1st Among Equals a Homeric Concept

[Dimitrios Poliorketes]

The concept of the King as being 1st among equals is entirely a Homeric one and it is frequently alluded to in the Illiad
At dinners, the king entertained his noble and personal guest friends in a ceremonial style which recalled the banquets of Homeric life. Successes in battle were toasted formally and one noble pledged another to a cup which had to be equalled on pain of honor. These royal feasts were a vital part of the loose weave of the kingdom. They brought king and nobles together in a formal relationship, governed by favor and friendship; the old Homeric traditions of kingly presents, of generosity and pious respect for ancestral friends still lived on in Alexander, who always respected past ties with the Macedonian kings, whether of long-dead Greek poets, It was among these Companions, turbulent and nobly born, that the Macedonian king had to force respect for his will, and his methods again picked up the style of Homeric kingship. Custom and tradition supported what no law existed to define, and as in Homer's poems, superlative prowess could justify a man in going beyond convention: the kings began with the asset of noble birth, and like Homer's kings, they could claim descent from Zeus, a point of the first importance both for Alexander and his father. Noble birth needed to be buttressed by solid achievements. No riches or constitution protected the king; his government was personal, his authority as absolute as he could make it; he issued his own coins, bound his people to his treaties, led their charges into battle, dispensed the plunder and attended to suitable sacrifices and yearly rituals of purification, hoping to 'rule by might'. And to meet his duties with the proper energy of a king among lesser kings. It was a demanding position, and if age or achievement was against him, he was deposed or murdered.

[smittysmitty]

How does this differ to any other kingship of the time? What makes it unique to Homer?

[marcus]

I think it's probably due to the fact that, although Homer was written down much later, as a piece of 'literature' it's probably the earliest articulation of the concept.It might have been 'unique' at the time, of course, at least within the Mediterranean sphere - after all, the various empires and cultures of the Middle East most definitely had absolute rulers, or theocracies.It is, of course, more than probable that the northern Europeans had a similar concept, as they definitely did later - but as they were not literate societies we can, ultimately, only speculate.All the bestMarcus

[Dimitrios Poliotketes]

There is no doubt that other IndoEuropean peoples had some similarities to Homeric Mycenean Greeks such as warlike nature and belief in Sky Gods.However, certain terms used by Macedonian Aristocrats such The name given to the Macedonian cavalry - hetairoi tou basileos - "the King's Companions" - is also indicative: this occurs only in Homer, and was preserved in the historical period only amongst the Macedonians. -The names used to describe the organization of Macedonian Society are Homeric Greek lingustic terms used in Homers Illiad.In addition the archeological findings of Virgina and Pella show striking resemblence to the archeological findings at Mycenae
associated with Homer's Illiad show striking similartities.In addition the book in Search of the IndoEuropeans by Thomas Mallory shows the skelital remains of Mycenae reflect a northern central Greek type native to Macedonia Epirus and Thessally as opposed to a mediteranean basis aboriginee type.These Greek invaders moved into the Peloponese from the Pindus Mt and imposed Greek insitutions and language on earlier more neolithic settled mediteranean peoples.
I would suggest you read chapter 2 of Ulrich Wilken's book he goes into great detail showing the similarities in terms of linguistics social struction convictions and morals.THIS IS NOT A PRO GREEK OR PRO FYROM BOOK.The Macedonian diolect was the closest Greek diolect to Homeric Greek older cruder then then more urbane attic diolect that gradually became the diolect of Greek world.For this reason the Homeric Greek diolect was barely comprehensible to Attic speaking Greeks.Like comparing Old English to modern English.Today many French speaking people of the new world such as the French Cajuns of Louisianna speak an older French diolect which is almost imcomprehensible to modern French.

[Link]

This was deleted a few days ago.
It is more relevant today.I feel that this site is contributing to the discrimination of Macedonians by stifling debate and as such promotes the current discriminating, degrading, usurping, historical flip floping status of Greeks.
Such is their desperation and delusions that until recently, they (the 1829 Grks) discouraged even the use of the word Macedonians (and it's language), and are now fraudulently trying to Greekify the Macedonia with every descriminatory method. The scholars and historians are correct in their distinctions and separation of Macedonians and Greeks. The evidence is abundant, there is no debate, just continual discrimination by some.It is a criminal to pander to those who discriminate. Do not be an accomplice to discrimination by siding with the discriminatory status quo of Greeks.The Managers of Greece are no different to the regimes in Iraq, ie because of actions towards it's citizens (past and present). Therefore it too needs urgent attention.

