Table of Contents:
NOT SO ANCIENT
SHOULD SEE WESTERN MACEDONIA.
NATURE IN WESTERN MACEDONIA
Western Macedonia is one of the thirteen Greek regions and makes up the western part of Greek Macedonia. Macedonia (Thessaloniki) and Thrace (Kavala) making up the middle and eastern parts, respectively.
In the north-western part of Greece, it is east of Epirus, west of Macedonia, and north of Thessaly. On its north, it shares two international borders. The Republic of North Macedonia is due north, and Albania is to the northwest.
Western Macedonia has four regional units of Florina (north), Kozani (east), Grevena (south), and Kastoria (west).
There are approximately 280,000 people in the region. Kozani (42,000) Ptolemaida (32,000) Florina (18,000) Kastoria (17,000) and Gravena (13,000) are the only towns over 10,000 in population.
Ancient Western Macedonia
To look at Western Macedonia, we first need to look at Macedonia as a whole.
The Macedonians were a tribe living in the plains raising cattle and horses. The area is between the Haliacmon river on the west and lower Axios (Thessaloniki) to the east.
This was the northern tip of the Greek World at that time, circa 800 B.C. From here, they would expand along the river valleys collecting land and non-Greek tribes along the way. These would include the Illyrian to the north (Albania) and the Thracian in what is now eastern Macedonia and Bulgaria.
They were similar to other Greek tribes, worshiping the same gods of the Greek pantheon and speaking Ancient Macedonian, a descendant of Ancient Greek.
Of all the clans, the Argead tribe (dynasty) would prove early on to be in charge. Possibly Caranus (Karanos), the son of Temenus, king of Argos, began the tribe. Others say it was Perdiccas I and his brothers, also relatives of Temenus, who was the first king. Temenus was a great-great-grandson of Heracles, one of the great Greek heroes and son of Zeus.
Evidence points to the Macedonians being an agricultural tribe, with independent families running their own plots. The Argead family ruling over all of them.
Philip and Alexander
Circa 359 B.C., quiet Macedonia would begin to roar. The Argead king Philip II comes to power.
He overhauls his army and incorporates a new tactic, the Macedonian phalanx, a formation that makes him unstoppable.
By the time of his very suspicious death at the hand of an ex-lover, Philip II has grown the kingdom. Macedonia stretches from Epirus in the west to east of Thessaloniki. From Philippi to Byzantium are protected colonies under his watch.
His son, Alexander, becomes king in 336 B.C. In a short period of time, Alexander will rule all of Greece except Epirus just to the west, and Sparta. At that time, Sparta is the southeast quarter of the Peloponesse.
In 323 B.C., after the mysterious death of his lover Hephaestion, Alexander becomes ill, dying 11+ days later. Probably from poison, or a combination with a battle-weary body, everyone is a suspect.
The Wars of the Diadochi
These are a series of battles between Alexander the Great’s generals and friends (the Diadochi) for rule over his vast empire.
There will be four separate Diadochi wars, plus five other struggles. They will last almost 50 years, until 275 B.C.
Sometimes they will fight alongside friends and other times against them to gain more land.
The major players are:
Ptolemy, who will receive Egypt.
Laomedon ruling Syria and Phoenicia (modern Lebanon).
Philotas receives Cilicia (southeastern Turkey).
Peithon takes Media (western and northern Iran).
Antigonus receives Phrygia (west-central Turkey), Lycia (southwest Turkey), and Pamphylia (south-central Turkey).
Asander takes Caria (northwest Turkey).
Menander receives Lydia (between Fethiye and Antalya in southern Turkey).
Lysimachus takes Thrace. This is Greece east of Philippi, to Byzantium, and about half of southern Bulgaria).
Leonnatus receives Hellespontine Phrygia (northern Turkey from the Aegean to the Black Sea south of the Bosphorus).
Neoptolemus receives Armenia.
Macedon and the rest of Greece are to be under the joint rule of Antipater, who is the general Alexander left in charge, and Craterus, Alexander’s favorite lieutenant.
Division
The Macedonian military leaders divide one side, backing Alexander’s half-brother Philip III (Arrhidaeus) as the king. There is a catch. Philip is intellectually disabled, so they make general Perdiccas his regent.
The other side backs the infant child of Alexander and Roxana. There is a catch. The baby is not yet born, and they will only back a male heir.
The factions compromise, deciding that Perdiccas would rule the Empire as regent, and Philip is the figurehead.
If Alexander’s child is male, then he would be king. Roxana gives birth to Alexander IV in August.
Antipatrid Dynasty
Olympias, Alexander’s mother, sides with her daughter-in-law Roxana and her grandson Alexander IV as the king. She attacks with Polyperchon and overthrows Philip’s army. Seeing him as too much of a threat to her grandson, she murders Philip and has his wife commit suicide. Alexander IV is now the king, and Olympias is in control, as she is his regent.
By 316 B.C., Cassander gets the upper hand and, promising to spare Olympias, takes her, Roxana, and Alexander IV prisoner. He kills Olympias immediately. He imprisons Roxana and her seven-year-old son in Amphipolis, out of sight.
The general peace of 311 B.C. states Alexander will become king when he reaches the age of 14. For a birthday present, Cassander has Alexander IV, and Roxana poisoned.
Cassander will marry Alexander’s half-sister, Thessalonica, and murder Heracles, an illegitimate son of Alexander’s, to remain in power. In 305 B.C., he declares himself the king.
Before he dies, Cassander rebuilds the town of Therma into a new port and renames it after his wife, Thessaloniki.
South of Thessaloniki, he rebuilds Potidaea, making it into a naval port and renaming it after himself, Cassandreia. He may have been planning to make it his capital.
Twilight of the Antipatrid Dynasty
When Cassander dies in 297 B.C., infighting between his sons brings a repeat of the last 30 years. His younger sons Alexander V and Antipater II, are co-rulers with their mother Thessalonike acting as regent. Two years later, Antipater II kills his mother to have more control.
Alexander V requests aid from Pyrrhus of Epirus and Demetrius to defeat his brother Antipater II. When they succeed, Antipater flees to Thrace, where Lysimachus kills him.
Alexander awards Pyrrhus with the westernmost portions of the Macedonian kingdom.
Two years later, Demetrius, son of Antigonus I, murders Alexander and makes himself king of Macedon.
Antigonid and Seleucus Dynasties.
Pyrrhus declares war on Demetrius in 290 BC when his wife Lanassa leaves him for Demetrius.
The war lasts two years until Demetrius loses the Macedonians’ support, who did not like him from the beginning and flees the country.
Pyrrhus takes western Macedonia, and Lysimachus claims eastern Macedonia. Within two years, Lysimachus overthrows Pyrrhus and his forces banning them from Macedonia.
In 282 B.C., Seleucus I attacks. Originally receiving Babalon as a Diadochi, he is not a main player in the battles over Greece. He kills Lysimachus and takes control of Thrace and Macedonia. A year later Ptolemy Keraunos, son of Ptolemy I, murders Seleucus and proclaims himself King of Macedonia.
That last for two years until the 279 B.C. Gallic invasion of Greece. The Macedonian army proposes the general Sosthenes as the king. He refuses the title, possibly seeing the life expectancy in the role. That doesn’t matter as he dies in battle the next year. While Macedon scrambles for a leader, the Gallic invaders ravage Macedonia.
Finally, in 277 B.C. Antigonus II Gonatas, son of Demetrius, defeats the invaders. They make him the king.
Epirus.
During this time, Pyrrhus of Epirus has been marching through Italy as far as Sicily. He is doing nothing to win Greek popularity with the Romans. He turns most Greek cities in Italy into Roman allys. In a mood, he returns to Epirus and attacks Macedonia. Antigonus has a ragtag army due to heavy losses against the Galls. By 274, he has to flee Macedonia.
Pyrrhus does not win many fans in Macedonia. His troops plunder the royal cemetery of Aigai. Antigonus II can recapture Macedonia within a year. When Pyrrhus dies in battle at Argos later in the year, Antigonus II can reclaim the rest of Greece.
Antigonus II rules over much of Greece until circa 251 B.C. He has trouble during this time with the Aetolian League, a group of city-states in central Greece.
The 251 B.C. formation of the Achaean League, city-states of central and northern Peloponesse, sees Macedon losing more land.
Macedonia, central Greece, and the Peloponesse will continue to battle over land for the next 35 years until a fourth player joins the game, Rome.
Macedonian Wars
Circa 214 B.C., Rome is fighting Hannibal’s Carthaginians to the west. Philip V, king of Macedonia, joins Hannibal and threatens to attack Rome from the east. With the aid of the Aetolian League and Pergamon, Rome keeps Macedonia busy so it can focus on Hannibal. This is the First Macedonian War, and Rome will not forget Philip’s choice in allys.
Take-Two.
With Egypt weak from internal wars and Macedonia getting a slapdown from Rome, the Seleucid Empire attacks. Philip and the former Roman allies in Greece plead to Rome to intercede. When Rome discovers the Seleucids are using Hannibal as a chief military advisor, they become suspicious.
A major Roman-Greek force mobilizes under the command of Scipio Africanus and sets out for Greece. The Seleucid Empire controls much of Alexander the Great’s empire except Macedonia. This is the beginning of the Roman-Syrian War. Almost immediately, it is clear the Seleucid armies are no match for the Roman tactics. Within a year, the Seleucids flee from Greece.
The Romans pursue crossing the Hellespont (The Dardanelles), entering Asia for their first time. After the Battle of Magnesia (today, Manisa, Turkey), the Seleucids sue for peace. By 188 B.C., Rome removes itself from Greece, with the understanding the region is stable and at peace.
Take Three.
But that does not work. The Fourth Macedonian War begins circa150 B.C. when Andriscus seizes the Macedonian throne claiming he is King Perseus’s son. He holds the throne for a year before Rome brings his rule and Macedonia kingdom to an end. They make Macedonia a Roman province dividing it into Achaea and Epirus.
The Achaean League tries one last hail-Mary against Rome in what some call the Achaean War. This only lasts months, with the Romans soundly defeating them at Scarpheia, near Thermopylae. They then march on Corinth, leveling it.
Rome takes control of Greece.
Not so Ancient
Circa 27 B.C., Epirus becomes part of Achaea. By 100 A.D., it becomes a separate province by order of Emperor Trajan.
