυθεν ἡδὺς ἀυτμή.

but (αὐτὰρ) as soon as the thighs were well burned and they had tasted the innards,

they cut the rest to pieces and spitted it. [365]

and then it was that sweet sleep escaped from my eyelids,

and I walked to the swift ship and the sea's shore.

but when, as I went, I came close to the double curved ship,

and then the hot smell of the fat came to me, sweet vapors(ἀυτμή),

Aυτμή/autme, also meant breath, and vapor but also fumes from burning fire, and even parfume, according to our Homeric Dictionary, by Georg Autenrieth (original in German), University of Oklahoma Press, 1958.

A word closely related to ἀυτμή/autme is ατμός/atmos. It was originally αFετμός/awetmos, but through synairesis it lost first the F and becoming αετμός/aetmos to finally take the form ατμός/atmos, meaning vapor in Greek. (Ioanne Stamatakou, Lexicon tes Archaias Hellenikes Glosses, Athens, 1972). Atmos also been borrowed into English and used in words such as atmosphere (vapor sphere-surrounding the earth), atmology, atmolysis, atmonauti, etc, all of which are vapor related words. In modern Greek it is used in words as varroed as atmomechane (steam engine) and atmoloutro (steambath-sauna).

In the same way that αFετμός/awetmos became αετμός/aetmos to finaly become ατμός/atmos, so ἀυτμή/autme became through synairesis ἀτμή/atme and ἀτμίς/atmis losing the "υ"/"u" sound. The proof is in Hesiod's Theogony 862/ Ἡσιόδου Θεογονία, 862

Φλὸξ δὲ κεραυνωθέντος ἀπέσσυτο τοῖο ἄνακτος

οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃσιν Ἀίτνης παιπαλοέσσῃς, [860]

πληγέντος. Πολλὴ δὲ πελώρη καίετο γαῖα

ἀτμῇ θεσπεσίῃ καὶ ἐτήκετο κασσίτερος.

And flame shot forth from the thunder- stricken lord

in the dim rugged glens of the mount, when he was

smitten. A great part of huge earth was scorched by the terrible

vapor (ἀτμῇ) and melted as tin melts

Let us remember now:

αFετμός/awetmos through synairesis αετμός/aetmos and then ατμός/atmos

ἀυτμή/autme through synairesis ἀτμίς/atmis or ἀτμή/atme and both coexist.

αὐτὰρ – autar through synairesis ἀτὰρ – atar, but both coexist.

Leaving poetry and grammar we return to Atarchias. Attarchias was a general, a strategos/στρατηγὸς of Cassander/Κάσανδρος/Kassandros, who later became king of Macedonia. Attarchias was being sent to guard the passes from Epeiros into Macedonia, to prevent king Aeakides from sending reinforcements to Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, who had been besieged into Pydna:

Ὀλυμπιὰς δὲ πυθομένη Κάσανδρον μετὰ μεγάλης δυνάμεως πλησίον εἶναι τῆς Μακεδονίας, Ἀριστόνουν μὲν ἀπέδειξε στρατηγόν, κελεύσασα διαπολεμεῖν τοῖς περὶ Κάσανδρον, αὐτὴ δὲ παρῆλθεν εἰς Πύδναν ἔχουσα τὸν υἱὸν τὸν Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ Ῥωξάνην καὶ Θετταλονίκην τὴν Φιλίππου τοῦ Ἀμύντου θυγατέρα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Δηιδάμειάν τε τὴν Αἰακίδου θυγατέρα τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν, Πύρρου δὲ τοῦ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ὕστερον πολεμήσαντος ἀδελφήν, καὶ τὰς Ἀττάλου θυγατέρας, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀξιολογωτάτων φίλων τοὺς συγγενεῖς...

who now having recovered the passes at Perrhaebia, so as that he had his way open to Pydna, begirt the town round with a mud wall from sea to sea; and sent for shipping, and all sorts of weapons and engines of battery from his confederates, with a design to block up Olympias both by sea and land.

As soon as Olympias heard that Cassander was entering Macedonia with a great army, she created Aristonus general, and commanded him to fight Cassander. She herself, taking along with her the son of Alexander, and Roxana his mother, and Thessalonica the daughter of Philip the son of A myntas,Deidamia the daughter of Aeacidas king of Epirus, and sister to Pyrrhus, (who afterwards made war upon the Romans), and the daughters of Attalus, and other kindred and eminent relations, entered into Pydna...

19,36] ὃς τότε διελθὼν τὰ κατὰ Περραιβίαν στενὰ καὶ παραγενόμενος πλησίον τῆς Πύδνης τὴν μὲν πόλιν περιεχαράκωσεν ἐκ θαλάττης εἰς θάλατταν, παρὰ δὲ τῶν συμμαχεῖν βουλομένων μετεπέμπετο ναῦς καὶ βέλη παντοδαπὰ καὶ μηχανάς, διανοούμενος πολιορκεῖν τοὺς μετ´ Ὀλυμπιάδος καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλασσαν. πυθόμενος δ´ Αἰακίδην τὸν Ἠπειρωτῶν βασιλέα μετὰ δυνάμεως μέλλειν βοηθήσειν Ὀλυμπιάδι, στρατηγὸν ἐξέπεμψεν Ἀταρρίαν, δοὺς στρατόπεδον καὶ συντάξας ἀπαντᾶν τοῖς Ἠπειρώταις.

