ABSTRACT
Macedonia sits at a geographical crossroads, where the greater Balkan mass intersects with the Greek peninsula. Much of the history of ancient Macedonia revolves around the struggle to control its strategic, physical, and economic advantages. Within that greater bridge region, in historical times Macedonia served as a buffer zone between the Greek city-states and neighbouring 'barbarians': that is, all non-Greek speakers, who to Greek ears uttered unintelligible 'bar bar'. Archaeologists have concluded that long before consolidation of Upper and Lower Macedonia in the mid fourth century Aiani experienced a high standard of living and culture, sharing many characteristics with the Greek world. The British historian of ancient Macedonia Nicholas Hammond has vigorously argued that the Macedonians were transhumant pastoralists and sought to gain pasturelands by their advance into the plain. Neighbours on the northwest frontier of Upper Macedonia posed the greatest threat to the stability of the Macedonian kingdom.
