Thread: History Lesson

Some suggestions on 1. When historically Slavs came to settle to the Balkans? From where they came?

I have studied a chapter Освоение славянами Балканского полуострова и Пелопоннеса in В. В. Седов. СЛАВЯНЕ Историко-археологическое исследование. (Освоение славянами балканского полуострова и пелопоннеса. Валентин Седов. Славяне. Историко-археологическое исследование. Книги по истории онлайн. Электронная библиотека). I hope to reread this chapter in authentic copy, and may look through other chapters.

Это одна из монографий на тему славян.

So the brief summary is that the movement was from Middle and Lower Danube in 6-7th centuries (as they were spreading all accross that area). Very often as military raids, sometimes in coordination with Turkic tribes (авары) against the Byzantines (weakened by wars with Persia in this period). Settlers/colonists (mostly agriculturist Slavs) would then move to lands secured in miliary raids. It doesn't mean all colonisation was warlike though. The colonisation was in different ways and at different times. Basically it's spread accross 6-9th centuries.

Now it is known that assimilition in different directions is taking place all accross the Balkans (Slavs mix with Byzantines and are romanised, or the local peoples in other places are assimilated into Slavic communities). So as a result modern Slavic peoples (former Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria with its Islamic influence) can be viewed as the descendants of Slavs that came to dominate the respective regions. On the other hand, assimilation of Slavs takes place in Greece (Slavic presence in Greece in 7-8th centuries) where Slavs are completely assimilated into the Greek culture (Slavs in what is today Eastern Romania seem to mix with the local peoples and take part in Romanian ethnogenesis, though this matter is contraversial according to most Romanian scholars; Slavs in Albania are also assimilated).

The chapter in that book is fascinating, looking forward to dealing with it again.

Originally Posted by alexsms

On the other hand, assimilation of Slavs takes place in Greece (Slavic presence in Greece in 7-8th centuries) where Slavs completely assimilate into the Greek culture (Slavs in what is today Eastern Romania seem to mix with the local peoples and take part in Romanian ethnogenesis, though this matter is contraversial according to most Romanian scholars; Slavs in Albania are also assimilated).

Based on what you mention what I should believe about the people of FYROM who claim that Alexander the Great (who lived in 350 BC) was not Greek but Slav from the time Slavs had presence in the region after the 7th century AC (i.e. more than 1000 years after his death). Why they believe these things? Why they try to twist the Historical Truth?

Originally Posted by Antonio1986

Based on what you mention what I should believe about the people of FYROM who claim that Alexander the Great (who lived in 350 BC) was not Greek but Slav from the time Slavs had presence in the region after the 7th century AC (i.e. more than 1000 years after his death). Why they believe these things? Why they try to twist the Historical Truth?

All of these theories are only theories, they cannot be accepted as the ultimate truth. There a lot of inconsistencies in that theories and there are numerous enthusiasts trying to refute them. The problem is that most of the alternate theories have no less inconsistencies. So, maybe the people from FYROM want to believe in one of such alternative theories? Make them indulgence. Why does it bothers you so much?

Thank you now I feel more educated.
1. Conclusion 1: Not all slavs use the Cyrillic alpaphet. I didn't know that.
2. Conclusion 2: We have a separation from the other Indo-europeans in 4000 BC. So in a sense Russians and Europeans have the same old historical roots. We have a separation of the old languages to сentum/satem languages.
3. Conclusion 3: The word tsar comes from the word ceasar. First by the name tsar was Ivan the Terrible.

Perhaps you think that they teach us this things in our schools in Europe.
Not at all. The only thing we are taught for Russians is about the Russian-Japanese war in 1905, the revolution of 1905, the revolutions of 1917 - 18, the civil war, the role of Soviet Union in WWII and of course the Cold War. Nothing else. This forum should provide more historical facts if Russian history for foreigners.
We don't want just to learn the language. We want also to learn the mainstream Russian history (i.e not opinions).

P.S. What people in FYROM believes is just their problem. By the way they also believe that Cleopatra was Slav. Borrowing the history of other nations as I understood is a common practice for nations that don't have rich history. If you don't have history you don't steal it ... you just try to create your own.

Originally Posted by Antonio1986

Why they believe these things? Why they try to twist the Historical Truth?

Можно сказать так: мало ли что говорят разные люди))) One can say this - who cares what different people say on different matters. People may invent different things. At the same time critical thinking and analysis are required everywhere. Intellectual honesty, right?

The world is full of self-proclaimed experts. This site is not the exception))))