But when he had intelligence that Aeacidas king of Epirus was coming with a strong army to the relief of Olympias, he delivered some forces to the command of Atarchias, with orders to meet the Epirots, who presently executing what he was commanded, possessed himself of the passes into Epirus, so that /Eacidas was wholly defeated in his design.

For the Epirots were forced against their wills to the expedition into Macedonia, and therefore mutinied in the camp: however, Aeacidas, desirous by any way possible to relieve Olympias, cashiered all those that favoured not his design; taking in those who were willing to run the same risk with himself; he was indeed very forward to engage, but had not yet force enough; for the party that stuck to him was very small.

Diodoros Sikelos Book XIX, 19.35-36 / Διοδώρου Σικελού ἐννεακαιδεκάτῃ τῶν βύβλων 19.35-36

The same grammatical rules that gave us ἀτὰρ – atar from αὐτὰρ – autar are the ones that gave us Atarchias/Ἀταρχίας from Autarchias/Αὐταρχίας through synairesis. That means that a name Autarchias/Αὐταρχίας must exist, do that the synairesis can take away its "υ". We search the epigraphic record and we find an early Christian inscription from the city of Pergamos/Πέργαμος, in Ionia:

Regions : Asia Minor : Mysia [Kaïkos], Pergamon

MDAI(A) 35.1910.481,71

Mys. — Pergamon — Chr.0

αω

Ἰη(σοῦ) κ(ύριε) βοή(θει) Τί-

θῃ Αὐταρχί-

ου καὶ τοῖς

παιδίοις αὐ-

τῆς.

αω

Jesus lord help Ti-

the (the daughter) of Autarchi-

as and also

her

children

Αὐταρχίας/Atarchias, therefore is indeed attested in the record, but so are several other versions of this very name. From the Macedonian island of Thasos we find evidence of the name Autarchos/Αὐταρχος, as the patronym of a certain Simalion (8th line from the top, written in the genitive form, as all patronyms: -ou not -os):

Regions : Aegean Islands, incl. Crete (IG XI-[XIII]) : Northern Aegean (IG XII,8)

IG XII,Suppl 391

Thasos — beg. 3rd bc

ἐπιστάτ[αι]

Ἀφροδ[ίτ]η[ι]·

Θεόδωρος

Σκύμνου,

Νόμιος

Εὐφρίλλου,

Σιμαλίων

Αὐτάρχο[υ],

Ἡρηγόρης

Σωπόλιος,

Ἡρακλείδης

Εὐ]φρίλλου,

Ἄ]ρχων

Ἡ]ροφάντου.

Suppliants to

Aphrodite

Theodoros

son of Skymnos

Nomios

son of Euphrilos

Simalion

son of Autarchos

Herogores

son of Sopolis

Heracleides

son of Euphrilos

Archon

son of Herophantes

Another man called Autarchos/Αὐταρχος is found on an inscription (on the 6th line from the top) from the Boeotian city of Thespiai, close to Thebes, in central Greece. Here we find the names:

Roesch, IThesp 119Megaris, Oropia, and Boiotia (IG VII) : Thespiai

Ἀρίσταρχος Ἀριστάρχου

Δάμων Στασάρχου

Παρά[μονος Παραμ]όνου

Εὐτε— — — —

Ξενοκράτης Ξενοκράτου

Αὔ̣τ̣α̣ρχος Δαμασίππου

Δαμοκλῆς Σιλίου

Ἄνδρων Ἄνδρωνος

Ἀφροδίσιος Ἀπολλοδώρου

Aristarchos son of Aristarchos

Damon son of Stasarchos

Paramonos son of Paramonos

Eute— — — —

Xenocrates son of Xenocrates

Autarchos son of Damassipos

Damocles son of Sillios

Andron son of Andron

Aphrodisios son of Apollodoros

A linguistic twist on this name happens in Megara, where the name Autarchias/Αὐταρχίας takes in an "s" after ch/χ : AutarchSias/ΑὐταρχΣίας. Chs/Χσ cannot exist in Greek phonetics so the fusion makes an "Χ", in Greek "Ξ", and the final form of the name becomes: Autarxias/Αὐταρξίας. This is not out of the ordinary, since the "x" sound is already part of the future tense of the verb Archomai/Ἄρχομαι. In Future tense it becomes Αrxomai/Ἄρξομαι or dialectically Αrxeumai/ Ἄρξευμαι instead of Achomai.

Here is the inscription from Megara, a city close to both Athens and Thebes, where on the 2nd line we encounter the female name Autarxia/Αὐταρξία, a dialectical form of Atarchias:

IG VII 2420

Megaris, Oropia, and Boiotia (IG VII)

γραμματίδδοντος Καφισοδώρω

Ἀκαστίδαο, ἐπάνθετα· Αὐταρξία

Δάμωνος Θεισπικὰ πόρπαν χρουσί-

while secretary was Kifisodoros

son of Akastidaos, additional offerings were made: Autarxia

daughter of Damon for oracular payment a golden porpe (a brooch).

