Second International Congress on Macedonian Studies (8-13 July 1991)

Prof. Peter Connor wrote in the Preface of Ancient Macedonia: an Australian Symposium: 

“…The Congress was a great success. Large numbers of participants attended the day-sessionsdevoted to specialist papers, whilst the general public filled the large Sunderland Theatre of the Medical Centre on each of the three nights to hear the keynore speakers: Professors E. Borza, R.M. Errington and D. Pantermalis. The Symposium was opened on Monday 8th July at 8.15 by Professor Nicholas Hammond in the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria before a capacity audience.
The theme of the Symposium was the history and archaeology of Ancient Macedonia and aims to present recent research by scholars from Australia and Greece, together with the contributions of several eminent international scholars. Our four special guests each performed on two occasions. The programme achieved an affective balance between history and archaeology and, in particular, the participants at both day and evening sessions were privileged to hear of the very latest archaeological discoveries in Northern Greece…”

Eminent Professor N. G. L. Hammond in his introduction of the volume Ancient Macedonia: an Australian Symposium offered the following comments: 

“The organizers of the Second International Congress on Macedonian Studies are to be congratulated on bringing together a number of historians from Australia, Europe and America and a brilliant team of archaeologists from Greece and Australia. The Congress provided a wonderful opportunity for scholars to report on their own researches and to learn from one another. Moreover, it was very well attended by citizens of Melbourne, who proved most appreciative of both the public lectures and the specialists papers and sometimes took part in the discussions…” 

and Professor N.G. L. Hammond notes with emphasis:

“…Many recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed the correctness of ancient oral and literary traditions, For example, the excavation of the ‘Cemetery of Tumuli’ below Vergina has revealed phases of occupation which correspond well with the oral tradition of the Makedones, as told to Herodotus, that their early neighbours were the Phrygians eho then migrated to Asian and that, according to Strabo, Illyrians and Epirotes occupied the area next. We should therefore be ready to accept the tradition in Hesiod that the Macedones were Greek-speaking people who lived in very early times in the high country of Mt. Olympus and Pieria…”

• To download or read the complete article Proceedings of the Second International Conference of Hellenism in the 21st Century. (To download click here)