[Link]

This was deleted a few days ago.
It is more relevant today.I feel that this site is contributing to the discrimination of Macedonians by stifling debate and as such promotes the current discriminating, degrading, usurping, historical flip floping status of Greeks.
Such is their desperation and delusions that until recently, they (the 1829 Grks) discouraged even the use of the word Macedonians (and it's language), and are now fraudulently trying to Greekify the Macedonia with every descriminatory method. The scholars and historians are correct in their distinctions and separation of Macedonians and Greeks. The evidence is abundant, there is no debate, just continual discrimination by some.It is a criminal to pander to those who discriminate. Do not be an accomplice to discrimination by siding with the discriminatory status quo of Greeks.The Managers of Greece are no different to the regimes in Iraq, ie because of actions towards it's citizens (past and present). Therefore it too needs urgent attention.

[marcus]

Have you posted this is half a dozen places to try and reduce the chance of it being deleted again, on the basis that someone might miss it?

[Link]

No.
Only to point out CURRENT Greek discrimination that will not be tolerated.
Why do you side with the discriminating Greeks and their methods, is it because of your obvious filo Greek disposition?

[marcus]

I don't side with anyone, Pela, and if I have every given the impression that I do then I apologise. I don't know enough about either side of the argument to have an opinion.I'm just concerned that this forum concentrates on what it's supposed to be about, and not on modern politics.All the bestMarcus

[Link]

Sounds like ignorant scepticism, Marcus, become informed, here are the Macedonians, descendents of your favourite King's subjects.An excerpt from Andrew Rossos - A British Officer's Report in 1944.SECRET
SFU/107/1REPORT ON THE FREE MACEDONIA MOVEMENT
IN AREA FLORINA 1944
-------------------------------------(By Capt. P. H. Evans, Force 133)
Ref map: GREECE 1/100,000, Sheets, D. IV and D.V.
CONTENTS OF REPORT1. Area under review.
2. The SLAV-MACEDONIAN population.
3. Leftism among the MACEDONIANS.
4. BULGAR influence among the MACEDONIANS.
5. The MACEDONIAN movement now:
(a) Personalities
(b) Military Forces
(c) Relations between Andartes and Partisans
(d) The failure of SNOF
(e) Communist Party role
6. The future.
7. Obtaining information.NOTE: Throughout this report the term 'MACEDONIANS' or 'SLAV-
MACEDONIANS' is used as meaning the Slavophone inhabitants
of GREECE and in certain cases indicated by the context, the
MACEDONIAN minorities of BULGARIA, YUGOSLAVIA and ALBANIA.1. AREA UNDER REVIEWAll information in this report was obtained at first hand, during the period March - October, 1944. During that time I lived
successively at VAPSORI [BABCOR] [33] 5256, [34] on VITSI [VIC] 5754, near DHASERI [DROBITISTA] 3268 (i.e.
on the WEST bank of LITTLE PRESPA LAKE); at KORIFI [TURJE] 5061 and finally in FLORINA [LERIN] 6068. During
part of September and the whole of October there was an outstation at BOUFI [BUF] 5173. Besides these places I have
visited or passed through a large number of villages in the general area EAST side of FLORINA [LERIN] plain -
GREEK/YUGOSLAV frontier - PRESPA - KASTORIA [KOSTUR] 4640 - AMYNTAION [SOROVIC] 8257. I never
went more than a few yards into YUGOSLAVIA or ALBANIA, nor was I at any time SOTH of the road KASTORIA -
AMYNTAION.My knowledge is consequently fairly intimate as far as it goes, but I must stress that it does not go further than the area above
defined. I have never been, for instance, to EASTERN MACEDONIA or THRACE, and some of the generalisations I have
drawn from experience in my own area may not be applicable elsewhere.2. THE SLAV-MACEDONIAN POPULATIONSThe one salient fact about the area in question is very rarely grasped. Englishmen, even those who know GREECE, fail to grasp
it because few of them ever go so far NORTH. GREEKS fail to grasp it for two reasons. First, they do not want to. It is to
their advantage to believe that all places whic

[Link]