So what does the name Atarchias/Autarchias mean? We already explained earlier that arche besides beginning also means the rule, the political power. Oligarchia/ὀλιγαρχία is the rule of the Holigoi/ὀλιγοι, the few. Μonarchia/Mοναρχία is the rule of the monos/μόνος, the lone person,

Apolyrtarchia/ Ἀπολυταρχια is the absolute/apolytos/ἀπόλυτος power of someone. Related to that are two more words: Autocratoria and Autarchia. Autocratoria/Αὐτοκρατορία (Αὐτο/Auto + Κρατω/Crato) and Autarchia/Αὐταρχία (Αὐτο/Auto + Αρχή/Arche). Autocratoria/Αὐτοκρατορία is the Greek word for empire: Roman empire = Romaike Autocratoria. Autarchia/Αὐταρχία is the absolute, unrestricted power. Autarchikos/Αὐταρχικός in Greek means someone who is tyrannical, and it can be used in personal relationships too, a husband or a father or a teacher can be called autarchikos/αὐταρχικός. Liddell & Scott defines in this way the verb αὐταρχέω: to be an absolute ruler, and the noun αὔταρχος as autocratic. The Michigan Press Greek English dictionary (Modern Greek to English) translates αὐταρχία as autocracy, absolute power, absolutism (= Ἀπολυταρχια).

An online dictionary gives the definition of autarchy as a government in which a single leader or party exercises absolute control over all citizens and every aspect of their lives: absolutism, autocracy, despotism, dictatorship, monocracy, tyranny and offers Anarchy as its opposite.

This is How Wictionary explains autarchia: ( http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/autarchy )

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὐταρχία (autarcheia), "´absolute governing´")

Noun

Singular

autarchy

Plural

autarchies

autarchy (plural autarchies)

1.A condition of absolute power.

2.An autocratic government; an autocracy.

3.Self-government; a condition of economic self-sufficiency or national independence.

I need to insert a note here (MEB): Number (3) is of course wrong, since here the lexicographer is confusing autarchy as in autarchia/αὐταρχία with autarky as in αὐτάρκεια, which is totally unrelated [in the second forming word arkeo/αρκέω, meaning I have enough, I can endure, I am content] and it means self sufficiency and self reliance). One more reason why the Classics departments worldwide need to be strengthened and not weakened in our age. You cannot speak proper English, French , Italian, German or any other European language unless you know good Greek and Latin first, and if not everyone, at least the lexicographers must! Now someone must tell that to good people at the University of Illinois UIC, so they do not weaken their well respected Classics - Greek and Latin- department even further!)}

Synonyms

(self-government): independence, self-sufficiency; autonomy

Derived terms

autarch

autarchic

autarchical

autarchically

autarchist

Related terms

autarky

autocracy.

My note again (MEB): autarky is autarkeia/αὐτάρκεια, which is totally unrelated – the second part of the word- and it means self sufficiency and self reliance, not related to autarchia/αὐταρχία)}

Since we mentioned Autarchia, let us also look at a few other words ending in "-archia", just to make sure we are not making things up here:

ἱεραρχία/hierarchia, κυριαρχία /kyriarchia, φυλαρχία /phylarchia, δημαρχίαdemarchia, τοπαρχία/toparchia, ὑπαρχία/hyparchia, ἐπαρχία/eparchia, ὀλιγαρχία/holigarchia, μοναρχία/monarchia, γυμνασιαρχία/gymnasiarchia, εἰρηναρχία/eirenarchia, τριηραρχία/trierarchia, λαμπαδαρχία/lampadarchia, δισφυλαρχία/disphylarchia, ἱππαρχία/hiparchia, βουλαρχία/boularchia, λιμεναρχία/limenarchia, συμποσιαρχία/ symposiarchia, σι̣τ̣α̣ρ̣χ̣ία/sitarchia, χειλιαρχία/cheiliarchia, κωμαρχία/comarchia, ἑκατονταρχία/hekatontarchia, and also: Βειθυνιαρχία/Beithyniarchia, Πονταρχία/Pontarchia, Λυκιαρχία/Lyciarchia, Μακεδοναρχία/Macedonarchia, etc.

All the above are words attested in the epigraphic record.

Having made clear the meaning of Atarchias, we now need to go back and look into a detail that a person who cannot read the Greek original would have missed. It is the spelling of the name Atarchias in the original text. We read the Greek text once again, more carefully this time, and we compare it against the English translation:

The Greek text:

στρατηγὸν ἐξέπεμψεν Ἀταρρίαν, δοὺς στρατόπεδον

The Roman letters transliteration of the Greek text:

strategon exepempsen Atarrian, dous stratopedon

An English translation (word by word):

a general he sent out Atarrian (whose name was Atarrias),(having) given (him) an army force

The English translation (not word to word):

he delivered some forces to the command of Atarchias

What happened here? Is Atarchias not Atarchias after all? Obviously not in the Greek text, he is not: The text is specific enough: Ἀταρρίας/Atarrias: No "ch/χ" sound after the "r", just a double "rr".

Autarchias who was Atarchias is now also Atarrias! Is the translator wrong or we simply have yet another spelling of the same Autarchias/Atarchias? Actually no, the translator knew very well what he was reading and his understanding of ancient Greek was just fine.

What we have here is the same dialectical situation as it appears in the names Arrianos/Ἀρριανός and Arrios/Ἄρριος: the "rch" / "ῥχ" has been transformed and rolled into a double "r" : "rr" / "ρρ". We can easily restore the original accent without the dialectical change, and read Arrianos/Ἀρριανός as Archianos/Ἀρχιανός, Arrios/Ἄρριος as Archrios/Ἄρχιος and finally: Ἀταρρίας/Atarrias as Atarchias/Αταρχίας or as: Autarchias/Αὐταρχίας.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Macedonian names and makeDonski pseudo-linguistics: The case of the name Attas


This article appeared originally at the May 10, 2009 of the American Chronicle: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/101883

Balkan Illusion - phantasia archaica:

"...it is very interesting to note that many of the authentic ancient Macedonian words, according to their etymology and pronunciation, have a striking resemblance to the appropriate words used in the modern Macedonian language (and other so called "Slav" languages)."

