Demographic History of Macedonia

The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times.

However, the earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Bryges, Paionians, Thracians and Illyrians. The Bryges occupied northern Epirus, as well as Macedonia, mainly west of the Axios river and parts of Mygdonia. Thracians in early times occupied mainly the eastern parts of Macedonia (Mygdonia, Crestonia, Bisaltia) but were also present in Eordaea and Pieria. Illyrians once occupied many parts of west Macedonia. At one time all Emathia, Pieria and Pelagonia were subject to the Paionians. They occupied the entire valley of the Axios. The Ancient Macedonians are missing from early historical accounts because they had been living in the southern extremities of the region - the Orestian highlands - since before the Dark Ages. The Macedonian tribes subsequently moved down from Orestis in the upper Haliacmon due to pressure from the Orestae.

The name of the region of Macedonia (Greek: Μακεδονία, Makedonia) derives from the tribal name of the ancient Macedonians (Greek: Μακεδώνες, Makedónes). According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Makednoi (Greek: Mακεδνοί) were a Dorian tribe that stayed behind during the great southward migration of the Dorian Greeks (Histories 1.56.1). The word "Makednos" is cognate with the Doric Greek word "Μάκος" Μakos (Attic form Μήκος - "mékos"), which is Greek for "length". The ancient Macedonians took this name either because they were physically tall, or because they settled in the mountains. The latter definition would translate "Macedonian" as "Highlander".

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