Circa 293 A.D., Diocletian divides the Roman Empire into a tetrarchy and appoints Galerius over Greece.
By 312 A.D., Constantine defeats Maxentius and becomes the sole emperor of the Roman Empire.
Macedonia reports to the new Byzantine or Eastern Empire. Around the same time, it divides into Macedonia Prima in the south. The northern area becomes Macedonia Secunda. These provinces report to the Diocese of Macedonia, in Thessaloniki.
The dioceses of Macedonia, Dacia (western Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania), and Pannonia (north of Montenegro to Austria) become pieces. This week they are part of the western Empire, and next week the Eastern.
Then There are Two
Theodosius I (circa 379) is the last Emperor to rule both the Western Roman and Eastern Byzantine Empires. In 395, he splits the administration of the empires between his sons. Arcadius will administer in the East, and Honorius takes the West. The Western Empire, already weakening and low on finances, really begins to crumble. Armies from the north begin grabbing land. England, Spain, and France are soon no longer Roman lands. Attila, leading the Huns controls most of Eastern Europe.
Theodosius II is having better luck in the east. Not only does he have the finances to strengthen the fortifications, especially in Constantinople, but he pays for security. He pays a hefty annual tribute to Attila the Hun not to attack. These funds help support Attila’s siege of the west.
When Attila dies in 453, the Hun Empire collapses. Constantinople hires many of his troops as mercenaries.
Loss of the Western Roman Empire
But Attila has left his mark on the Western Empire. It is in its death throes, and in 476, the East Germanic general Odoacer overthrows the capital at Ravenna.
Zeno, now the Eastern Emperor, negotiates with the Ostrogoths breathing down his back. He convinces them that he has control over the Western Empire and they should march on Odoacer. He makes their leader, Theodoric, head of his Italian army, and they defeat Odoacer by 493. Zeno gets the Ostrogoths out of his backyard and takes out an enemy.
Justinian Dynasty
The Justinian dynasty begins in 518 A.D. when Justin I becomes Emperor. His nephew Justinian I will follow him in 527. Their main goal is the renovatio imperii (restoration of the Empire).
It is a two-prong plan. He creates a new codification of laws (the Justinian Code). The Corpus is the basis of civil law in many modern states today.
After gathering an army of supporters, he marches on Carthage circa 533. General Belisarius is successful in recovering the province of Africa, although smaller skirmishes will last until 548.
Circa 535, he sends a small Byzantine army to Sicily, taking it with little effort. The Goths on the mainland are a different story. It takes longer, but by 540, Justinian I’s forces take Rome, Naples, and the capital of Ravenna.
Unfortunately, the Ostrogoths get help and retake Rome in 546. With the help of 35,000 Armenians, they retake much of Italy. The Byzantines will not regain Italy until 561.
Justinian I keeps the Persians to the east at arms distance, mostly by paying an annual gold tribute. By 561, they agree to a fifty-year peace.
The Balkans
While the Byzantines and Ostrogoths are fighting, smaller Slavs and Turkic bands are crossing the Danube into the Balkans. They do not go far before General Belisarius comes out of retirement and chases them back across the river.
Justin II comes to power in 565. He refuses to pay the Persians any tribute. At the same time, the Lombards are streaming into Italy from Germany. Within 30 years, the Lombards control 60% of Italy. After only nine years in charge, Justin II adopts Tiberius II, makes him the Augustus, then suffers a mental breakdown.
Tiberius II starts with a bad hand. First, he has to choose which enemy to face. He pays subsidies to the Avars, a group of nomads in Bulgaria that are not causing too many problems. He turns his military east against the Persians. His general, Maurice, keeps the Persians to the east. Then, while no one is looking, the Avars take the Balkan fortress of Sirmium in 582 and destroy it. This is a sign to the Slavs to reenter the Balkans. Tiberius, short on troops, cannot defend the Balkans. The Serbs reach as far south as Athens.
Maurice.
The same year, Tiberius dies, suspiciously and Maurice takes his place.
He has a successful push against the Persians, places the legitimate Sassanid emperor Khosrau II back on the throne. To seal the deal, he gives his daughter to Khostau II as a bride.
It doesn’t hurt that he gains a lot of land in the marriage.
He sets his sites on the Balkans and by 602 has the Avars and Slavs north of the Danube. During this final campaign, Maurice refuses to bargain for several thousand Byzantine soldiers taken captive by the Avars. One of his officers, Phocas, not happy with Maurice’s treatment of the army, starts a revolt. They murder Maurice and his family.
Phocas makes himself Emperor and, within eight years, loses almost every gain since Justin I.
Heraclius marches on Constantinople. Phocas’s guards, including his brother, do not stand in the way. After beheading Phocas, Heraclius becomes Emperor. He will patch up things in the east and with part of the Balkans.
Invaders From the North.
The Slavic, Avar, Bulgarian, and Hungarian (Magyar) invasions continue, and by 700 A.D., only a small part of Macedonia Prima remains under Byzantine control.
Basil II
By 1000 A.D., the Bulgarians are occupying much of today’s Macedonia. Basil II sends his armies into battle to regain the area. Samuel of Bulgaria will be his greatest adversary.
Within five years, Basil is in control of most of the Balkans as far as the Danube. However, Samuel still holds much of western Macedonia. Circa 1014, they score a massive victory over Samuel in western Macedonia. Within four years, The Byzantine Empire has back its Danubian border for the first time in 400 years.
Basil II dies circa 1024, and for the next 25 years, the throne room will have a revolving door as Emperors, co-emperors, and Empresses pass through.
1021 is a defining one for the Byzantine Empire. The eastern and western churches finally separate.
Emperor Constantine IX relieves his general in Italy, leaving it an easy target for the Normans and later Lombards. By 1060, the Normans control much of Italy and the Hungarians substantial parts of the Balkans. The Oghuz Turks also make an indent into the Balkans.
1200 – 1387.
The Fourth Crusade, circa 1203, was nothing more than a real estate outing. The Pope’s armies “accidentally” sack Constantinople in 1204 on their way to free Jerusalem. The Byzantine prince Alexios Angelos is behind this to restore his father Isaac II Angelos as emperor. Alexios is overthrown, and the soldiers sack the city for their pay.
Almost immediately, the Byzantine Empire begins to break into pieces.
The Empire of Nicaea consists of most of Turkey’s land that the Byzantines still had control over south of the Bosphorus.
The Empire of Trebizond is Byzantine lands around the Black Sea.
The Despotate of Epirus encompasses all of the western Greek mainland and part of Albania. This includes today’s Western Macedonia.
All three of these regions declare themselves the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire.
At the same time, the crusaders establish the Latin Empire, naming Baldwin as emperor. Boniface, the leader of the crusaders and rightful emperor, marches on Thessaloniki, claiming it and most of eastern Greece as the Kingdom of Thessaloniki.
Two years later, the Lombard nobles and Bulgarian Czar assassinate Boniface. While his 2-year-old son Demetrius replaces him, the Lombards run wild. Henry of Flanders, the second Latin Emperor, descends on Thessaloniki and restores order.
Within 20 years, Epirus takes central Macedonia from the Latins, renaming it the Empire of Thessaloniki and Thrace (Eastern Macedonia).
Palaiologos Dynasty
The early family history is vague. It appears they were living in Constantinople at the time of the Fourth Crusade and holding important positions. When the city falls, they flee to the Nicaea Empire. Here they hold important positions for the Laskaris family, Emperors of Nicaea.
Michael VIII Palaiologos will become the co-emperor to John IV Laskaris during a 1259 coup. Two years later, after recapturing Constantinople, Michael deposes John IV.
The family will continue to rule what is left of the Byzantine Empire for almost 200 years. Further attacks from the Bulgarians, Serbs, Ottoman Turks, and family infighting continue to weaken the empire.
Circa 1340, the Serbian king Stefan Dusan conquers all of Macedonia except Thessaloniki with its mighty walls.
The Byzantines will win back the eastern regions in 1371, but most of central and western Macedonia remain under Serbia.
The Ottomans
The Ottomans are moving west, and the Balkans are in their site. The Serbian King Vukasin Mrnjavcevic and his brother Despot Jovan Ugljesa are ruling all of Macedonia and the southern areas of Bulgaria and Albania.
Near Ormenio, where today’s Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey come together, the Ottomans crush the Serbs in 1371, taking Thrace.
By 1430, they capture the last Macedonian stronghold, Thessaloniki.
There is not much Byzantine Empire left to conquer when Ottoman sultan Mehmed the Conqueror enters Constantinople by 1453.
The Ottomans will occupy most of Greece for the next 500 years.
Life in Macedonia is not awful under the Ottomans. They gain power. Then they leave the people to carry on their lives, as long as they pay the Ottomans their annual tribute.
They allow Christians to continue to worship. Macedonia will become home to a large Sephardi Jewish population following the expulsions of Jews from Spain in 1492.
Goodbye Macedonia
With the changing of owners and language, the area loses the name Macedonia. The Ottomans divide former Macedonia into several regions (Vilayet).
Salonica Vilayet – covers most of today’s Macedonia, part of eastern Macedonia, and southern Bulgaria.
Edirne (Adrianople) Vilayet – covers eastern Macedonia (Thrace), Turkey to Constantinople, and southeastern Bulgaria.
Monastir Vilayet – follows many of the same borders as today’s western Macedonia. It also includes southern Albania.
Parts of the Vilayet will break away circa 1867 as the new Scutari Vilayet (Albania and Montenegro.) A year later, they break off the Kosovo Vilayet (today’s Kosovo).
They are all within the Eyalet of Rumeli (Beylerbeylik of Rumeli.) Which is a first-level province and one of the most important. It covers most of the Balkans (Rumelia) and includes major cities such as Edirne, Ioannina, Sofia, Skopie, and Salonica (Thessaloniki).
Due to their size, no one attacks the Ottomans, so the area is finally stable and becomes prosperous.
The Ottomans allow Christians to continue their religion, and later, a census in the region lists Jews.
As for language, the Greeks would continue with Greek, the Ottomans with Turkish, and the Albanians with their tongue. Greek will be the most prominent.
Whose Side are You On?
Much of Western Macedonia is under an Armatolikia due to the inaccessible terrain. An armatolikia, on paper, is a militia that the Ottomans would commission to enforce the Sultan’s authority. The administrative district they patrol is a Armatoliki.
