A Wisdom Archive on Paionians

Alexander the Great (in Greek Μέγας Αλέξανδρος, transliterated Megas Alexandros; born in Pella, Macedon, in July, 356 BC, died in Babylon, on June 10, 323 BC), King of Macedon 336–323 BC, is arguably the most successful military commander in world history, conquering most of the known world before his death. Alexander is also known in the Zoroastrian Middle Persian work Arda Wiraz Nāmag as "the accursed Alexander" due to his conquest of the ... Including:

• Alexander the Great - Early life
• Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedon
• Alexander the Great - Period of conquests
• Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire
• Alexander the Great - The invasion of India
• Alexander the Great - After India
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality
• Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela
• Alexander the Great - Infantry
• Alexander the Great - Cavalry
• Alexander the Great - Death
• Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire
• Alexander the Great - Timeline
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's character
• Alexander the Great - Stories and legends
• Alexander the Great - Ancient sources
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources
• Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander
• Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media
• Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia - Alexander the Great

The three chief candidates considered by historians are Illyrian, Dacian, or Thracian, though there were other groups in the ancient Balkans besides Greeks who were neither Illyrian, Dacian, nor Thracian, including Paionians (who lived north of Macedon) and Agrianians. The Illyrian language and the Thracian language are generally considered to have been on different Indo-European branches. Not much is left of the old Illyrian, Dacian or Thracian tong ...

Read more here: » Origin of Albanians: Encyclopedia II - Origin of Albanians - Ethnic origin

Under Philip II, (359-336 BC), Macedon expanded into the territory of the Paionians, Thracians, and Illyrians. This brought into its orbit the Monastir (now Bitola) and Gevgelija districts of what is now the Republic of Macedonia. Macedon became more politically involved with the south-central city-states of Ancient Greece, but it also retained more archaic features like the palace-culture, first at Aegae (modern Vergina) then at Pella, resembling Mycenaean culture more than classic Hellenic city-states, and other archaic customs, like Philip's multiple wives in addition to his Epirote ...

Read more here: » Macedon: Encyclopedia II - Macedon - Expansion

Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire. Alexander's army had crossed the Hellespont with about 42,000 soldiers---primarily Macedonians1 and Greeks, but also including some Thracians, Paionians and Illyrians. After an initial victory against Persian forces at the Battle of Granicus, Alexander accepted the surrender of the Persian provincial capital and treasury of Sardis and proceeded down the Ionian coast. At Halicarnassus, Alexander successfully waged the fi ...

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Period of conquests

Further than belonging to the Indo-European language family, probably as a centum language, the relation of Illyrian to other ancient and modern languages remains unclear because no writings in Illyrian have been found. Today, the main source of authoritative information about the Illyrian language consists of a handful of Illyrian words cited in classical sources, and numerous examples of Illyrian anthroponyms, ethnonyms, toponyms and hydronyms. A grouping of Illyrian with the Messapian language has been proposed for about a century, ...

Read more here: » Illyrian languages: Encyclopedia II - Illyrian languages - Language affinity

Main article: Illyria The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesmen who appeared in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula about 1000 B.C., a period coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and beginning of the Iron Age. They inhabited much of the area for at least the next millennium. Archaeologists associate the Illyrians with the Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age people noted for production of iron and bronze swords with winged-shaped handles and for domestication of horses. The Illyrians occupied lands extending from the Danube, Sava ...

Read more here: » History of Albania: Encyclopedia II - History of Albania - Ancient Illyria

The most reliable Thracian words are the words which have been explicitly cited and described as Thracian by the ancient authors. There are not many such cited words. Elements appearing in typical Thracian two-component geographical names (for example, Poltymbria) are another source for the reconstructed vocabulary. The Thracian vocabulary includes as well many more words whose meanings are conjectured, speculative, or disputed. Indeed, their status as actual words (as opposed to parts of words) is speculative in many cases. Most of t ...

Read more here: » Thracian language: Encyclopedia II - Thracian language - Vocabulary

As an extinct language that has no literature left, there's little known about it, but some Thracian words can be found cited in ancient texts [1]. In addition there are many probable words extracted from names, toponyms, and names of rivers mentioned in ancient sources. A number of possible Thracian words are found in inscriptions (most of them written with Greek script) on buildings, coins, and other artifacts. Only four Thracian insciptions have been found. One is a gold ring found in 1912 in the town of Ezerovo, Bulgaria. The ring ...

Read more here: » Thracian language: Encyclopedia II - Thracian language - Sources

The Ancient Greek language (and also the Ancient Macedonian language) would have become an important external influence on Illyrian-speakers who occupied lands adjacent to ancient Greeks and Ancient Macedonians, and this is indicated by the adoption of Greek names by prominent Illyrians (Cleitus, Glaukias) in the south. As Greek influence increased, some Illyrian-speakers would have abandoned their language and adopted Greek. Invading Celts who settled on lands occupied by Illyrians brought the Illyrians into contact with the Celtic l ...

Read more here: » Illyrian languages: Encyclopedia II - Illyrian languages - Outside influences