It is to their advantage to believe that all places
which are marked 'GREECE' on the map are, or ought to be,
GREEK in sympathy and in every other way; GREEK by nature as
it were; they do not wish to realize that many of the
inhabitants of MACEDONIA-in-GREECE have almost as good
reasons for considering themselves MACEDONIANS as they
themselves have for considering themselves GREEK. It is a
slight case of wishful thinking, a sort of hoodwinking which
is an inseparable part of the Great Idea. [35] The second
reason is that, or so at least I am told, successive GREEK
Governments since the liberation of Slavophone GREECE from
the TURKS have been, despite their various political
complexions, alike in one thing, that they have carefully
fostered this delusion, as if to give the impression both to
their own people and to the world that there was no SLAV
minority in GREECE at all; whereas, if a foreigner who did
not know GREECE were to visit the FLORINA region and from
that to form his idea of the country as a whole, he could
conclude that it was the GREEKS who were the minority. It is
predominantly a SLAV region not a GREEK one. The language of
the home, and usually also of the fields, the village
street, the market, is MACEDONIAN, a SLAV language. (Not
knowing any SLAV languages myself I cannot comment much on
it, but it seems to be closer to BULGARIAN than to
SERBO-CROAT. It is however, corrupt and debased, without a
literature or a fixed grammar, and with a large number of
borrowings from TURKISH, GREEK, ALBANIAN and VLACH, and even
a few from ROMANY. But in any case it is a SLAV tongue.
POLES, for instance, get along with it quite easily, though
not as easily as they do with SERBO-CROAT, which is purer
and more fixed.) Many of the women, particularly the old
women, many of the old men and n

[Link]

Many of the women, particularly the old
women, many of the old men and nearly all the children born
about 1939 or later have NO GREEK. Even those who know GREEK
prefer to speak MACEDONIAN when they can. A stranger who
says 'Good Morning' in GREEK will get the same reply, but if
he says it in MACEDONIAN he will get a flood of welcoming
phrases in addition. The place names as given on the map are
GREEK; KALLITHEA, TRIGNON, DHROSOPYI and so on, but the
names which are mostly used, though the map prints them in
small type and in brackets, if at all, are ROUDARI, OSTINA,
BELKAMENI - all SLAV names. The GREEK ones are merely a bit
of varnish put on by METAXAS (but are, however, universally
understood). GREEK is regarded as almost a foreign language
and the GREEKS are distrusted as something alien, even if
not, in the full sense of the word, as foreigners. This
obvious fact, almost too obvious to be stated, that the
region is SLAV by nature and not GREEK cannot be
overemphasized!! It is after all the start of the whole
problem, and it is only by bearing it in mind that a
satisfactory solution may be reached, instead of some
botched-up remedy which will invite trouble later.
It is also important to emphasise that the inhabitants, just
as they are not GREEKS, are also not BULARIANS or SERBS or
CROATS. They are MACEDONIANS. Here I cannot dogmatise, as I
do not know the history and particularly the ethnology of
the MACEDONIANS. The GREEKS always call them BULGARS and
damn them accordingly, except for EAM/ELAS, who for once in
a way have shown some wisdom and who call these people
'SLAV-MACEDONIANS'. If they were BULGARS, how is it that
while they spread over part of four countries, one of which
is BULGARIA, they consider themselves a single entity and
for the most part describe themselves as 'MACEDO

[Link]

If they were BULGARS, how is it that
while they spread over part of four countries, one of which
is BULGARIA, they consider themselves a single entity and
for the most part describe themselves as 'MACEDONIANS'?
Those, moreover, who do claim to be BULGARS are proved in
every case I have been able to verify to have been under the
direct influence of BULGARIAN propaganda (during the war,
that spread by KALTCHEF and GELEF from KASTORIA and
FLORINA). The MACEDONIAN notion as well might, it is true,
be something artificial, a result of propaganda. But it does
not seem so. It appears to me correct to consider the
MACEDONIANS an entity, even though a loose one, which has
for a long time been subjected to partition."

[yiannis]

Opinions (and reports) are like *ssholes, everybody has one, dear Pella!
Here's an extract by John Foster Fraser's book "PICTURES FROM THE BALKANS" - (1906).
Chapter 20:
The town of Monastir, capital of the vilayet of Monsastir, lies just about half way between Bulgarian and Greek territory. North, the majority of MACEDONIANS are BULGAR, south the majority are HELLENES. The villages meet, cross, and mix in the Monastir vilayet. The reason, therefore, we hear so much about disturbances at Monastir is not because the Turks there are more wicked than Turks elsewhere, but because there is a persistent feud between Greek and Bulgarian political religionists. A winding railway line runs from Salonika to Monastir. There is one train a day, and it crawls leisurely through a picturesque land. Bulgarians are in a minority and are avoided by the Greeks and Jews. In the cafes plots are hatched. etc...
http://www.vlachophiles.net/monastir.htmPS
Once again, I'm sorry to post irrelevant articles but I was provoced!

[marcus]

Ignorance, yes, scepticism, no. :-)All the bestMarcus