In reality, these Greek Christian soldiers for hire would enforce the law according to their rules with their guns. By the time of the Greek War of Independence, there was no doubt whose side they were on. They were a major part of the Greek resistance.
Klephts were Greek highwaymen who would act as self-appointed armatolikia. They are Greeks, who upon the Ottoman invasion, hid in the hills to avoid Ottoman rule. They will also play a part when the time comes to remove the Ottomans.
Although under Ottoman control, life for the Greeks was not as bad in Western Macedonia as in some places. As long as the local pasha receives his taxes from the towns, he pretty much leaves them alone to be Greeks.
There are uprisings, usually when an armatolikia tries to take control. Ottoman forces from larger towns come in to squelch it.
Ali Pasha
By 1789, the Ottoman-Albanian lord Ali Pasha became ruler of the territory, including northwestern Greece (Epirus, Western Macedonia) and Albania.
As pasha (governor), he becomes the most influential lord from that area anytime during the 18th and 19th centuries. He uses Ioannina as his center of power.
He entertains influential European leaders forging partnerships separate from the Sultan. His court becomes a meeting point for Georgios Karaiskakis and others significant in the upcoming War for Independence.
Lord Byron describes Ioannina during an 1809 visit to Ali’s court as a splendid example of Greek cultural revival. He says it is superior in wealth, refinement, and education to anywhere else in Greece.
In private letters, Byron also talks about Ali’s dark side. Ali’s level of cruelty with no remorse. The execution of opponents, burning rebels, and drowning the local women in the lake.
Sultan Mahmud II in Constantinople begins to suspect Ali’s intentions. Circa 1820, he sends his troops to Ioannina to imprison Ali Pasha. Next, he burns the suspicious libraries and schools to the ground.
Ali Pasha flees to the monastery on the island in the lake, thinking a pardon is coming from the Sultan. They execute him two years later.
Those Darn Americans.
Since 1776, people under oppression are getting crazy ideas because of what 13 colonies did in the New World.
France, Haiti, Ireland, Serbia, and more begin their revolutions with different levels of success.
After 450 years of Ottoman rule, the Greeks are also feeling a little oppression.
Starting in 1821, Greeks in the north began small revolts. Although not successful, they light the fuse.
Next, the Peloponnese revolts, and Central Greece and Macedonia follow a few months later.
Unfortunately, all the different regions of Greece are fighting separately instead of as one faction. This oversight allows the Ottomans to summon their allies, the Egyptians who squash the Peloponnese forces by year’s end. To add insult, they capture Athens.
Here They Come to Save the Day.
Russia, Britain, and France finally see a chip in the Ottoman armor. Wanting to take them down several pegs, they join the Greeks circa 1827. They destroy the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet at Navarino and expel the Egyptians by the following year. Greeks start taking back control of Central and Northern Greece.
The Macedonian Struggle
With the Ottomans retreating from the mainland, the worse fighting was still to come.
The Bulgarians, Serbs, and Greek cannot agree on who owns what. What begins as a series of social, political, and cultural conflicts will escalate into military fighting. Eventually, the Greeks and Bulgarians gain the upper hand. That all changes with the Young Turk Revolution of 1908.
The Young Turks is a movement to replace the Ottoman Empire’s absolute monarchy with a constitutional government. They led a rebellion against the absolute rule of the Sultan. While the Turks are fighting amongst themselves, Bulgaria makes a broad move. It declares its independence from the Ottomans by October 1908. The next day Austria-Hungary will officially annex Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But All is Not Well.
After almost 500 years of coexisting, Epirus and Western Macedonia end the 19th century with agitation between the groups.
The Albanian leaders declare poor treatment by the Ottoman government. They demand an Albanian school with teachings in their language as well as other Albanian rights.
The Greek citizens request they become part of the Greek union. There are more than 75,000 Greek Orthodox to less than 5,000 Muslims in Western Greece by this time. The prominent Muslim families send their children to Greek-language schools over the Turkish-language.
First Balkan War
Serbia is not happy losing Bosnia and Herzegovina and increase its efforts to seize land. By 1912, Albania is fed up with more taxation and less representation under the Young Turk government. This leads to a 1912 revolt. By October 1912, the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro attack the Ottomans in the Balkans. Within seven months, the war is over, with the Ottomans losing more than 80% of their possessions.
The Treaty of London ends the First Balkan War. The Balkan league receives much of the land west of present-day Turkey. The treaty also declares Albania as an independent state.
Bulgaria feels they do not get enough and are ready to fight before the ink dries on the treaty. By July of 1913, Bulgaria attacks Serbia and Greece. Romania takes the opportunity to attack Bulgaria.
Within a month, Bulgaria is begging for an Armistice. The treaty of Bucharest divides Macedonia into three pieces. Serbia gets much of today’s Macedonia kingdom. Bulgaria gets the smallest piece, roughly the area south of the present Greek border. Greece will receive what is today Western and central Greek Macedonia, and Thrace (eastern Macedonia.)
Epirus and Greek Macedonia come under the control of the Greek forces.
World War I
The following year, WWI breaks out, and Bulgaria sides with Germany, hoping to gain Serbia and Greece. They invade eastern and central Macedonia.
Greek troops in Epirus push north into Albania. Albania, only a few months old, tries to remain neutral. Bulgaria manages to overthrow Serbia and much of eastern Macedonia.
