Diodorus Siculus
Ancient Greek Historian
The ancient Greek historian Diodorus wrote much of the history of Macedonia from the times of Philip II and Alexander the Great up to the last Macedonian king Perseus. In his writings, Diodorus is clear that the ancient Macedonians were a distinct nation, not related to any of the Balkan peoples (Greeks, Thracians, and Illyrians). The below 40 quotes from his books XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXXI, and XXXII are indeed an overwhelming proof of that:
[1] For
even Greeks – Thespians, Plataeans and Orchomenians, and some other hostile to the Thebans who had joined the king (of the Macedonians) in the campaign. 17.13.5.
[2] For many days the king lay helpless under his treatment, and
the Greeks who had been settled in Bactria and Sogdiana, who had long borne unhappily their sojourn among peoples of another race and now received word that the king has died of his wounds, revolted against the Macedonians. They formed a band of 3000 men and underwent great hardship on their homeward route. Later they were massacred by
the Macedonians after Alexander’s death. 17.99.5-6.
[3]
The Macedonians and Alexander backed Coragus because he was one of them while
the Greeks favored Dioxippus. 17.100.4.
[4] Then
the Macedonian (Coragus) poised his long lance and charged, but the Greek (Dioxippus), when he came within reach, struck the spear with his club and shuttered it. After these two defeats, Coragus was reduced to continuing the battle with sword, but as he reached for it, the other leaped upon him and seized his swordhand with his left, while with his right hand the
Greek upset the Macedonian’s balance and made him lose his footing. 17.100.6-7
[5] He (Alexander the Great) was plainly disappointed at the defeat of
the Macedonian. Dioxippus released his fallen opponent, and left the field winner of the resounding victory and bedecked with ribands by his compatriots, as having brought a common glory to all Greeks. 17.101.1-2.
[6] From Europe,
the Greek cities AND the Macedonians also sent embassies, as well as the Illyrians and most of those who dwell about the Adriatic Sea, the Thracian peoples and even those of their neighbors the Gauls, whose people became known then first in the Greek world. 17.113.2.
[7] When Perdiccas heard of the revolt of
the Greeks, he drew by lot from the Macedonians 3000 infantry and 800 horsemen. 18.7.3
[8] They (the Greeks) had more then 20000 foot soldiers and 3000 horse. 18.7.2. 3000 of these 23000 Greeks were led by a "traitor" who "left his allies without warning and withdrew to e certain hill, taking his 3000 men". 18.7.6.
[9] When oaths to this effect had been sworn and the
Greeks were interspersed among the Macedonians, Pithon was greatly pleased, seeing that the affair was progressing according to his intentions; but
the Macedonians remembering the orders of Perdiccas and having no regard for the oaths that had been sworn, broke faith
with the Greeks. Setting upon them unexpectedly and catching them off their ground, they shot them all down with javelins and seized their possessions as plunder. Pithon then, cheated of his hopes, came back with
the Macedonians to Perdiccas. 18.7.8-9
[10] When Alexander died a short time thereafter and left no sons as successors to the kingdom,
the Athenians ventured to assert their liberty (from Macedonia) and to claim the leadership of the Greeks. 18.9.1
[11] When the Aetolians listened to him gladly they gave him 7000 soldiers, he sent to the Locrians and the Phocians and the other neighboring peoples and urged them to assist their freedom and rid Greece of
the Macedonian despotism. 18.9.5.
[12] The decree of the Assembly of Athens: "people should assume responsibility for the common freedom of the Greeks and liberate the cities that were subject to (Macedonian) garrisons; that they should prepare 40 quadriremes and 200 triremes (ships); that all Athenians up to age of 40 should be enrolled; that three tribes should guard Attica, and that the other seven should be ready for campaign beyond the frontier; that envoys should be sent to visit the Greek cities and tell them that formerly the Athenian people, convinced
that all Greece was the common fatherland of the Greeks, had fought by see against those (Macedonian) barbarians who had invaded Greece to enslave her, and that now too Athens believed it necessary to risk lives and money and ships in defense of the common safety of the Greeks." 18.10.1-3.
[13] Of the rest of
the Greeks, some were well disposed toward
the Macedonians, others remained neutral. 18.11.1
[14] A few of the Illyrians and the Thracians joined the alliance
(with the Greeks) because of their hatred of
the Macedonians. 18.11.1-2
[15] As soon as, however, as he learned of the movement concerted against him by
the Greeks, he left Sippas as general of Macedonia, giving him a significant army and bidding him enlist as many men as possible, while he himself, taking
13000 Macedonians and 600 horsemen, set out from Macedonia to Thessaly (into Greece). 18.12.2
[16] Now that this great force had been added t
o the Athenians, the Greeks, who far outnumbered the
Macedonians, were successful. 18.12.4
[17] As
the Macedonians defended themselves stoutly, many of
the Greeks who pushed on rashly were killed. 18.12.1-2
[18]
Antiphilus, the Greek commander, having defeated the Macedonians in a glorious battle played a waiting game, remaining in Thessaly and watching for the enemy to move. The affairs of
the Greeks were thus in thriving condition, but since
the Macedonians had command of the sea, the Athenians made ready other ships… 18.15.7-8.