"Ata(s). The root of this name contains the noun "at", which in the so called "Old Slavic language" meant "a horse". We note that the ancient Macedonians were great horsemen and horses were very importaint for them. Such names allready(sic) exsists(sic) in onomasticons(sic) of other peoples (for example Bulgarians have their popular name Asparuh, which means "speed horse" in Old Bulgarian language). The same name "Ata" is present in todays' Macedonian onomasticon."

From: "Similarities between ancient Macedonian and today's' Macedonian Culture (Linguistics and Onomastics)", by: Aleksandar Donski, celebrity folk "historian" from FYROM.

Attas / Αττας

All the Slavic languages belong to the Satem branch of the Indo-European tree of languages, along with the Iranian and Indic languages, which include old Persian and Sanskrit. One of the modern Slavic tongues is the Slavic dialect spoken in FYROM, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, by the Slav speakers of that country. It belongs to the same sub-branch of south Slavic languages that include Serbo-Croatian and Bulgarian, being a transitional dialect between the two. It is closely related to Bulgarian, but with many similarities and lexical and phonetic affinities to Serbian.

The word for horse in Serbian, Croatian and Makedonski Slavic is: коњ / Konj , while in Bulgarian it is: кон / kоnj or коне / konje. In Russian there are two words for horse: лошадь / loshad, but also конь / konj. In Slovak the horse is called: kôň and in Slovenian: konj, while in Polish it is : Koń.

If all modern Slavs from Beograd to Vladivostok and from Sofia to St. Petersburg call horse by a name that sounds like kon or konj, it would be a linguistic paradox indeed for a word as widely spread among all modern Slavic languages and dialects to have had a totally unrelated root. Of course, not all people of Slavic language and culture consider themselves Slavs. Let us look into this issue and let the horse wait for now.

Some writers from FYROM prefer to use quotation marks before and after the word Slav. They seem to consciously prefer to write: "Slav". According to their school of Balkan historical revisionism "Slavs" are not Slavs, but descendants of the ancient Macedonians. In other words, the Slavomacedonians, the Bulgarians, the Poles, the Russians, the Belorussians, the Ukrainians, Serbs, Czechs etc, they are all descendants of the ancient Macedonians: they just do not know it yet. It is high time for them to learn the truth of their glorious ancient legacy, it seems. Here steps to the plate one of the apologists of these "theories" and with a book called : "Ancient Macedonian Heritage in Todays' Macedonian Nation", he tries to fill that abysmal void:

"There are a certain number of arguments and strong indications in support of the existence of (at least partial) ethno-cultural links between the ancient Macedonians and Veneti.", tells us Aleksandfar Donski of FYROM. And then he continues:

"Before presenting some of these arguments, it is required to affirm that the Veneti were among the oldest nations in Europe. Narratively the Veneti were initially mentioned as people from Asia Minor, and later on as Balkan people as well. Furthermore, there are number of testimonials and evidences that the ancient people Veneti were the ancestors of the so called "Slavs". This practically means that the ancient Macedonians and the so called "Slavs" should have (at least partial) common ethno-cultural background."

The writer has made a few claims above, so let us enumerate them and let us examine them one by one:

a. There were supposedly cultural and ethnic links between the Macedonians and the Veneti of ancient times.

b. The Veneti were mentioned as a people of the Asia Minor but also of the Balkans.

c. We are told that there are a number of testimonials and evidences that the ancient Veneti were the ancestors of the so called "Slavs". (the reader should take note here of the expression: "so called "Slavs" ").

d.The ancient Macedonians and the "so called "Slavs"" should practically have (at least partial) common ethno-cultural background.

Let us take these arguments one at a time:

While we are told that are "a certain number of arguments and strong indications in support of " links between the Macedonians and the Venetic speaking Veneti of Northwestern Illyria, no such argument or even indication is mentioned, obviously as we are told : "the space on this occasion is limited". We simply have to wait for a next edition, it seems. In reality, there was never any direct or indirect contact between the Macedonians and the Veneti: none is mentioned in the historical record. Outlandish claims are cheap to make and in the unstable ground of the Balkans, they come by the dozen. The ancient Mediterranean world, thanks in part to the extensive written record left behind primarily by the Greeks and later on by the Latins is a fairly well documented world. The Macedonians had extensive relations with the the southern Illyrians, the Dardani and the Taulantii, of today's northern Albania Kossovo and Serbia, even the Autariatae of today's Serbia. The Macedonians fought with them many times and they exchanged brides with them on occasion, to secure the unstable peace among them. They also had many relations with the Thracians and Paionians to the east and northeast of them. But the Veneti were located where is now Slovenia and northeastern Italy. Venice / Venezzia and Veneto of Italy take their name from the ancient Veneti. The Macedonians were never in those lands, no matter how much closer to Macedonia they seem to be when compared to distant India and Afghanistan.

