MACEDONIANS, GREEKS, AND BARBARIANS IN DIODORUS’S BIBLIOTHEKE (BOOKS XVII-XX)
MACEDONIANS, GREEKS, AND BARBARIANS IN DIODORUS’S BIBLIOTHEKE (BOOKS XVII-XX)

Summary/Abstract: This paper investigates how Diodorus Siculus portrays the Macedonians, Greeks, and barbarians, and how these portrayals reflect the fluid, evolving, and contested nature of ethnic identity in the late Classical and early Hellenistic periods. The study applies a comparative historical approach, analysing selected episodes from four books (XVII-XX) of his colossal work "Bibliotheke” bibliographically classified as general history. These volumes represent a valuable testimony to ancient Macedonian history, and specifically document Alexander the Great’s rise to power, his reign and conquests (336-323 BCE). When it comes to historical sources in general (in this case, the source refers to Alexander the Great and his successors), scholarly engagement has traditionally prioritizes military and political events: battles, victories, and defeats. Comparatively, less attention has been devoted to the complex relationships between Macedonians, Greeks, and so-called barbarians. The concepts of Greekness, non-Greek people, deeply embedded in Hellenic thought and identity, since at least the 6th century BCE, intensified during the Persian Wars in the 5th century BCE, and were subsequently reformulated during the Peloponnesian War. These concepts evolved further with the eastern expansion of Greek culture in the period after his death, known as the time of the Diadochoi, and give rich material for comparative analysis. Macedonian imperialism and the establishment of the Hellenistic monarchies contributed significantly to the transformation of these cultural constructs and established different views towards Hellenism and barbarism. This paper explores Diodorus Siculus’s portrayal of Macedonians, Greeks, and so-called “barbarians” in Bibliotheke, focusing on how these representations reflect the fluid and contested nature of identity in the Hellenistic world. By analyzing selected episodes related to Alexander the Great’s campaigns, conquests, and governance, the study reveals the shifting boundaries and perceptions among these groups. The selected books provide narrative in which ethnic identities and political alliances are, negotiated or redefined. Particular attention is paid to the dynamics of interaction, marked at times by hostility, distrust, and antagonism, which illuminate the complex and evolving construction of ethnic and cultural identities in the late Classical and early Hellenistic periods. Through this lens, Diodorus’s narrative emerges not merely as a historical account, but also as a valuable source for understanding the ideological and political implications of identity in antiquity. This paper does not seek to resolve long-standing debates surrounding this issues. Rather it aims to analyse specific examples from Diodorus’s Bibliotheke, in order to trace the interactions between Macedonian, Greeks and barbarians. These interactions, exibit evolving meanings and intensities across the historical epochs. The study, contributes to the broader scholarly discourse on Hellenism, Macedonian identity, and concepts of barbarism during the Hellenistic period, while also encouraging deeper engagement with the narrative and ideological structures embedded in Diodorus's work.

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