Makedon (mythology) in the context of "Eponym"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about Makedon (mythology) in the context of "Eponym"

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: Makedon (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Makedon (Ancient Greek: Μακεδών), also spelled Makednos (Μακεδνός) or transcribed Macedon, was the eponymous ancestor of the Makedones (ancient Macedonians) according to various ancient Greek fragmentary narratives. In most versions, he appears as a native or immigrant leader from Epirus, who gave his name to Macedonia, previously called Emathia according to Strabo, which according to Marsyas of Pella was until then a part of Thrace.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
In this Dossier

Makedon (mythology) in the context of Ancient Macedonians

The Macedonians (Ancient Greek: Μακεδόνες, Makedónes) were an ancient tribe that lived on the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axios in the northeastern part of mainland Greece. Essentially an ancient Greek people, they gradually expanded from their homeland along the Haliacmon valley on the northern edge of the Greek world, absorbing or driving out neighbouring non-Greek tribes, primarily Thracian and Illyrian. They spoke Ancient Macedonian, which is usually classified by scholars as a dialect of Northwest Doric Greek, and occasionally as a distinct sister language of Greek or an Aeolic Greek dialect. However, the prestige language of Macedon during the Classical era was Attic Greek, replaced by Koine Greek during the Hellenistic era. Their religious beliefs mirrored those of other Greeks, following the main deities of the Greek pantheon, although the Macedonians continued Archaic burial practices that had ceased in other parts of Greece after the 6th century BC. Aside from the monarchy, the core of Macedonian society was its nobility. Similar to the aristocracy of neighboring Thessaly, their wealth was largely built on herding horses and cattle.

Although composed of various clans, the kingdom of Macedonia, established around the 7th century BC, is mostly associated with the Argead dynasty and the tribe named after it. The dynasty, also known as the Temenid dynasty, was allegedly founded by Perdiccas I, descendant of the legendary Temenus of Argos, while the region of Macedon derived its name from Makedon, a figure of Greek mythology. Traditionally ruled by independent families, the Macedonians seem to have accepted Argead rule by the time of Alexander I (r. 498 – 454 BC). Under Philip II (r. 359 – 336 BC), the Macedonians are credited with numerous military innovations, which enlarged their territory and increased their control over other areas extending into Thrace. This consolidation of territory allowed for the exploits of Alexander the Great (r. 336 – 323 BC), the conquest of the Achaemenid Empire, the establishment of the diadochi successor states, and the inauguration of the Hellenistic period in West Asia, Greece, and the broader Mediterranean world. The Macedonians were eventually conquered by the Roman Republic, which dismantled the Macedonian monarchy at the end of the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC) and established the Roman province of Macedonia after the Fourth Macedonian War (150–148 BC).

↑ Return to Menu

Makedon (mythology) in the context of Thyia of Thessaly

In Greek mythology, Thyia (/ˈθə/; Ancient Greek: Θυία, romanizedThuía, derived from the verb θύω "to sacrifice") was the daughter of Deucalion. Thyia bore to Zeus two sons, Magnes and Makednos, the latter of whom was considered the eponym of Macedonia. This genealogy comes from Hesiod's lost work, the Catalogue of Women, as preserved in the De Thematibus of Constantine Porphyrogenitus.

↑ Return to Menu