Macedonia

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Macedonia, is a Kingdom of great antiquity and fame in Greece. Anciently bounded by the Adriatick Sea to the West; the Aegean Sea to the East, (now called the Archipelago;) the Ʋpper Moesia, a part of Illyricum, (now called Servia, cut off by Mount Sandus) to the North; and on the South it had Epirus, Thessalia, and Achaia. It was then divided into four parts, as Livy saith; under which were twenty six Provinces: and at this day, though Albania, (which was of old a part of it) is dismembred, yet the remainder is divided into four parts by the Turks. 1. Jamboli, of old Macedonia prima, and secunda; which lies East between Thrace and the Bay of Thessalonica. 2. Macedonia, properly so called, lies between Mount Karoponitze to the North, Thessalia to the South, and the Bay of Thessalonica to the East. 3. Comenolitari, the third part, (Macedonia tertia, and part of Thessalia,) has Macedonia properly so called, on the North; Albania on the West, Thessalia on the South, and the same Bay on the East. 4. Janna, lies yet more South; and is the remainder of that which was anciently called Thessalia: on the North it has Commenolitari, on the West Epirus, on the South Livadia, and on the East the Archipelago and Bay of Negropont. The Reader may observe, that Thessalia is now a part of Macedonia, though anciently not; and Albania which anciently was a part of it, now is a separate Kingdom: both are under the Turks. This Country, anciently divided into one hundred and fifty Tribes or Nations, (as Pliny saith,) was by Philip and Alexander his Son, reduced first into one great and formidable body: which spread its Conquests not only over all the rest of Greece; but passing the Hellespont, Alexander the Great overthrew the Persian Empire; and became Lord of all those Countries between the Caspian and Euxine Seas to the North; Mount Imaus to the East; the Persian Sea, Red Sea, the Cataracts of Nile to the South; the Desarts of Lybia, and the Adriatick Sea to the West: which Empire at his death became divided into four great Kingdoms, whereof Macedonia was the least. Philip of Macedon, (the two and twentieth King of the first Race,) began in the year of the World 3155. which ended in Alexander the Great, in 3642. or thereabouts. Cassander extirpated the first Family; and began a second in 3648. which ended in Perseus XI. in that Succession, subdued by the Romans in 3789. But it became not intirely subject, till the Turks first entered this Province under Bajazet their fourth King; who took Nicopolis, (a Town upon the Bay of Thessalonica,) in 1392. The Conquest thereof was finished by Amurath II. (their sixth King) in 1429. by the Conquest of Thessalonica, and all the other places in this Kingdom, considered without Albania. Now governed by a Turkish Sangiack, under the Beglerbeg of Greece, who has 8000. Crowns the year Revenue; and finds in Peace only one hundred Horse for the defence of the Country, in times of War four hundred. All the ancient Cities are ruined, except Thessalonica, and Larissa.