The battle line stretches across the northern border of Central and Western Macedonia to the Adriatic Sea. Greece has two governments butting heads. It is not until 1916 that they finally side with the Allies against the Central Powers.
Western Macedonia will not see as much warfare as eastern Macedonia along the Bulgarian border. Part of this is the confusion in Albania and part on the terrain.
Bulgarian troops do manage to take the town of Florina in 1916. However, they meet resistance just beyond and eventually retreat.
In September 1918, Greek forces and their allies broke through the Bulgarian line. By the end of the month, Bulgaria is asking for an armistice. A month later, the Ottomans are asking for one as well.
World War II
1939 and the world is at it again. By October of 1940, Italian troops pour into Greece, beginning the Greco-Italian War. The Greeks are successful at first until Germany sends German and Bulgarian troops overwhelming the Greeks.
Starting in October 1940, the Italian army invades Greece beginning the Greco-Italian War. The Greeks can keep the Italians from advancing. So in April of 1941, the Germans invade and overran Greece within a month. They divide Greece up between Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria. Italy oversees most of mainland Greece while Germany covers the islands and the Peloponnese.
By 1941, Bulgaria begins another occupation of eastern Macedonia, lasting until the end of the war. During these three years, Bulgarian troops under German orders round up almost the entire Jewish community of 4000. Most of them die at the Treblinka extermination camp in Poland.
Italy does not follow the German orders pertaining to the Jews. Many Jews begin flocking to the areas Italy is controlling.
With Italy’s 1943 attempt to join the Allies, Germany seizes most of the Italians and control.
Greek resistance forces spring up immediately. Beginning in the north against the Bulgarians, they increase dramatically when the Germans arrive.
They succeed in securing mountainous areas. However, the German response is brutal.
The Germans partake in several massacres of Greek civilians.
Circa 1944, the Germans round up the Jews in Central and Western Macedonia and Epirus. They send them to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Of this group of almost 42,000 Jews, less than 300 will return after the war—Jews who join the resistance fare better.
Western Macerdonia Today
Modern Western Macedonia corresponds (somewhat) with the ancient Greek regions of Orestis (Kastoria), Elimiotis (Kozani), and Eordaea (Kozani and Florina). The area may have been known as Upper Macedonia.
Tymphaea, and part of Lynkestis, stretch over Gravena to the south and today’s Epirus to the southwest. This area was Lower Macedonia.
Western Macedonia covers more than 3,600 sq mi but has less than 300,000 inhabitants.
The mountainous nature of the region, more than 80% is mountainous or semi-mountainous, is part of the reason. More than 55% of the population lives in rural areas. The capital of the region, Kozani, has around 54,000 inhabitants. Ptolemaida, Grevena, Florina, and Kastoria are the only other towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants.
There is a light industry in Florina and Kozani. Lignite mining is a major player in the economy and the production of electric power. The next largest is the fur-leather sector.
Most produce exports are to other parts of Greece or nearby Albania. They include the P.D.O. Kronos Kozanis Saffron, fruits, Florina peppers, and local wines.
Tourism.
Tourism is well down the list. The area has only two commercial airports (Kozani and Kastoria), and they can only handle smaller passenger lanes. The mountains hinder a significant rail system, so a car is the best alternative.
Most of the sightseeing is mountains, lakes, hillside villages, and canyons. In the winter, it is snow-related activities, including snowboarding and skiing.
There are ski centers near Florina, Grevena, and Kozani.
What is in Western Macedonia for me?
See & Hear.
Western Macedonia has dramatic mountains, valleys, rivers, woods, and fields. Discover hillside villages or listen to the birds or the gurgling of the river over rocks.
Taste & Smell.
Smell the fresh mountain air. Taste the Western Macedonia cuisine, which features local butter, cheeses, and other dairy products.
Feel.
Tourism is not a significant industry in the region yet. It is possible to find empty trails and sites without thousands of other people. The area has a very relaxing spell that can even slow down a road warrior.
Sit and sip an afternoon coffee at a waterside cafe while little boats pass by.
Feel like you found a corner of Greece no other non-Greeks have.
There may be better ways to end your afternoon, but this one doesn’t suck.
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Should See Western Macedonia.
Florina (north).
Using the town of Florina as a base, there are many things you can reach as day trips.
The town itself has several small museums that may take you 20-60 minutes each to see. There are five different folklore museums and an art gallery.
Archaeological Museum of Florina
The museum has artifacts from the Florina area dating between the 6th millennium B.C. to the Roman years. In addition to Roman sculptures, there are items from the sites of Agios Panteleimon and Petres Amynteou. Parts of frescos from Agios Achilleios and other Byzantine items are also on display.
Prespa National Park
The majority of the park is in Albania but it includes Greece’s Small (Mikri) Prepa Lake. Just north is Big (Megali) Lake Prepa in Greece, but larger portions are in Albania and Northern Macedonia. The small town of Mikrolimni sits on the southern shore of the smaller lake. A few stone buildings, a charming church from Ottoman times, a post office, and a perfect waterside restaurant.