[19] Then after such a combat I have described, the battle was broken off, as the scales of victory swung in favour of t
he Macedonians. More then
500 of the Greeks were killed in the battle, and 130 of
the Macedonians. 18.17.5
[20] The commandant of the garrison of that city, Archelaus,
who was a Macedonian by RACE, welcomed Attalus and surrendered the city to him… 18.37.3-4.
[21] Seleucus and Pithon again tried to persuade
the Macedonians to remove Eumenes from his command and to cease preferring against their own interests a man who was a foreigner and who had killed very
many Macedonians. 19.13.1
[22]
Peucestes (Macedonian commander) had 10000 Persian archers and slingers, 3000 men of every origin equipped for service in
the Macedonian array, 600 Greek and Thracian cavalry and more then 400 Persian horsemen. 19.14.5.
[23] Although the risk involved in all these circumstances was clear, nonetheless she decided to remain there, hoping that many
Greeks AND Macedonians would come to her aid by sea. 19.35.6.
[24] Then, after making a truce with the other Boeotians and leaving Eupolemus as general for
Greece, he went into Macedonia, for he was apprehensive of the enemy’s crossings. 19.77.5-6
[25] In this year Antigonus ordered his general Ptolemaeus into Greece to set the Greeks free… 19.77.2
[26] Ptolemaeus, the general of Antigonus, had been placed in charge of affairs
thoughout Greece; 19.87.3 (not in Macedonia).
[27] This was the situation in Asia and in
Greece AND Macedonia. 19.105.4
[28] And first he planned to establish order in the affairs of Greece … and then go on against
Macedonia itself if Cassander did not march against him. 20.102.1
[29] While these held office,
Cassander, king of the Macedonians, on seeing that the power of the Greeks was increasing and that the whole war was directed against Macedonia, became much alarmed about the future. 20.106.1-2
[30] Demetrius was followed by 1500 horsemen, not less then 8000
Macedonian foot-soldiers, mercenaries to the number of 15000, 2500 from the cities throughout Greece. 20.110.4
[30] The utmost spirit or rivalry was not lacking on either side, for
the Macedonians were bent on saving their ships, while the Siceliotes wished not only to be regarded as victors over the Carthaginians and the barbarians of Italy, but also to show themselves in the Greek arena as more then a match for
the Macedonians, whose spears had subjected both Asia and Europe. 21.2.2
[31] Brennus, the king of the Gauls …
invaded Macedonia and engaged in battle. Having in this conflict lost many man .. as lacking sufficient strength … when later he
advanced into Greece and to the oracle of Delphi which he wished to plunder. 22.9.1-2
[33] A native of Terentum, Heracleides was a man of surprising wickedness, who had transformed Philip from a victorious king into a harsh and godless tyrant, and had thereby incurred the deep hatred of
all Macedonians AND Greeks. 28.9.2
[34] Flamininus held that Philip
(the Macedonian king) must completely
evacuate Greece, which should thereafter be
ungarrisoned and autonomous. 28.11.1
[35] To this Flamininus replied that there was no need of arbitration whom he ha wronged; furthermore he himself was under orders from the Senate to
liberate Greece (from Macedonia). 28.11.3-4
[36] When the news of settlement reached him, Flamininus summoned the leading m
en of all Greece, and convoking an assembly repeated to them Rome’s good services
to the Greeks. 28.13.2 (Macedonians excluded from the leading men of Greece)
[37] In defense of the settlement made with Nabis he (Flamininus) pointed out that the Romans had done what was in their power, and that in accordance with the declared policy of the Roman people
all the inhabitants of Greece were now free (of Macedonia), ungarrisoned, and most important of all, governed by their own laws. 28.13.3
[38] Philip threatens the Greek Thessalians: "They were not aware, he said, that the
Macedonian sun had not yet altogether set." 29.16.1-2
[39] He said, namely, that after seeing the sun rise as he was about to begin transporting his army from
Italy to Greece… five day later he arrived in
Macedonia. 31-11.2-4
[40] Having as his accomplice a certain harpist named Nicolaus, a
Macedonian by birth… 32.15.9
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