"The land in question [FYROM], with its modern capital at Skopje, was called Paionia in antiquity.

Originally shared by Macedonian Always Greek

"The land in question [FYROM], with its modern capital at Skopje, was called Paionia in antiquity. Mts. Barnous and Orbelos (which form today the northern limits of Greece) provide a natural barrier that separated, and separates, Macedonia [Greece] from its northern neighbor [FYROM-Paionia].
While it is true that the Paionians were subdued by Philip II, father of Alexander, in 358 BC they were not Macedonians and did not live in Macedonia. Likewise, for example, the Egyptians, who were subdued by Alexander, may have been ruled by Macedonians, including the famous Cleopatra, but they were never Macedonians themselves, and Egypt was never called Macedonia.
Rather, Macedonia and Macedonian Greeks have been located for at least 2,500 years just where the modern Greek province of Macedonia is. Exactly this same relationship is true for Attica and Athenian Greeks, Argos and Argive Greeks, Corinth and Corinthian Greeks, etc.
We do not understand how the modern inhabitants of ancient Paionia [modern FYROM], who speak Slavic – a language introduced into the Balkans about a millennium after the death of Alexander – can claim him as their national hero. Alexander the Great was thoroughly and indisputably Greek."
(John Duffy, Professor, Department of the Classics, Harvard University USA, Antony Snodgrass, Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology, University of Cambridge, UK, Robin Lane Fox, University Reader in Ancient History, New College, Oxford, UK, Luigi Beschi, professore emerito di Archeologia Classica, Università di Firenze, Italy, John Dillon, Emeritus Professor of Greek, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, R. Malcolm Errington, Professor für Alte Geschichte, Philipps-Universität, Marburg, Germany, Pontus Hellstrom, Professor of Classical archaeology and ancient history, Uppsala University, Sweden, Marion Meyer, Professor of Classical Archaeology, University of Vienna, Austria, Christina Leypold, Dr. phil., Archaeological Institute, University of Zürich, Switzerland, John Richard Melville-Jones, Winthrop Professor, Classics and Ancient History, University of Western Australia... http://macedonia-evidence.org)

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Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedonia from 498 BC to 454 BC: "Men of Athens [...] In truth, I would not tell it to you if I did not care so much for all Hellas [Greece]; I myself am by ancient descent a Greek, and I would not willingly see Hellas change her freedom for slavery."
(Herodotus, "Histories", 9.45.1-2 http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hdt.+9.45&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126)

Philip II, King of Macedonia 382BC-336BC, in his letter to the Council and People of Athens:
“Not content with this, you have shown your contempt for right and your hostility to me by actually sending an embassy to urge the king of Persia to declare war on me. This is the most amazing exploit of all; for, before the king reduced Egypt and Phoenicia, you passed a decree calling on me to make common cause with the rest of the Greeks against him, in case he attempted to interfere with us.” (Demosthenes, “Philip's Letter to Athenians”, Speeches, 12.6, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0072%3Aspeech%3D12%3Asection%3D6)

Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, 356 BCE - 323 BCE:
"Now you fear punishment and beg for your lives, so I will let you free, if not for any other reason so that you can see the difference between a Greek king and a barbarian tyrant, so do not expect to suffer any harm from me."
(Kallisthenes, Historia Alexandri Magni, 1.37.9-13)

Philip V, King of Macedon, 221 BC - 179 BC:
“On many occasions when I and the other Greeks sent embassies to you begging you to remove from your statutes the law empowering you to get booty from booty, you replied that you would rather remove Aetolia from Aetolia than that law.”
(In Greek original: “πολλάκις γὰρ κἀμοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων διαπρεσβευομένων πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἵνα τὸν νόμον ἄρητε τὸν διδόντα τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὑμῖν ἄγειν λάφυρον ἀπὸ λαφύρου, πρότερον ἔφατε τὴν Αἰτωλίαν ἐκ τῆς Αἰτωλίας ἀρεῖν ἢ τοῦτον τὸν νόμον.")
(Polybius, “The Histories”, 18.4.8, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0233%3Abook%3D18%3Achapter%3D4%3Asection%3D8)