Agios Achillios
This small island is at the north end of the small lake. (You can see it from Mikrolimni.) The island is a hidden treat only accessible by a long pedestrian walkway (or boat if you brought one). As you reach the island, the one-street village is to your right. There are about a dozen buildings of various sizes, many with stone walls.
The path from the bridge to the right will take you past structures from at least the Ottoman period. White stones line the dirt path to the ruins of the Byzantine basilica of Agios Achillios. The church was built circa 990 A.D. on the orders of tsar Samuel of Bulgaria. Besides the remaining walls, a tomb and several graves are visible.
You can walk the rest of the island where you will see other (newer) churches. There is a monastery and free-roaming goats and dwarf cattle.
Lake Petron
Less than an hour east of Florina is this picturesque lake. It is a breeding area for Pygmy Cormorants and a stopping place for European birds migrating.
Lake Vegoritida
Just east of Petron is this larger lake that is one of the deeper lakes in Greece. It reaches depths of 150 feet in places. Also, a bird habitat, and there are hiking paths nearby.
P.D.O. Amyntaio Wine Region
An hour east of Florina near Lake Vegoritida are several wineries producing award-winning whites and reds. They also produce roses.
Alpha Estate is due east of Amyntaio. Tours and tastings are available with reservations.
Domain Karanika is southeast of town. Here, they specialize in sparkling wines. Reservations are necessary.
Lake Zazari
This small lake south of Petron is an important wetland and a member of the Natura 2000 network. Some think it one of the prettiest lakes in Greece.
Lake Chimaditida
Just south of Zazari is this picturesque lake also good for bird watching or fishing.
Edessa
Although in Central Macedonia, a quick mention. The claim to fame of this town an hour’s drive east of Florina is its waterfalls. Several manmade cascades lead to a large cascade (Keranos.) A path crisis crosses the route of the water and follows the water to the bottom. It passes behind the waterfall at one point. Check out the Byzantine bridge in the park near the center of town.
Kajmakcalan
This mountain on the border between Greece and North Macedonia reaches a height of 8,271 ft. In September 1916, a battle between Serbian and Bulgarian troops took place here, resulting in a Serbian victory. A small church and crypt honor the Serbian soldiers who died in battle. On the Greek side is a small church to Saint Peter. The access is via North Macedonia. The first hour from Florina is on a paved road. The last hour (can feel like 10 hours) is on dirt and rock road. Hiking may be involved due to road conditions.
Ski Center Voras
Just over an hour’s drive from Florina, the drive, summer or winter, offers incredible views on a clear day. The Ski center is not a resort similar to Vail or Steamboat. There are lifts, facilities, a cafeteria but no lodging.
Nymfaio
This charming hillside village is on many “prettiest villages of Greece” lists. Once very prosperous, the city boasts many mansions of stone. There is a small gold and folkloric museum. The tavernas are plentiful for a village of its size. In winter, with snow, it is magical.
This small but determined rescue organization outside Nymfaio is home to bears and wolves that were imprisoned. These animals can no longer survive on their own in the wild. The non-profit also supports the protection of the fauna and natural habitat. You can visit the habitat in the summer months (when bears are not hibernating) but it requires a walk.
Kozani (east).
The town has more than 70,000 residents, so there are more restaurants, hotels, and things to do. It makes a great base for exploring the eastern part of Western Macedonia.
Kozani Archaeological Collection
The museum’s collection includes statues, sculptures, inscriptions, jewelry, all more dating from the Palaeolithic to the Roman period.
Folklore and Natural History Museum of Kozani
This museum is several collections in one. There is natural History dating from the Palaeolithic era until recent years. A Byzantine collection spans from 7000 B.C. to 1453 AD. There is a Historical collection dating from 1453 to 1944, and more.
Vourinos Mountain
West of Kozani, this small range separates Kozani from Grevena. The foothills are home to many farms. A walk or drive along the country roads is scenic.
This museum, a thirty-minute drive south from Kozani, is dedicated to Aiani, a Macedonian city from circa 200 B.C. The archeological site, on a hill east of the museum, is not open to the public. The collection now includes other more recent finds from the Kozani and Grevena regions.
Museum of the Macedonian Struggle at Hromio.
This site is approximately 45 minutes drive from Kozani in the foothills of Vourinos above Cromio. This open-air museum is on the spot of the first revolt in Western Macedonia against Ottoman dominion in 1878. It honors the freedom fighters of Macedonia.
Krokos
This town, just south of Kozani is the center (coop) of more than 2000 Saffron producers. More than 40 villages grow the pure red saffron, much of it has organic certification. The Saffron has P.D.O. status.
Pierian Mountains.
An hour’s drive east of Kozani is this mountain range. They feature forests and lakes with many trails.
Servia
Another main town in the Kozani region, It has the remains of a 6th-century Byzantine castle. There are 10th century Byzantine cave hermitages, and small Byzantine churches.
Skepasmeno Waterfalls
It is a series of small cascades with one 60-foot waterfall. The hike to the falls is almost two miles each way, with numerous elevation gains and losses. You can see the largest cascade before descending into the canyon.
The snow-skiing resorts of Central Macedonia are less than 90 minutes drive east of Kozani in the Vermio mountains.
Special Mention:
If you find yourself in Kozani between December 25 to January 5, check out the 12-day Momoeria festival. The festival takes place in eight villages and is on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. The festival asks for good luck and prosperity in the new year. This includes healthy babies, making natural resources sustainable, protection of the harvests, and more.
