ancient authors believed that Bryges were the oldest people in the world (Herodotus) and the inventors of great number of skills (metal elaboration, mint coins, the invention of the wheel, the use of grain, sirinks – Marsyas’ music). The archeological, historical, onomastic and linguistic research demonstrates the ethnographical and linguistic connection of the Bryges with the ancient Macedonians. The ethnogenesis of the Macedonians is made of several ethnical groups that were lining the territory of Ancient Macedonia. From the VIII century BC the unification process of the Macedonian tribes started in a sole country of the Ancient Macedonians under the rule of the Macedonian Emperors of the Argeadas dynasty. The state started expanding its territory. From the initial territory among the rivers Axios (Vardar), Lydia (Moglenica) and Haliacmon (Bistrica) it reached its largest territory in the period of Philip II (359-336) while during the rule of Alexander III of Macedonia (336-323) it reached its world’s dimensions not only in terms of its military and economical power but also in terms of the historical significance of its civilization. The ancient records testify the peculiarity and specificity of the Ancient Macedonians over the other neighboring ethnic groups – Hellenes, Thracians, Illyrians, Mysians; the peculiarity and specificity of the Ancient Macedonians over the Hellenes is the best noticed in the state constitution (the ancient political analysts wrote about the Macedonian Basilea that “the Macedonian cannot live without) – a Monarchy with hereditary ruler and with state institutions that rule according the “Macedonians legislative”; then specific Macedonian customs, ceremonies (wedding ceremonies), celebrations of the Macedonian deities are noticed (bacchi, Klodones, Mimalones, maenads), myths about the Macedonian Royal dynasty (Karan, Temen, Makedon, Mida), Macedonian cults (the cult of the water – Bedi, cult of the Sun, cult of the dog), the cults of the Macedonian deities (Bacchae, Sabasius, Zeirene, Heracles, Orpheus, the Muses) and a separate Macedonian language is also registered.
3. The language of the Ancient Macedonians
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