Paeonia

Nella tradizione della medicina greco-romana, le peonie sono considerate piante dalle notevoli virtù terapeutiche. Secondo Teofrasto, il nome del genere deriva addirittura da quello di Peone (Παιών), antica divinità greca e medico degli dèi (successivamente identificato con Apollo o Asclepio), che, con le radici della pianta, guarì Plutone da una ferita che gli era stata inferta da Ercole.

Abstact: The analysis of the information about the Odrysian king Sitalkes’march against the Paeonians
suggests that it took place between the summer of 431 BC and the end of the summer of 430 BC.
Among the reasons behind this campaign were the deteriorating relations between the Odrysian king
and the king of Macedonia, Perdiccas II, as well as the plans of Sitalkes to raise Amyntas, son of Philip,
as a ruler in his father’s former possessions alongside the Lower Vardar River area. It can be assumed
that it was the tactical preparation of this war that necessitated Sitalkes’ invasion into the Paeonians’
lands in the Sofi a Valley and Upper Strymon. At least we have not been informed of any other confl ict
or cause specifi c to the Paeonian tribes. The scope of hostilities aff ected the lands of the Treres, Tilataei,
Agrianes, Laeaeans and other smaller Paeonian tribes.
Keywords: Sitalkes, Paeonians, war, military campaign

After the invasion of the Gauls, which in 280/79 BC overran the territories of Paeonia and Macedonia, king Leon (c. 278/7 - c. 250 (?) BC), came to the Paeonian throne. He recovered and re-established the Kingdom after a really difficult period, continuing the regal coinage, as well. Unlike his predecessors, he and his son Dropion (c. 250 – c. 230 BC), the last Paeonian king, issued coins only in bronze - exclusively rare and autochthon.

In this respect, the paper deals with their monetary production, the research being based upon 107 specimens - 10 of Leon and 97 of Dropion, from the Numismatic Collection of the National Bank of Republic of Macedonia. It is focused on the metrological, iconographical and typological analysis, presenting the existence of different denominations and coin-types in their coinage. Some remarks will be also made on their coin finds and circulation.

“The Paeonians with curved bows” led by “Pyraichmes from the broad Axius” – Homer “The Iliad” - This is the first written document that mention Paeonians and it is dated in XII century BC.
The territory of the present-day Republic of Macedonia and the parts of the neighbouring countries of Bulgaria and Greece were settled by Paeonian tribes towards the end of the second and during the first millennium BC. During the Classical and Hellenistic period some of these tribes expanded their tribal settlements and became kingdoms. One of the most imprtant features of Paeonian economic, political and cultural life is the early mintage of coins dated in the 6th centerie BC with which they got access to the civilized world. In the period between the 6th and 3th centuries BC, minting became an important element which separated Paeonians from the barbarian tribes who lived north of them.
Archaeological research in Macedonia brought to light new and valuable facts about Paeonian material culture that have contributed to our understanding of the basic features of Paeonian life. In recent decades, many excavations have been undertaken on a large number of sites, mostly dating from the Iron Age and Classical Period. This work has revealed much new information about the degree of development during individual periods, relation with Hellenic south and the barbarian background, the degree of Hellenization and/or the acceptance of the Hellenistic way of life, burial methods and cults, means of payment, towns, communications, fortifications and a number of other problems.
By virtue of the territory which they inhabited, the Paeonians were a link between influences emanating from both, north and south. Recent archaeological research shows that Paeonian territory was a subject to Balkan influences from the Lower Danube complex and Lower Macedonia.
The goal of my work is to bring a little brightness on the unknown Paeonian world.

In book 4, Erodot (lat. Herodotus) distinguishes between three different warring parties in the Peloponnesian War of the V century BCE: the Peloponnesian city-states (Athens, Thebes, Sparta, etc.), the Gaul/Illyrian barbarians and the Macedonians, whom he judges at least in one passage to be neither part of the city-states world nor barbarians. On the grounds of these ancient testimonies the new scholarly emphasis on Macedonia developed. Supported in part from the many linguistic and genealogical researches, and in part from the new archaeological finds that are revealed almost on a daily basis. Much of our new appreciation of ancient Macedonic culture and society came from the numerous recently excavated tombs of prominent Macedonians dating from the remote ancient times, but also from the modern DNA-genealogical and linguistic researches that also made a remarkable progress. These latest studies together with the fieldwork helped notably to our understanding of the ancient Macedonic populations in Paionia. They recount the prehistoric relations between ancient  communities and track down their chronological and spacial coordinates with its sketchy borders.

