To be fair, historic conceptions of Macedonia include Vardar Macedonia, which is roughly equivalent to the territory of modern-day FYROM.
AHC: Aromanian state in Epirus
- Thread starter Sevarics
- Start date
To be fair, historic conceptions of Macedonia include Vardar Macedonia, which is roughly equivalent to the territory of modern-day FYROM.
Zagan
Donor
My Take
1. Plausibility for an Aromanian State: low.
2. Most likely area(s) for an Aromanian State: South-Eastern Albanian Epirus + North-Eastern Greek Epirus + Westernmost Greek Macedonia (Pindus Mountains) + Southernmost Yugoslav Macedonia.
3. Name. Let's make a distinction between endomyms and exonyms here. Examples: Finland / Suomi, Georgia / Sakartvelo, etc.
Romania is România in Romanian and Armâñia in Aromanian. Yes, we the Aromanians call ourselves Armâñi and we call Romania Armâñia!
So, it is obvious that an Aromanian State would be called Armâñia in Aromanian (the endonym). OTOH, its English exonym would probably be Romania (if it is before the creation of a united Romanian State north of the Danube with this name). If Romania is already taken (by OTL Romania or by a Greek State, Ρωμανια), then the Aromanian State could be called in English Aromania.
If the local name Epirus is used, the English exonym would be obviously Epirus while the Aromanian Endomyn would be the Aromanian term for it, Epiru.
4. Proposed territory (with an Aromanian plurality at least until the Balkan Wars), see map:
5. Capital: Moscopole (although very marginal, see red dot) or Bitolia (Bitola), Grebena (Grevena), Castoria (Kastoria) or Curceaua (Korçë).
6. Area: cca. 15,000 sq km.
7. Population: cca. 1 million (Aromanians 40%, Albanians 30%, Greeks 20%, Bulgarians 10%, without the 20th century massive Aromanian denationalization).
Disclaimer: I am Aromanian.
1. Plausibility for an Aromanian State: low.
2. Most likely area(s) for an Aromanian State: South-Eastern Albanian Epirus + North-Eastern Greek Epirus + Westernmost Greek Macedonia (Pindus Mountains) + Southernmost Yugoslav Macedonia.
3. Name. Let's make a distinction between endomyms and exonyms here. Examples: Finland / Suomi, Georgia / Sakartvelo, etc.
Romania is România in Romanian and Armâñia in Aromanian. Yes, we the Aromanians call ourselves Armâñi and we call Romania Armâñia!
So, it is obvious that an Aromanian State would be called Armâñia in Aromanian (the endonym). OTOH, its English exonym would probably be Romania (if it is before the creation of a united Romanian State north of the Danube with this name). If Romania is already taken (by OTL Romania or by a Greek State, Ρωμανια), then the Aromanian State could be called in English Aromania.
If the local name Epirus is used, the English exonym would be obviously Epirus while the Aromanian Endomyn would be the Aromanian term for it, Epiru.
4. Proposed territory (with an Aromanian plurality at least until the Balkan Wars), see map:
5. Capital: Moscopole (although very marginal, see red dot) or Bitolia (Bitola), Grebena (Grevena), Castoria (Kastoria) or Curceaua (Korçë).
6. Area: cca. 15,000 sq km.
7. Population: cca. 1 million (Aromanians 40%, Albanians 30%, Greeks 20%, Bulgarians 10%, without the 20th century massive Aromanian denationalization).
Disclaimer: I am Aromanian.
Zagan
Donor
ATL 18th century - present day.
There are no Aromanians near the Sea. We only inhabit the mountains and some nearby areas as we are a people of shepards.
Assuming it was created following the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and a predominately Aromanian state were set up, do you think they would keep to the mountains or attempt to expand toward the sea?
Zagan
Donor
I'm sorry but, as much as I love my people and our culture, it is sadly completely impossible to have a real Aromanian State before the national awakening from the 18th century.
Before that, any Aromanian State would have been completely Greek culturaly and the ethnic assimilation of the Aromanians would have been faster and more thorough than during the Ottoman rule.
The Ottomans saved us. An independent Orthodox State in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula would have turned to be fully Greek in a couple of centuries (prior to the national awakening).
Zagan
Donor
The maps are ok but for the present day. They are not of any use for the 18th century.
It was the destruction of Moscopole which displaced those Aromanians towards the Albanian coast. Most of them, deprived of their mountains were then slowly turned into Albanians.
Makes sense. I take it there would be no way aside from the destruction of Moscopole to prompt some level of coastward migration?
Zagan
Donor
I don't know that for sure. What I know is that we seem to love the mountains and that the only other case with Aromanians by the seaside is Dobruja where my grandparents have been settled by the Romanian State when they had to flee Greece due to persecution. So, yes, we may have Aromanians near the coasts but it would not be their choice.
Zagan
Donor
Theoretically possible but why? The Ottomans did not move Christians around. The only population relocation in 500 years of Ottoman domination in the Balkans was a light colonisation with Turks in Thrace and Eastern Bulgaria.
Maybe there is a Greek revolt that gets put down in Thessalonica or Athens and the Ottomans decide to settle loyal Aromanians there after putting down the revolt?
Zagan
Donor
While this does make some sense, clearly their fellow Muslim Turks were considered more loyal... I don't know, I didn't say that it's impossible, just that I find it rather unlikely.
Besides, the Aromanians were always quite few in numbers. While they could be a majority or at least a plurality in the sparsely populated mountainous areas, the coasts were heavily populated.