From: cruz@utkvx3.utk.edu (Cruz, Ana Lucia)
Subject: Re: Scopjian Flag
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Tennessee Computing Center
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Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 02:47:00 GMT

In article <BxrFC2.Mv6@gabriel.keele.ac.uk>, cla04@seq1.keele.ac.uk (A.T. Fear) writes...
>From article <1992Nov14.223728.26715@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, by gd8f@kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU (Gregory  Dandulakis):
>> 
>> OK, after all, I received yesterday by mail the December's issue
>> of the magasine "National Geographic" which has the flags of all
>> the new-and-old european countries. And what did I see? The Scopjian
>> flag, putting one next to the other, the name Macedonia and a Star.
>> I rush in the library, I find an illustrated recently published 
>> history of ancient Greece (Oxford edition), and I look under the
>> Macedonia entry the available photos. An other revelation! The 
>> uniquely distinct Star of Vergina, made up of a round bright yellow
>> circle with 16 detached, outwardly radiating rays of rounded, cut,
>> conical shape, the symbol of power for the royal ancient family of 
>> Philip II, this extraordinary piece of art from pure gold, and which 
>> was excavated just in 1976 by the Greek archaelogist Manolis Andronikos 
>> from the heartland of modern Greece's Macedonia, the same exactly, uniquely 
>> shaped and historically invaluable, star was at the center and the heart of
>> the Skopjian flag!!!
> 
>Now while I agree that the use of the Vergina star as the Republic of
>Macedonia's flag is tactless, we might consider that Greece using this
>same symbol all over its stamps etc as part of its 'Macedonia is Greece'
>propaganda campaign is equally tactless, given that the modern Greeks
>are equally unrelated to the ancient Macedonians as the inhabitants of
>the Republic of Macedonia.  I wonder if the Macedonia adoption of the
>flag design was in response to this mass propaganda - I'm afraid I don't
>know enough about the chronology of this symbol war to come down one way
>or the other here.  I think I'd like to see Macedonia adopt a different
>symbol in return for Greece finally stopping her psuedo-historiacal
>posturing and recognising Macedonia for what it is the republic of
>Macedonia.  Alternatively both sides could just use the symbol
>recognising that the fact that they both occupy a land once inhabited by
>the ancient Macedonians makes this period part of both of their culture
>heritages.  The purpose of the sun-burst in its antique setting remains
>unclear and its design isn't unique by the way, it can be found on Greek
>coins predating the rise of Macedonia and on vases painted in early
>Italy - I shall check the precise reference over the next couple of
>days, in other words althoufgh it *might* have been the emblem of the
>Macedonia royal house, something yet to be *proved*, it isn't a uniquely
>Macedonian emblem.  Since the coins come from the far North West of
>Greece and we know Celts were keen on sun symbols perhaps the sun-burst
>is celtic inspired. By the arguments above it should then only appear on
>the Welsh flag! I hope this won't be taken up though as the dragon is
>much nicer... 
> 
>> 
>> Enough is Enough! The Balkans had their share of bloody history.
>> This CANCEROUS GROWTH should be immediately REMOVED.
> 
>It doesn't seem to bode well that someone complaining about a flag
>representing territorial threats should come out with such bellicose
>statements like this in his turn. Have we a supporter for the Serb
>extremists' idea of partioning Macedonia here?
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek