Greco-Thraco-Illyro-Slavs
Greco-Thraco-Illyro-Slavs
According to AntiNWO's magnificent plan, there will be two separate distinctive Groups in Europe, Western and Eastern. Eastern European will be extended into Asia, 25% of its population will be in Asian countries (Table A Appendix 24). Each one of the two European Groups will have two Subgroups. In Western European Group there will be Southern Subgroup A and Northern Subgroup B. Eastern European Group will have Western Subgroup A and Eastern B with two Regions each.
Western Subgroup A will have Northern Region A1 and Southern Region A2. In previous articles we have named Southern Region A2 Greco-Thraco-Illyrian. This is because in ancient times, in this area, Greeks (Hellenes), Thracians and Illyrians lived. So are the people that live in this area Greco-Thraco-Illyrians? No, that was in ancient times. Today, they are mostly Greco-Thraco-Illyro-Slavs or Slavo-Greco-Thraco-Illyrians. They also have a small percentage of Ural-Altaic and other ancestries.
If we take it in chronological order, the term Greco-Thraco-Illyro-Slavs is more suitable. Hellenes, Thracians, Illyrians were in the region since ancient times while Slavs came much later. If we consider the percentage of ancestry, Slavo-Greco-Thraco-Illyrians is more appropriate. Regarding cultural mix, Greco-Slavo-Thraco-Illyrian is better. Any of these terms is correct. We will explain this by summing up the main points from previous articles and adding a few new points.
Since ancient times, Hellenes, Thracians and Illyrians lived in the vast territory that started from Palestine, Cyprus, Asia Minor, Crete and reached all the way to Slovakia and southern Ukraine. Hellenes (Greeks) were roughly in today's Hellas (Greece), western Turkiye, Cyprus. They also settled in Palestine at around 12th century BC. Furthermore, they established colonies in southern Italy since 9th century BC and in Black Sea since 7th century BC.
We should point out that the terms Greeks and Greece are incorrect. Graecians were among the first Hellenic tribes that settled in Southern Italy and the first who came into contact with locals. Romans (Latins) erroneously used the name of a Hellenic tribe for all Hellenes. In Latin texts, all Hellenes were called Graecians and this mistake spread to Western Europe and all over the world.
Thracians were roughly in contemporary northeastern Hellas (Greece), Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Southern Ukraine, northeastern Hungary, Slovakia. According to some sources, Thracians were also in southern Poland and eastern Czechia. Illyrians were roughly in today's Albania, Montenegro, western Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, southeastern Austria and southwestern Hungary.
All Illyrians were southern of Danube river but Thracians were divided, some were northern and some southern. Danube river stars in the Alps, flows through Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade and near Bucarest before ending in Black Sea. Generally, Thracians that were living southern of Danube are called southern Thracians and those living northern of the river, northern Thracians.
Northern Thracians were also divided into Getans (Getae) and Dacians. Getans were in the eastern part of the Thracian land above Danube, close to Black Sea. Dacians were in the rest of the Thracian land above Danube, western and northern part. According to a source, Getans and Dacians were just the different names given to northern Thracians by Hellenes (Greeks) and Romans respectively.
This makes sense because Hellenes had colonies in Black Sea and came into contact with northern Thracians that lived close to their colonies. Those Thracians that had contact with Hellenes were named by them Getans (Getae). Later Romans gave the name Dacians to the rest of northern Thracians. Nevertheless, Dacians, Getans and those below Danube were all Thracians.
According to one theory, Hellenes, Thracians and Illyrians belonged in the same branch of Caucasian people, the one that settled in the southern part of Eastern Europe, below contemporary Poland. It has not been historically proven but it is a very reasonable theory that could be correct. It is historically proven that Hellenic (Greek) tribes came from north and settled in today's Hellas (Greece).
Northern of Hellas was Thracian and Illryian land. So Hellenes came from Thracian and Illryian land. This does not prove that they belonged in the same branch with Thracians and Illyrians but makes it quite possible. Regardless of the validity of this theory, it has been proven that Hellenes, Thracians and Illyrians started mingling and mixing many centuries BC.
Hellenes did not have a united state but many city states. At around 500 BC, two Leagues were formed, Peloponnesian (550 to 540 BC) led by Sparta and Delian (478 BC) led by Athens. Around that same time, southern Thracian tribes united and formed the Odrysian kindgom (480 BC) which was between Danube and Struma (Strymon) rivers. Struma starts in the mountains near the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia and ends in Strymonian Golf eastern of Chalcidice (Chalkidiki) in Hellas (Greece).
Odrysian kingdom spread through three contemporary countries, Hellas (Greece), Bulgaria, Romania. It included all Bulgaria and eastern Romania, the part near the Black Sea. In contemporary Greece, it included the northeastern part, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The coastal areas of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace were part of Delian League, led by Athens. Thus Odrysian Thracians developed close relations with Athens and Delian League.
In the Peloponnesian war (431-404 BC) between the two Leagues, Thracians participated on the side of Delian League. Sparta's Peloponnesian League won the war but later Thebes and Macedonia emerged as the new leading powers of Greece. Hellenic cities became one state for the first time during Philip's reign (359-336 BC). Odrysian kingdom, some Getan land, Paeonia (contemporary N. Macedonia) and part of Illyria were also in Philip's Macedonian Empire.
Thracian ruling class in Odrysian kingdom spoke Greek which was the language of administration and strongly supported the hellenization of Thracians. They were influenced considerably by Hellenic civilization. Eventually, southern (Odrysian) Thracians, Getans, Paeonians and Illyrians that were included in Macedonian Empire assimilated into Hellenes and became hellenized. Paeonians were mixed Illyrians and Thracians.
Philip's son Alexander made Macedonian Empire much larger and reached all the way to India. Thracians assisted Macedonians and accompanied Alexander in his conquest. Alexander's reign lasted only thirteen years but was followed by three centuries of Hellenistic period, starting with Alexander's death (323 BC) and ending with Cleopatra's (30 BC). The term Hellenistic derives from Hellenic (Greek). Macedonian Empire was divided by Alexander's successors (Diadochi), mainly four generals.
Cassander got Macedonia and the rest of Hellas (Greece), except Epirus. Lysimachus got Thrace, western and northern Asia Minor. Ptolemy got northern Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus and southeastern Asia Minor. Seleukus got eastern central Asia Minor, northern Middle East and the eastern part of the Empire, all the way to India. Italy (except northern), Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, Marseille, Carthage were also in Hellenistic kingdoms.