On the 16th September 2009, an article written by travel writer Steve McKenna appeared in Fairfax publication The Sun Herald. In his excepts concerning areas of interest in and around the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), he mistakenly alleged that Alexander the Great is a national hero of the FYROM, that the people residing in this newly established Balkan nation are the exclusive inheritors of the Macedonian culture of antiquity, and that the capital of both ancient and modern state was Skopje.

The Australian Macedonian Advisory Council (AMAC) acted promptly, pouncing on the article’s many historical fallacies by initiated contact with the relevant authority. What ensued what a swift amendment of the blunder on the part of The Sun Herald, whose course of conciliation was to offer AMAC the opportunity to respond to Steve McKenna with the editorial’s Letter of the Week.

AMAC’s official response appeared on page 16 of The Sun Herald on Sunday, 27th September.



Dear Editor-in-chief,
In the article Once around the bloc (published 16/08/09), Steve McKenna descried a train of historical fallacies. He alleged that Alexander the Great was a national hero of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, that the people of this nation are exclusive inheritors to the Macedonian culture of antiquity, and that the capital of both ancient and modern state was Skopje.
A lengthy dissertation on historical truth is unnecessary as any scholar involved in critical inquiry will honestly disclose the inextricable link between Ancient Macedonia (of which the legacy of Alexander the Great and the Macedonian kings formed a critical part) and modern Greece–its actors were the Macedonian Greeks, from before Alexander the Great to the Greeks of the Byzantine Empire and the contemporary ones. (http://macedonia-evidence.org/)
The borders of historical Macedon never encompassed Skopje or any surrounding district. Its successive capitals were Vergina (Aigai) and Pella, respectively.
Of course, the southern part of the FYROM was a part of Ancient Macedonia and superficially Slavicised (mainly linguistically) inhabitants of Greek descent who still preserve some of their ancient customs can be found there, but the fact remains that when one references Ancient Macedonia, you can be sure they’re alluding to Greece’s northernmost province, Greek Macedonia.
I am certain this blunder on your part was simply a case of misinformation at the hand of momentary nonchalance and in no way insinuates ill will towards the Hellenic Republic and its Diaspora.

Sincerely,


Australian Macedonian Advisory Council