This part of a hoard is kept in the Museum of the Macedonian Central Bank. It comprises of nine Hellenistic silver coins - six are coins of the Paeonian king Audoleon (4 tetradrachms, 1 didrachm and 1 drachm), two are coins of Alexander the Great (a tetradrachm and a drachm) and one coin (a tetradrachm) is of Lysimachus. It is said that this chance find occurred in the East part of the Republic of Macedonia, in the vicinity of Sveti Nikole, i.e. on the territory of the Ancient Paeonian Kingdom.

Single finds and especially hoards containing coins of Audoleon are very rare; it is interesting, as well, that this hoard contains one exceedingly rare denomination of Audoleon - a didrachm. Some remarks and parallels will be made with other hoards containing Paeonian coins in an attempt to discuss the historical and political context that eventually caused its deposition.

It has long been held that, from the reign of Philip II until the early Hellenistic Period, the region of Paionia was subject to Macedonian rule or even incorporated directly into the Macedonian state. This paper discusses Paionia’s vassalage in the late fourth century BC in light of the coinage issued by the dynast Patraos (c.335-315 BC). It acknowledges that the coinage provides the only firm evidence of events in Paionia during this period and suggests an alternative reading of the relationship between Paionia and its southern neighbour.

This article is an attempt at interpretation of two bronze craters from the Trebenište necropolis and their iconography as well as their connection with the well-known myth of Kadmus and Harmonia. The legitimacy of this connection can be found in a few versions of this myth according to which the historical or mythical Kadmus spent part of his life in the Lihnidos region – an area where the above-mentioned bronze vessels were excavated. A few iconographical elements emphasize the connections with this well-known myth. Firstly, the pair of female mythical creatures, applied under the handles of both craters, were formed in the shape of goddesses with Gorgon – Medusa heads and widespread snakelike legs that end in snake heads. So far our studies have shown that the figures with this kind of markings in Europe and Asia represent the primordial mythical woman in childbed, whose functions are connected with the Cosmic proto-woman in childbed, Mother – Earth, Proto-woman in childbed of the Ethnos, but also with the Goddess of death. Namely, certain totemic aspects related to the cosmic waters had been incorporated into their zoo-anthropomorphic appearance. The best known example of this kind is the Scythian “Serpent legged Goddess”, who after her contact with Heracles or Zeus, or their Scythian equivalent, gave birth to the Scythians. Although they were not always acknowledged in verbal mythical forms, a few analogous zoomorphic Birth-giving Women were also found in the Luristan bronzes, Eastern Mediterranean, Etruria, and in the Early Middle Ages in the pagan cultures connected with the German, Slavonic and Finno-Ugric populations. The connection to Kadmus is also visible in the fact that in the myths, the bottom part of the body of both spouses is transformed into serpents, and Kadmus has a crest (cock’s crest?) on top of his head. In that context the examples of male mythical figures (Abraxas / Anguipede) who beside the serpent-legs also have a cock’s head appear. The second possibility would be the plausible identification of the zoomorphic legs of the Trebenište “Gorgons”, not with the serpents but with eels that are actually specific for the faunal characteristic of that area where the mythical cycle of Kadmus and Harmonia flows (the lake Kopaidi near Thebes, Ohrid Lake, the river Drim and its delta). Ancient sources have shown that in most of these locations, the eel was considered a sacred animal, which refers to its totemic character of a proto-Birth giving Woman of the local ethnos. Furthermore the ethnonym Encheleae / Engelans, literally means “human-eels”. In this constellation, the serpent-legged goddess from the Trebenište craters could be identified with Harmonia -Kadmus’ wife in the role of proto-mother of the Encheleans. The presence of these mythical creatures inside the graves of the Trebenište monarchs (perhaps applied on vessels that were used as urns) could be explained by the concept according to which the death of the monarch was considered as a marriage between him and the Mother Earth. A marriage that will result in mastering death (-as personal deification, i.e. heroisation of the deceased monarch as a continuation of the dynasty in the name of his heirs). The first aspect could be found in the cavalry column in the upper zone in one of the craters (the horses symbolizing motion and epiphany of the sun’s deification, which as well as the deceased dies and is born in the same circle of life). Regarding the cow column, applied on the second crater, it could be related to the important role of this animal in the previously mentioned myth of Kadmus (as a paradigm of the zoomorphic Goddess Mother or paradigm of the time cycles). The parallels of the Egyptian culture (Nut, Isis, Hathor) motivate the presumption that the cow’s presence is in the role of divine characters that will ensure the rebirth of the buried monarch. The presence of similar iconographic images on the craters that belong to other cultures (for example, the one from Vix) shows the presence of similar mythical concepts among the other barbarian populations in Europe.

The text begins with a depiction of the find, the circumstances of its discovery and of the papers in which it was previously published. It continues with an analysis of its appearance, the posture and the other features of the figure represented and its relations to several mythical characters i.e. deities from the Balkan and the Mediterranean traditions: Daedalus, Hephaestus, Bes, Satyr, Silenus, Pan, Priapus, Eros, the Cabeiri and Cadmos. The semiotic i.e. the mythic-symbolic meaning of several elements of the figure represented have been especially analyzed: the artificial wings, the advanced age, the baldness, the hair-covered body, the disproportionate height i.e. dwarfism, the uncovered phallus, the boots, kneeling on one knee, hands placed on the thighs and the pediment. In favour of relating the statue to Daedalus, several examples are given as analogues (the vessels from Tenos, Cerveteri and Boeotia) where the winged Daedalus is presented in a similar position. The relations with Hephaestus can be confirmed with the correspondence of some of its features to the ones of Daedalus (wisdom, technical skills, advanced age). There is a special emphasis on him having wings as an indicator of the mystical journey through the cosmic zones, i.e. the shamanic character typical for the archaic smiths and craftsmen. Furthermore, the morphological and iconographic liaisons of the statue with the representations of the Egyptian god Bes are mentioned, which spreading through the Mediterranean and the Balkan, probably by the Phoenician and the Cypriot smiths, has left traces in the appearance of several characters from the Balkan mythologies. Then, a thorough analysis of Silenus follows, who is related to the Plaošnik statue according to the following features (which simultaneously refer to Bes as well): dwarfism, a beard, baldness, nudity. The age of Silenus is emphasized (as a symbol of wisdom) combined with his affinity for drinking. Again, this refers to the mystical knowledge immanent to shamans, which can be obtained, among other things, by drinking priests’ alcohol potions. The links between the baldness and the ithyphallicism of this character are given through the visual similarities of the bald head and glans penis. Several scientific theories have been apostrophized according to which Silenus should be of Asia-Minorian i.e. of Phrygian origin as a god of rivers and springs, to which his theonym refers. Through the migration of the Bryges (= Phrygians) such descent could be traced as far as their ancient homeland in Macedonia and the Central Balkan. The possible presentation of a winged Silenus could be justified by relating him to Siljan, a mythical character from the contemporary Macedonian folklore, who embodies the key shamanic features of previously described characters. There are traditions and stories that depict him as an immature boy who achieves the status of a mature man by transforming into a stork ...

"Five perfectly preserved staters kept in the numismatic collection of the Museum of History at the town of Pernik (SW Bulgaria), are published in this paper. Three are struck in the name Alexander the Great and two of Philip III Arrhidaeus of the type of Philip II. They were acquired for the Museum in 1972 from the Regional Police Dept., deprived from the discoverers of the Rejantsi hoard after an attempt of illegal export. Later in 1980, coins were inventoried in the Numismatic Fund (Inv.nos. H-593-597).
Both staters of Philip III Arrhidaeus were struck in the years between 323 and 317/6 BC (Thompson, ADM I, 60-61). Only the last Alexander stater 4 of this undated Macedonian series seems some earlier.
Coin 3 was struck at Lampsacus of the fifth series of this mint. Another stater from the same dies is known - from ‘Paeonian hoard’ (Sotheby’s 1969, 259), i.e. from the same large deposit of coins. Especially for these series M. Thompson emphasized that the considerable amount of gold money have been needed to reimburse the mercenaries being sent home from Asia Minor (Thompson 1981, 244-46), so new mints were opened around the Chersonessos. Coin 5, struck at Babylon with same dies as pieces from Anadol hoard (Pridik, no. 440) and from Krivodol in Northwestern Bulgaria (Russeva 1996, 35, no. 6).
The condition of preservation of coins also should be noted. They all are almost in mint state, with the small exception of no. 1 and 3 – Alexander stater of c.332/23 BC and a Phillip’s reissue, struck at Colophon in 323/15 BC, which had minor wear. This fact means they had very short circulation life and buried shortly after 316/5 BC.
The deposit from Rejantsi (Breznik area, Western Bulgaria) is one of the largest and well-known coin hoards among all Early Hellenistic in the Mediterranean (Gerassimov 1963, 264; IGCH, 64, no. 411). It was discovered in the autumn of 1961 in the locality ‘Sitni trun’, 2 km east from the village by some shepherd named Mr R. Mladenov (1908-1967). According to different sources and live witnesses originally it was a large clay jar containing of silver coins weighted about 82 kilos (c.6000 coins) /after T. Gerassimov – over 40 kg, after J. Youroukova - over 22.140 kg/. Unfortunately, it was almost entirely separated and dispersed among private persons, collections and auction sales at West, and even a large part – melted for scrap. The few survived parts, available for study, and preserved in Bulgarian museums, are not much than 3450 coins, not published at until present. Only few interesting varieties or new coin types from hoard were briefly discussed (Youroukova 1969, 247-249; Youroukova 1970, 277-281; Youroukova 1980, 63-68). Recently a modest attempt for tracing the original composition of the hoard was made by a Bulgarian collector (Topalov 1998, 303-305).
There is a serious suspicion the large deposits of coins sold in London and New York auctions in 1969 and best known as ‘Paeonian Hoard’ (IGCH, 63, no 410; Le Rider 1977, 298-304) were in fact two fragments of the same hoard from Rejantsi in West Bulgaria (Le Rider 1977, 304-309, no. 15). In this paper an attempt to defend and prove this opinion is made. In his monograph on Philip II coinage Professor G. Le Rider, when he studied part of the 1446 Philip tetradrachms in Sofia Museum, denotes that the ‘Paeonian hoard’ was most likely found in Bulgaria and not in Macedonia near Skopje (Le Rider 1977, no. 14, 298, n.1, and 309). Their general contents, the stage of preservations of coins, the multiple test-cuts on the Philip II tetradrachms and other features perfectly corresponds. No doubt from my point of view, to the same enormous deposit of silver and gold coins belonged another two small portions of total 14 staters with known provenance ‘from the area of Pernik’ and ‘from Radomir’ (Rousseva 1999, 3-12). All available data are summarized in Table 1."

The article is based upon the thesis of the existence of intense relations between the Northern Black Sea and Macedonia towards the end of the 2nd and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, confirmed with various traditions related to rivers. Toponyms and ethnonyms containing the following roots sind-, sinth-, sith-, are given as a first indicator, confirmed in both regions through ancient sources, thus considering its Indo Aryan interpretation as a river. Such interpretation is considered in context of the theories of Indo-Aryans moving south of the Northern Black Sea at the second half of the 2nd millennium BC; the Balkans being one of their directions. This last trajectory is related to the presence of Cimmerians and Hyperboreans at this peninsula, also verified in ancient written sources. A special significance is given to the ancient reports of Aria as the oldest name for Thrace. Numerous archaeological finds also refer to these motions, confirmed with a relevant literature. Moreover, different traditions witnessed in ancient sources are noted regarding the role of rivers in the spiritual culture of populations of both regions, especially in genealogical myths. Bull as a zoomorphic epiphany of river gods is especially emphasized, manifested with similar traditions, among which the roots taur-, taor found in the toponymy, ethnonymy and the theonymy of both regions.

Key words: Indo-Aryans, Macedonia, river cults, Thraco-Cimmerians, Sindoi, Tauria

‘Macedonian bronzes’ refers to a pretty copious category of Iron Age bronze objects, dated mainly between 8th and 6th centuries BC. The majority of them are considered being used as jewelry with an emphasized symbolical i.e. magical and religious purpose. It is believed that they primarily belonged to the Paeonians, but also to other populations living in Macedonia and its surroundings. Even though this monograph encompasses the typology, the chronology, distribution and other material aspects of these items, mainly, its focus is the spiritual culture of the people who created and used them, especially their symbolical, magical, mythical, religious and the global semiotical system. Besides these finds, while revealing the aforementioned aspects, the author uses written historical sources referring to relevant periods and territories, but also to related phenomena of other cultures from the Indo-European and the Mediterranean areal.
Apart from the basic text in 8 chapters, this book contains 389 tables with catalogued illustrations, a bibliography and English summary in 75 pages.
This monograph contains a vast illustrative material to which we often refer in the very text and whose mechanical review makes the reading difficult. Therefore, we provided a possibility to hyperlink the images by clicking the number of the exact table marked in blue, whereupon it shows in a separate window, without leaving the text page. A prerequisite for this is to have the illustration folders in the same folder with the PDF of the whole monograph, without replacing or renaming the folders and the files. The folder "Figures" can be found on the same address as the PDF document of the whole book.
http://www.cip-cpr.org/en-publishing/_nikos-chausidis-macedonian-bronzes.html


Н. Чаусидис, Македонските бронзи и религијата и митологијата на железнодобните заедници од Средниот Балкан, Скопје: ЦИП - Центар за истражување на предисторијата, 2017.
Со називот македонски бронзи се означува една категорија бронзени предмети од железното време, датирани главно меѓу 8. и 6. век пр. н.е., од кои за повеќето се смета дека биле користени како накит со нагласена симболичка намена. Се смета дека им припаѓале, пред сè, на Пајонците, но и на други популации од Македонија и од нејзиното опкружување. Иако во оваа монографија се претставени и типологијата, хронологијата, распространетоста и другите материјални аспекти на овие предмети, нејзиниот фокус е насочен кон духовната култура на луѓето што ги создавале и што ги користеле овие објекти, односно нивниот симболички, магиски, митско-религиски и глобалниот семиотички систем. Освен наведените наоди, во откривањето на овие аспекти се вклучени пишаните историски извори што се однесуваат на дадените време и простор и сродните феномени кои припаѓаат на други култури од индоевропскиот и од медитеранскиот ареал.
Покрај основниот текст, организиран во 8 глави, книгата содржи 389 табли со каталогизирани илустрации, библиографија и резиме на англиски јазик на 75 страници. 
Оваа монографија има обемен илустративен материјал на кој текстот честопати се повикува и чиешто механичко прегледување многу го отежнува читањето. Поради тоа, обезбедена е можност за повикување на сликите со кликнување на бројот на конкретната табла со илустрации означен со сина боја, при што таа се појавува во посебно прозорче без да се напушти матичната страница со текстот. Услов за оваа операција е во истиот фолдер во кој се наоѓа PDF документот на монографијата да биде и фолдерот со илустрациите (Figures), без притоа да се менуваат местото и називите на овој фолдер и фолдерите и фајловите сместени во него.  Фолдефот "Figures" се наоѓа на истата адреса со ПДФ документот на целата книга.
http://www.cip-cpr.org/_publishing/_nikos-chausidis-makedonski-bronzi.html

The article presents several sanctuaries from the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia whose continued use as cult spaces can be followed on the basis of ethnographic facts, historical sources, archaeological finds and preserved toponymy. In the article, the transformation of cults and mythological figures i.e. deities is analyzed through the interdisciplinary and comparative method, within the frames of the six dominant chronological, ethnocultural and religious complexes present in this part of the Balkans: the Paleo-Balkan, Ancient, Pagan-Slavic, Christian, Islamic and Folkloric.

Key words:
Macedonia, cult sites, sanctuaries, religion, mythology

Н. Чаусидис, Неолитските корени на „македонските бронзи“ и на други синхрони бронзени предмети од Средниот Балкан (Abstract: Neolithic roots of "Macedonian bronzes" and other synchronous bronze objects from the Middle Balkans) // Љ. Фиданоски, Г. Наумов (ред.), Неолитот во Македонија: нови сознанија и перспективи. Скопје: Центар за истражување на предисторијата, 2016, 203 – 229.
http://www.cip-cpr.org/_publishing/_neolitotVoMakedonija.html

Macedonian bronzes refer to several types of small Iron Age bronze objects (8th-6th centuries BC) originating from Macedonia and neighboring Central Balkan regions. Depending on the shape and the character of the exact types, their origin is sought for in different sides. Some researchers made attempts to prove their Caucasian or the descent from the region north of the Black Sea, by making parallels, relating them to the so-called Thraco-Cimmerian movements (beginning of the 1st millennium BC), to which written sources also refer. Other finds (double axe models) are related to the Bronze Age Aegean cultures (Minoan and Mycenaean). This study argues a so far insufficiently promoted thesis regarding the indigenous Central Balkan component of some Iron Age objects from the aforementioned groups. It is made by comparing certain Iron Age objects or their features to relevant Balkan finds of previous periods. Those are several types of ceramic finds from the Neolithic which are mainly related to the far northern parts of the Balkan Peninsula, foremostly from the Vinča culture. Most of them are referred to as Vinča amulets in literature, given that based on their shape and the pierced apertures it is believed they were meant to hang on ropes, worn on human bodies as pendants with certain magical or symbolical purpose.

Keywords: Macedonian bronzes, Vinča amulets, Neolithic, Iron Age, jewelry.


Со терминот „Македонски бронзи“ се означуваат повеќе видови ситни бронзени предмети од железното време (VIII–VI век пр.н.е.), коишто потекнуваат од Македонија и од соседните среднобалкански области. Нивното потекло се бара на разни страни, зависно од обликот и карактерот на конкретнитe типoви. Некои истражувачи се обидуваат, преку паралели, да го докажат кавкаското или северно-прицрноморското потекло на дел од нив, поврзувајќи ги со т.н. „трако-кимериски“ движења (почетокот на I мил. пр.н.е.), на што упатуваат и пишаните извори. Други наоди (модели на двојни секири), се ставаат во сооднос со бронзеновременските егејски култури (минојската и микенската). Во оваа студија се изнесени аргументи за една досега недоволно промовирана теза околу автохтоната средно-балканска компонента на некои железновременски предмети од спомнатите групи. Тоа ќе се реализира преку компарирањето на конкретни железновременски предмети, или нивни обележја, со соодветни балкански наоди од постарите периоди. Станува збор за неколку типови ситни керамички наоди од неолитскиот период кои главно се врзуваат за посеверните делови на полуостровот, пред сè од кругот на „Винчанската култура“. Најголемиот дел од нив во науката се познати како „винчански амулети“ со оглед на тоа што, врз основа на обликот и пробиените отвори, се претпоставува дека биле предназначени да висат на јаженца, обесени на човековото тело, и тоа во функција на приврзоци со одредена магиска или симболичка намена.

Клучни зборови: македонски бронзи, винчански амулети, неолит, железно време, накит

The mountain is one of the paradigmatic symbols of the primordial, unchangeable and eternal, thus becoming a personification/visualisation of the global memory of the surrounding environment and its inhabitants throughout the centuries. The purpose of this study is to elaborate some aspects of the complex mythology and symbolism of the mountain, using several Macedonian, Balkan and Slavic examples (the mountain as cosmic, i.e. primordial, elemental and equivalent, as an axis and pillar of the world, the mountain as a symbol of Sky and Heaven, the mountain as Mother Goddess, birth-giving goddess and hypostasis of the Goddess Earth, the mountain as a shrine, temple and home of the gods). This will be realised through an interdisciplinary dialogue emphasising ancient historical sources and archaeological finds and depictions, as well as through an exploration of toponyms, rituals and mythical stories (early and contemporary) regarding the mountain.