The tradition dates to pre-Christian times. The Greeks would modernize it after Christianity came to the region. It includes dancers, actors, and musicians not only performing in the streets but making house calls.
The Momoeria is a group of 30 male dancers. They represent the priests of Momos (god of laughter and satire.) When Momos falls from grace (they kick him out of Olympia for being too critical) the Momoeria become soldiers. Specifically, the generals of Alexander the Great. Their traditional garb includes pleated skirts, traditional shoes, helmets or hats, and sticks similar to a crop.
Each night they end in the town square with a bonfire and everyone singing and dancing until daybreak.
Grevena (south).
Grevena town is the capital of the Grevena regional unit, with a population of around 13,000 citizens. There are several nice hotels and restaurants. The town has no major sites.
Venetikos River
The river offers several options. Flowing west to east, you can reach it fifteen minutes drive south from Grevena. There are hiking paths along the river in many places, some following former Roman routes. Canyons, some only a few yards wide, enclose the river in places.
Arched Bridges
There are more than fifteen stone bridges dating from the Ottoman period in Grevena. Many of these are rebuilt with stones from previous Roman bridges. Some of the bridges on the Venetikos are the Portitsa, Kagelia, Gefiri Aziz Aga, Gefiri Stavropotamou, and nearby Gefiri Spanou.
Dotsiko is a charming hillside village 40 minutes west of Grevena. Here you can see the Dotsiko stone bridge. The Liatissas bridge is near Spelaio, and there are others.
The park stretches across large parts of Epirus to the west and western Macedonia to the east. Mavranaioi, 30 minutes east of Grevena, has a visitors information office for the park. The park offers hiking, trekking, camping, fishing, rafting, or just enjoying nature.
Vasilitsa Ski Center
An hour west of Grevena, the ski center has eight different lifts to deliver you to numerous ski areas from beginner to expert. In the summer, there is a bike park. There is one small hotel, but the majority of accommodations are in other villages.
Kastoria (west).
Kastoria sits on Lake Orestiada and is the capital of the region by the same name. The town has a fair share of Byzantine and Ottoman-era architecture, which is unusual in this part of Greece. Lake Oresiada borders the town on the north and south as Kastoria is on a peninsula.
Byzantine Museum of Kastoria.
The museum has a fine collecting of Byzantine and post-Byzantine items. Also, there is information on the seventeen remaining Byzantine churches in town.
Folklore Museum of Kastoria
Monuments Museum of Kastoria.
This museum features an impressive collection of scale models of Kastoria’s townhouses, Byzantine churches, and monasteries. There is also a model of ancient Dispilio and copies of vitraux stained glass once in many houses.
Monastery of Virgin Mary Mauriotissa
This 11-century monastery is on the point of the Kastoria peninsula. You can walk to it in less than an hour. However, traffic on the two (sometimes one) lane road can be too close, so I suggest driving. It is a small compound with a red bell tower. The setting is beautiful.
The natural cave contains stalactites, stalagmites as well as four lakes. There is no ancient history of the caves, and serious exploration did not begin until the 1960s. Parts of the cave are wheelchair accessible.
Archeologikos Choros Proistorikos Limneos Ikismos
This archaeological site is fifteen minutes drive south on the lake’s south shore. The remains of this Neolithic settlement date to its final stages circa 3000 B.C. Many artifacts, including ceramics, figurines, personal ornaments, and instruments, are on display in the museum. The wooden Dispilio Tablet, dating from 5000 B.C., is not on display and is in a controlled environment.
Museum for the Macedonian Struggle.
Just off a triangular square, in the former Picheon mansion, is this small museum to the resistance against the Ottomans, then Bulgarians. Through photos and documents, it recounts much of the area’s history.
National Reconciliation Park
The park, almost two-hours drive southwest of Kastoria, is a mixture of nature and history. There are hiking trails as well as exhibitions covering the area’s history. Reservations are necessary for a tour, and confirm it is in English. Combine it with a driving tour of the scenic hills, valleys, and villages in between.
Mount Gramos (Grammos).
Two hours drive west of Kastoria is this all-season mountain. In the winter, it is the site of backcountry snow skiing and boarding. In the summer, it is home to hiking, mountain biking, climbers, and more.
Western Macedonia Summary
Is this everything to do and see in Western Macedonia? As usual, no way.
But it is enough to give you a more in-depth experience, so you come away feeling you experienced the area.
And Western Macedonia is on the way. On the way to Epirus or Central Macedonia.
The route of the Romans, Byzantines, or Ottomans stretches across all three regions.
The Naousa wine region of Central Macedonia is 90 minutes east of the Amyntaio wine region. And that’s only because there is a mountain in the way.
Western Macedonia does not get the busloads of English-speaking tourists. This has good and bad results.
There are few crowds, and the restaurants cater to a more local crowd. That means no skimping because the guests know the correct recipe.
Unfortunately, it also puts little pressure on the museums and sites to translate signs and descriptions into English.
You will also come in contact with people whose English is not as strong as Greeks in the larger cities. Before you judge, how is your Greek? Better than their English?
To me, it’s just another part of the adventure.
Come, discover Western Macedonia.
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