There are myths which connect the Henetoi / Ενετοι of Paphlagonia / Παφλαγωνια to the Veneti of Italy and Illyria. Strabo the Geographer, quoting from Antinoridae / Αντινοριδαι, a long lost tragedy by Sophocles mentions:

"Σοφοκλη̂ς γου̂ν ἐν τῃ̂ ἁλώσει του̂ Ιλίου παρδαλέαν φησὶ πρὸ τη̂ς θύρας του̂ Αντήνορος προτεθη̂ναι σύμβολον του̂ ἀπόρθητον ἐαθη̂ναι τὴν οἰκίαν. τὸν μὲν οὐ̂ν Αντήνορα καὶ τοὺς παι̂δας μετὰ τω̂ν περιγενομένων Ενετω̂ν εἰς τὴν Θρᾴκην περισωθη̂ναι κἀκει̂θεν διαπεσει̂ν εἰς τὴν λεγομένην κατὰ τὸν Αδρίαν Ενετικήν

Στραβων, Γεωγραφικα, 13.1.53

"At any rate, Sophocles says that at the capture of Troy a Leopard's skin was put before the doors of Antenor as a sign that his house was to be left un-pillaged; and Antenor and his children safely escaped to Thrace with the survivors of the Heneti, and from there got across to the Adriatic Henetice"

Strabo, Geography 13.1.53

Τhen Virgil comes to repeat this old Greek myth, which helps him with the founding myth of Rome as descending from Αινειας / Aeneas' Trojans, and speaks of Αντηνωρ / Antenor, who was saved by the Greeks during the sack of Troy for having been sympathetic to their cause, I.e. The return of Helen to Menelaos, and having been a good host to Menelaos himself. Let us hear the myth as poetically sung by Virgil:

Antenor potuit, mediis elapsus Achivis, 242

Illyricos penetrare sinus, atque intima tutus

regna Liburnorum, et fontem superare Timavi,

unde per ora novem vasto cum murmure montis 245

it mare proruptum et pelago premit arva sonanti.

Hic tamen ille urbem Patavi sedesque locavit

Teucrorum, et genti nomen dedit, armaque fixit

Troia; nunc placida compostus pace quiescit:

nos, tua progenies, caeli quibus adnuis arcem, 250

navibus (infandum!) amissis, unius ob iram

prodimur atque Italis longe disiungimur oris.

Hic pietatis honos? Sic nos in sceptra reponis?'

Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Primus

Antenor, though th' Achaeans pressed him sore, 242

found his way forth, and entered unassailed

Illyria's haven, and the guarded land

of the Liburni. Straight up stream he sailed 245

where like a swollen sea Timavus pours

a nine-fold flood from roaring mountain gorge,

and whelms with voiceful wave the fields below.

He built Patavium there, and fixed abodes

for Troy's far-exiled sons; he gave a name 250

to a new land and race; the Trojan arms

were hung on temple walls; and, to this day,

lying in perfect peace, the hero sleeps.

Virgil, Aeniad Book One

So, Virgil tells us that Antenor sailed through the sea of the Illyrians past the Liburnians and finally established his new colony at Patavium, today's Padova / Padua in Italy. Taking the relay baton from the poets,Livy, the Roman Historian, begins his History of Rome by repeating the same old myth of Antenor, as first related by Sophocles:

Antenorem cum multitudine Enetum, qui seditione ex Paphlagonia pulsi et sedes et ducem rege Pylaemene ad Troiam amisso quaerebant, venisse in intimum maris Hadriatici sinum, Euganeisque qui inter mare Alpesque incolebant pulsis Enetos Troianosque eas tenuisse terras. Et in quem primo egressi sunt locum Troia vocatur pagoque inde Troiano nomen est: gens universa Veneti appellati.
Titus Livius, Gestorum Romanorum I.1

Antenor sailed into the furthest part of the Adriatic, accompanied by a number of Enetians who had been driven from Paphlagonia by a revolution and after losing their king Pylaemenes before Troy were looking for a settlement and a leader. The combined force of Enetians and Trojans defeated the Euganei, who dwelt between the sea and the Alps and occupied their land. The place where they disembarked was called Troy, and the name was extended to the surrounding district; the whole nation were called Veneti.
Livy, History of Rome, Book I.1

So, the myths tell us the basic founding story: Troy falls, Aeneas ends up in central Italy and establishes Roma/Rome and Antenor goes to the end of the Adriatic and establishes Patavium/Padova/Padua.

In his third point the Balkan revisionist "historian" casually informs us that "we are told that there are a number of testimonials and evidences that the ancient Veneti were the ancestors of the so called "Slavs". (it is obvious that by using quotes when he mentions the so called "Slavs", he insinuates that the so called "Slavs" are not really...Slavs). In a vague, imprecise and unscientific way he continues his utterly unsubstantiated ramblings: "we are told...that"...and the obvious question screams back : we are told by whom? Yet he continues unabashedly: "there are a number of testimonials and evidences". Someone testified and forgot to tell us about it? Someone gave evidence that has since been hidden away in a double-locked drawer? Who testified? What testimonies? Where is the evidence? Are we supposed to digest what we are told, just because someone wants us to believe that: "the ancient Veneti were the ancestors of the so called "Slavs"? Are we supposed to accept the old dictum of the medieval Catholic church : "Believe and do not search!" ?

We would much rather go searching. Since there are four different instances of the word Veneti being used to describe ancient peoples, one in prehistory (Henetoi of Paphlagonia) and three in Historical times: a. the Veneti in Northern Italy, b. the Veneti of France and c. the Venedi of the Baltic Sea. Greek and Latin myths connect the Henetoi of Asia Minor and the Venetoi at the frontier of Italy and Illyria. We should never equate myth with history but we cannot discount it either without looking into the evidence if that is available. But we will come back to this issue. Let us look at the Veneti of Gaul, today's France. In his book on the Gauls, B. Cunliffe informs us that the Veneti of Gaul were a "Maritime tribe living in the southwest of the Amorican peninsula. They were traders and acted as middlemen in shipping goods from Britain to the south. In 56 B.C.E. they rebelled against Caesar but were soundly beaten in a sea battle at Quiberon, and as a result all the leading men were executed and the rest sold as slaves."

B. Cunliffe , The Celtic World, 1979.

The Gaelic Veneti were according to the sources a Celtic tribe. Their language was a Celtic dialect. Caesar effectively eliminated and exterminated them, through massacre and slavery, and they became extinct as a nation. No connection has ever been attested between them and the Italo-Illyrian Veneti. Trying to relate them to the Slavs, or for that matter to the Aztecs or the Patagonian Indians is not going to help anyone's case, since they became extinct anyway.

If the Italo-Illyrian Veneti were not related to the Gaelic Veneti, then what were they?

The noted University of Chicago Indo-Europeanist linguist Eric P. Hamp in one of his early works (The Relationship of Venetic within Italic, published in The American Journal of Philology, Vol.75, No.2, pp.183-186) and also in his more recent Diagram of the Indo-European languages as shown in the Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford university Press 2006) groups the Venetic language along with Latin in the Italic branch of Languages.

The Venetic language is documented in some 200 to 300 inscriptions dating from the 6th to the 1st century BC, when it was completely absorbed by Latin.

Let us look at some inscriptions, that have been used by the proponents of the Italic linguistic connection. The first inscription is from Este (Es 45):

Venetic : mego donasto sainatei reitiiai porai egeotora aimoi ke louderobos

Latin : me donavit sanatrici reitiae bonae egetora [pro]aemo liberis-que

Translation: Egetora gave me to Good Reitia the Healer on behalf of Aemus and the children

(Prosdocimi in Pellegrini 1967: 149-150)

The second inscription was found written on a situla urn at Cadore (Ca 4 Valle):

Venetic : eik goltanos doto louderai kanei

Latin : hic goltanus dedit liberae cani

Translation: Goltanus sacrificed this for the virgin Kanis

(Prosdocimi in Pellegrini 1967: 464-468)

We are not linguists here, nor do we pretend to be such, but some things are eye-popping obvious! I would definitely say that these inscriptions do not look too good for the "Slavic connection theory" folks. If nothing else, the linguistic evidence corroborates the ancient Greek myths of the Paphlagonian Henetoi/ Ενετοι and Trojan Allies who, under Antenor, followed Aeneias' Trojans to the west and settled on different areas of Italy: one group going west and another Northeast, next to Illyria. The Myth, as we have come to expect of Greek myths by now, is not hollow poetry, it has historic substance behind it.

The "Kaminia inscription" from Kaminia, Lemnos
One more very interesting piece of linguistic evidence that came to us from the archeologist's spade comes from a most unexpected geographic location: the village of Kaminia / Καμινια in Lemnos/Λημνος, the North Aegean island across from Troy/ Τροια and the Dardanelles. In the prehistoric citadel of Poliochni / Πολιοχνη, a 6th ce. BC marble funerary stele was discovered ιν 1885. The letters are Greek but the inscription is another, distantly related non-Indo-European language :

The scholarly community went to work and the consensus is that it is a language closely related to Etruscan. The Etruscans are not the Eneti, but it is proven that commercial, linguistic and ethnic links existed between Troy and the area around it, Lemnos in the Aegean on the one hand and central and northern Italy on the other. This of course did not dissuade certain Turkish "scholars" from claiming that the Lemnian was a Proto-Altao-Turano-Turkic inscription, "evidence" that the Mongolian related Turks were in the Aegean circa at least the 6th c BC (almost 1800 years before they stepped their foot on Anatolia, modern Turkey, in other words).

In his well documented book "The Illyrians" , 1992, John Wilkes tells us (on page 76) that: "Enough of the language and vocabulary survives to indicate that Venetic was a northwest Indo-european dialect with several points of correspondence with Latin." Further down, on the same page, John Wilkes gives us examples of typical Venetic names which include: Axius, Cantius, Carminius, Appuleius, Avitus, Tutor, Barbius, Boniatus, Cervius, Cusonius, Dasimius, Firmius, Laetus, Lucanus, Lucillus, Muttius, Mulvius, Oaetus, Oppius, Plaetorius, Veitor, Titius, Turus, Voltiomnos and Volumnius. Again, the Slavic connection seems to have hit the wall. It is obvious that by using a good Latin dictionary, someone could go much further in helping us decipher the original meaning of each of these names, names of the extinct language of the Veneti than using any dictionary of the Old Slavonic language. So, then how can we explain all the fuss about trying to make a connection between the south Slavs of the Balkans and the Italian Veneti?

 Slovenia's "Donskis": Slovenian pseudo-Venetism
Professor Zlatko Skrbis is the author of many books on Sociology, one of which is named: Long-distance Nationalism (1999). In a more recent study on the "The emotional historiography of Venetologists. Slovene diaspora, memory, and nationalism", professor Zlatko Skrbis (who is himself a Slovene expatriate and a professor of Sociology in the School of Social Science at the University of Queensland, Australia), explored what he calls the "Venetological re-interpretations of Slovenes' Origines". In accordance to that theory, the Slovenes are not Slavic but Venetic people and indeed they alone are the autochthonous people of prehistoric Europe. It is no wonder, I am thinking, how great minds of the Balkans meet under the same nationalistic umbrella of "autochthonous" existence : The Albanians are Illyrians (though their language is proven to be derived from the Dacian of the Carpathians, north of the Danube), the Slavs of southern Yugoslavia are descendants of the ancient Macedonians of Alexander the Great, and lately some Bulgarians try to convince themselves that they are the ancient Thracians or, better yet, Iranians! Did I fail to mention that the Turks are actually modern Hittites and that Turkic genes are of course "autochthonous" to Anatolia since time immemorial? It all seems like a surreal ball masque', where extravagant exhibition and theatrical drama is all that counts!

A Balkan circus of the traveling kind, with Thracian horsemen and Macedonian phalanghists, Hittites on chariots and proto-Slavic Veneti! A lunatic asylum, completely out of touch with reality... and why should it be? Most of the instigators of this lunacy are not even living at the scene...they are not experiencing the living hell of dire poverty and unemployment that ravages the Balkans: the ball masque' is being held in distant Canada or Australia!

Professor Zlatko Skrbis explains that the myth of the Slovene Slavs-turned-ancient Venetoi provides the nationalistic fringe of the Slovenian nation a sense of "historical drama".

Coming out of a miserably failed Stalinist-Titoist interpretation of Socialism, and the collapse of the Yugoslav multi-ethnic union in a bloodbath of war, genocide and foreign intervention, the Venetological re-interpretation of Slovene history is a "form of interrogation of the present and the search for a suitable past that would correspond to Slovene nationalist imaginings." I must add that whatever is said of the Venetologists, applies like a glove to the pseudo-makedonists further south, in FYROM. Even the diaspora connection as a major force in revisionist theories of nation-creation and propagation (theories concerning the fabled identity of their people), which professor Zlatko Skrbis so vividly explains, fits the case of the Slavs-turned-Makedonski diaspora of Canada and Australia as if it was written specifically for them.

Finally we come to the Vistula Venedi.

Professor P.M. Barford' is a British speaker of Polish and Russian among other Slavic languages, and a lecturer of Slavic Archeology in the University of Warsaw. In his recently published book (2001), "The Early Slavs" which took him over 20 years of research to write, he talks about the Vistula Venedi:

"Alongside "Sclavi" and related terms, western sources also use another name for their eastern neighbors. Some medieval western scholars applied (variants of) the name "Wends" (German Wenden) mainly for the Polabian Slavs. The concept had appeared by the time of Fredegar, who uses it (IV.68) in 660, and is also used by Boniface (in a letter of 746/7). It also appears in the Annales Bertiniani of the 860's and several other ninth-century sources. This generic term derived from bookish traditions when written in Latin. Antique sources (including Tacitus in his Germania) referred to the people living to the east of the Germans as the Venedi, and this term was obviously reused by monkish chroniclers to describe the peoples beyond the expanding frontiers of the Frankish kingdom."

In other words, we cannot base connections of a similarity of a name because this does not in any way constitute a proof, and the historical record especially of the middle ages needs to be taken with a critical and analytical approach and not as the word of the bible.

The local proponents of the theory that "since the Veneti are "Slavs" and the ancient Macedonians were of a "common ethno-cultural background" (historically they had never even met, and there is not a single proof that they even knew of each others existence), therefore, they exclaim in poppy-eyed delirious revelation:

"the so called "Slavs" should practically have common ethno-cultural background with the Macedonians!"

Aleksandar Donski, as above.

Perfect! A total and utter collapse of any semblance of logic, and a brutal assassination of History, in other words: Since the Macedonians were somehow and in an imaginary way supposedly and possibly related to the Veneti and since the Veneti of Asia Minor who went to Italy and Illyria were possibly and maybe according to who knows whose testimonials "Slavs", therefore the ancient Macedonians were OF COURSE "Slavs"!

Reductio ad absurdum in perfectio!

Since black is red and red is yellow, therefore purple is green! Whom are they trying to convince?!

Having gone through the cycle of the Slavs that prefer to be called "so called "Slavs"", let us now remember where we originally started from: Attas, we were told is supposed to be a name that contains the noun "at" which in the "Old Slavic language" (their quotes) meant a horse. And they go on to tell us that the ancient Macedonians were great horsemen and horses were important to them. I suppose we do know about the horsemanship of the ancient Macedonians already: both Philip and Alexander always gave the coup de grace through their cavalry, using it as a hammer to give the blow, while the Macedonian phalanx was always being used as the anvil.

A favorite name among Macedonians was Philippos/Φιλιππος, a Greek name (like ALL the Macedonian names) for "the one who loves horses". It is a name that is derived from Philos/φιλος meaning a friend, one who loves, and Hippos/ιππος a horse, in Greek.

Words like philosopher, philology, philatelic, Philadelphia, philander, philanthropist, philarmonic, etc all have philos as their first part. Words like hippodrome, hippopotamus, hippocampus and Hippocratic (oath), all have the word hippos as a contributing part. Other Greek names ending in -ippos include Alkippos/Ἄ̣λ̣κι̣π̣πος, Ippostratos/Ἱππόστρατος, Kallippos/Κάλλιππος, Lexippos/Ἀλέξιππος, Xanthippos/Ξάνθιππος (the father of Pericles), Hippostratos/Ἱππόστρατος, Euippos/Εὔιππος, Poseidippos/Ποσείδιππος, Phaenippos/Φαίνιπ̣π̣ος and many others.

Now lets us again look at the words which mean horse in various Slavic languages and they all seem to have variables of конь / коњ / konj / koń / kôň, etc.

Why then are we told that "At" means horse in the "old slavic language"? Why are we even given the example of the old Bulgarian name Asparuch, which we are told means "speedy horse" in Slavic?

P.M-ex King of Bulgaria Simeon looking at a Museum wax image of Asparuch
Unfortunately, this is what happens when one confusion is piled on top of another and folk etymology overstretches its narrow limits. Let us start with the last: It is known that the Bulgarians, before their descent into the Balkans, were not a Slavic people. Asparuch is far from being a Slavic name, by any stretch of imagination. It is an Iranian name of a Turkic Khan of the Pontic steppes, by the Volga (from which the Bulgarians most probably get their ethnic name). We need to remind ourselves that unlike the Slavs who settled in the Illyrian lands, in what later became Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia etc, and the the ones who settled in Macedonia in the areas north of Thessaloniki, and in historic Paeonia, in modern FYROM, the original Bulgarians were not Slavs at all.

The Bulgars were a Turkic nation that moved into Byzantine Thrace, crossing the Danube when Constantinople was under siege by the Arabs, in the 7th century AD. They allied themselves with the early Slavs of the area and moved together into the lands of the Eastern Roman empire. The Turkic speaking Bulgars were later completely assimilated culturally and linguistically by the numerically superior surrounding Slavs, producing the nation of the Bulgarians. The Greek speaking populations continued living in cities along the Black sea and in the Thracian plain around Philipoupolis, the area that was later to be called Eastern Romylia), until the beginning of the 20th century, and the Latin speaking populations moved north of the Danube and joined the ones who later formed the modern nation of Romania.

Coming now back to Asparuch, searching for its etymology we discover that the first part of his name is "aspa", meaning horse in Iranian and it is followed by "rauk", meaning shine, also in Iranian, from which the Turks had borrowed extensively to enrich their poor nomadic vocabulary. Asparuch is a hundred percent Iranian name, borrowed by the Turkic speaking Bulgarians from the Persians. It has nothing in common with any Slavic language.

Turkish NG special video issue on Horses (Atlar)
What about "At"? "At"-meaning-horse is not Slavic either, unfortunately, as we could have guessed. No such word for horse exists in any Slavic language, except as borrowed by some of the south Slavs from the Turks during the centuries long Ottoman occupation of the Balkan peninsula. "At" is purely a Turkish word. "At" is one horse, in singular form and "Atlar" many horses, in the plural, in Turkish. In Mongolian it appears as адуу/Aduu, which is closely related linguistically to the Turkish word for horse "At" (the original land of the Turks, before they spread into the central Asian steppes and into the middle East and Anatolia, was indeed Mongolia).

We have established that the ancient name Attas has no relation with neither horses nor "Slavs", at least not in the way it was presented to us above. Let us then search further for its true etymology. Our Indo-European lexicons tells us that the Indo-European root word is *átta and it means: father. It is a synonym of the *ph₂tḗr from which the English word Father is derrived but also the Latin Pater and the Greek Pater/Πατηρ. Attas/Αττας as father appears in most Indo-European languages. From Hittite attas and Lydian Ata, to Celtic *attyo, Gothic atta and Old Irish aite. Attas as father also appears in Albanian as at, in Ossetian as æда (æda, for "grandfather"), In Slavonic as *otьcь / otjs, in Old Church Slavonic as отьць / otjtsj, modern Serbian and Croatian as otac, in Czech as otec and in Polish as ojciec. In Bulgarian, Russian and Slavo-makedonian attas the father appears as отец / otets, but we also find it in Latin as attas and in Greek as attas / ἄττας.

Attas or Atta appears as a name in several Indo-European languages. Attas according to L. Zgusta (Kleinasiatische Personennamen. Prague 1964 105-108) is a typical Anatolian name, attested in the Hittite language as Atta, in Lydian as Atas and in the Phrygian language also as Atas. In Both Greek and Latin Attas / Αττας means father.

In the first century AD there is mention of a Latin dramatic Poet whose poetic work has only survived in small fragments: Titus Quinctius Atta. His name proves that Atta was also used by the Latins as a personal name.

The Militian colony of Olbe/Ολβη was built on the northern shores of the Black Sea, by the river Hypanis/Υπανις /Southern Bug, between Borysthenes / Βορυσθενης / Dnieper to the east and Tyras /Τυρας/ Dniester, just west of the Taurike/Ταυρικη /Crimean peninsula, where today is the town of Parutino, in southern Ukraine.

It is from Olbia that the following inscription comes to us:

Regions : North Shore of the Black Sea

I.Olbia 87, N. Black Sea — Olbia: Berezan Isl.

ἀγαθῆι τύχηι].

Ἀχιλλεῖ] Ποντάρχηι

οἱ π]ερὶ Δαδακον Ἱ[ε]ρο-

σῶντος τὸ [βʹ στρατηγοί]·

Μο[υγισαγος Ασανου Α]-

μω[σπαδος Ἀχιλλέος, Θυσ]-

κῆς Δ[άδου, Αττας Σωμά]-

χου, Μ[ητρόδωρος Πραξι]-

άνακ[τος, χαριστήριον]

ἐπὶ ἀ[ρχόντων τῶν περὶ]

Ἱεροσ[ῶντα Ἐπικράτους].

Alongside such typical Greek names as Achileus, Dadakos, Metrodoros, Hieroson, Epikrates and Praxianax, in the seventh line from the top, we also read the name :

Attas Somachou/Αττας Σωμάχου/ Attas son of Somachos.

Attas, as clearly proven from this inscription, was also used as a proper first name among Greeks.