[apro]

"What you said, SC. In his day the Greeks didn’t consider Phillip and Alexander Greeks at all but heathen barbarians."

Not quite accurate there, King Philip participate in the Olympic games and every other event deemed for Greeks only. If ancient Greeks didn't consider Philip or Alexander as Greeks they would not have been allowed to participate in these events, and Macedonians have been by this time taking part in such Greek only events since before King Philips grandfather's grandfather grandfather many greats was even born. People mistakenly associate Demosthenes' speeches for Athens to that of all Greeks. Not so. For one Demosthenes was speaking only for Athens, he was very Athens-centric if you will. Secondly he was the only one who considered Philip a "barbarian" based upon the politic of the day, not that calling someone a 'barbarian' meant much when used in politics, it was a typical trick used by many of an ancient Greek against other Greeks a plotical ploy to undermind your opponent. Similar to how modern politicians play the "you're a not true [enter your nationality here] if you do not follow me" routine. There was a huge revelry going on between Athens and Macedonia during that time period, similar to the ones that were seen between Athens and Sparta on a number of times, which is why some Athenians like Demosthenes were hostile towards Philip and other Athenians like Aeschines and Isocrates, who applealed to King Philip to reconcile the Greeks and lead them against Persia, were not hostile towards Philip. Demosthenes never called the Macedonians barbarians, only Philip, neither did any other Greeks viewed the Macedonians as not Greeks. On the contrary one of the longest and most complete ancient Greek court documents that we have is between Aeschines against Demosthenes and Timarchos. Aeschines, like Isocrates, was in favor for King Philips plan to lead the Greeks against the Persians. Demosthenes and Timarchos were not, so they accused Aeschines of high treason and he counter-accused them the result being one of the most well perserved legal document we have from ancient Greece in regards to their laws. :-)

Never the less, great article just the same, I haven't seen this one yet, thanks for posting. A few other recent ancient finds from Greece that are interesting:

Giant Prehistoric tusks found in Greece

3,000-year-old tomb from Mycenaean times discovered in Western Greece

Ancient Rome tombs found in Greece

[metesky]

Not quite accurate there.
:O)

As far as I can tell Phillip never paticipated personally in the Olympic Games, however after he was king for several years and recognized as a power to be dealt with, he did enter several of his horses in the races, one of which won his heat.

As for Demosthenes' Phillipics, while he was exhorting all the Greeks to resist Phillip, he was after all a citizen of Athens, which would indeed give him reason to be "Athens-centric".

Further, it's absurd to say that only Demosthenes considered the Macedonians barbarians:

These words echo the fact that the ancient Greeks regarded the ancient Macedonians as dangerous neighbors, never as kinsmen. They viewed them and their kings as barbarians (non-Greeks), a manner in which they treated all non-Greeks. Long before Philip II, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, related how the Macedonian king Alexander I (498-454 BC), the Philhellene, that is "a friend of the Greeks" and naturally a non-Greek, wanted to take a part in the Olympic games. The Greek athletes protested, saying they would not run with a barbarian. Historian Thucydides also considered the Macedonians as barbarians and Thracymachus explicitly referred to the Macedonian king Archelaus (413-399 BC) as barbarian.

Thanks for the links to some good articles.