The aim of this work was to study the variability of morphological features and components of seed production of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. in Yakutsk Botanical Garden. Observing objects were plants of different ages, grown from seed. The seeds were obtained from plants of different regions and plants were grown in Yakut Botanical Garden. These bio-metric data was processed by the program PAST. In the conditions of central Yakutia at the plants of Paeonia lactiflora of different origin and age aver-age and high variability of generative structures were installed. Plants of middle age (12 years) had very high averages of potential and real seed productivity of generative shoot (147.3 and 92.7 seed respectively). Young generative plants (5 years) had the fruits formed in all flowers and a higher index of seed production (67.4 %) than the middle-aged plants. Individual seeds with out-growths formed by adheres funiculuses were identi-fied. The highest average seed weight was 115 mg in seven-year plant, the minimum weight was 18 mg in five-year plant in the first year of fruiting. The seeds in size and weight had more magnitude of variation and slight differences of mean values compared to the seeds formed in the south of Western Siberia (in the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS). However in Central Yakutia on average annual data of trend of formation of less thick but viable seeds was shown. On the basis of the evaluation component of seed production and their variability can be argued that Paeonia lactiflo-ra is one of the most promising species of herba-ceous ornamental plants for green building in the central and southern regions of Yakutia. Regular formation of fruit with numerous viable seeds con-tributes to reliable preservation of this species in the culture, its successful reproduction and distribu-tion as ornamental plants.

Identification of genotypes of Paeonia spp. from field genebank collections in botanical gardens of Belarus and USA was conducted on the basis of genome screening with sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) molecular markers. Studied taxa include historic P. lactiflora cultivars of European, American and Soviet selection, interspecific hybrids and species. The developed 113 SRAP markers (9.4 loci per primer) were effective to discriminate all 54 studied accessions, generating their first relationship analysis. NJ and UPGMA clustering of genotypes as well as PCoA were consistent with the region of their reported breeding. Interspecific hybrids " Orlenok " and " Novost Altaya " resolved with their parent species. Regression analysis reveals strong correlations between a number of genetic markers and a set of ancestry and morphological data. Developed markers are demonstrated to be useful for further passportization of herbaceous peony collections, solving controversial issues in relationships and origin of the cultivars, and to establish conservation value of genetic Paeonia resources.

The article discusses a gold staters coin hoard of the last kings of the Argead dynasty -  Philip II of Macedon (1), Alexander III the Great (3) and Philip III Arrhidaeus (2). All specimens were minted during the reign of Arrhidaeus, including his own ones, as well. However, one of Alexander’s staters was issued under Cassander, in 314/313 BC, which is also the year of deposition of the last coin into this hoard. The place of discovery, Nerezi Village, in Skopje Region (Republic of Macedonia), which was part of Paeonia at the time, indicates that this small treasure most probably belonged to one of the veterans of Alexander's army, originating from this area.

The mountain is one of the paradigmatic symbols of the primordial, unchangeable and eternal, thus becoming a personification/visualisation of the global memory of the surrounding environment and its inhabitants throughout the centuries. The purpose of this study is to elaborate some aspects of the complex mythology and symbolism of the mountain, using several Macedonian, Balkan and Slavic examples (the mountain as cosmic, i.e. primordial, elemental and equivalent, as an axis and pillar of the world, the mountain as a symbol of Sky and Heaven, the mountain as Mother Goddess, birth-giving goddess and hypostasis of the Goddess Earth, the mountain as a shrine, temple and home of the gods). This will be realised through an interdisciplinary dialogue emphasising ancient historical sources and archaeological finds and depictions, as well as through an exploration of toponyms, rituals and mythical stories (early and contemporary) regarding the mountain.

According to the tradition of Greco-Roman medicine, peonies are endowed with remarkable therapeutic virtues. Theophrastus reports that the name of the genus actually derives from that of Paeon (Παιών), an ancient Greek divinity and physician of the gods (later identified with Apollo or Asclepius), who used the roots of the plant to heal Pluto from a wound inflicted to him by Hercules.

Aerva javanica and Paeonia emodi plants extracts were studied for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (NCTC 10418), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 700603), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus epidermidis (NCTC 11047) and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) (NCTC 13143) and antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani. Extracts were obtained by using methanol, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fraction. The extracts of Paeonia emodi and Aerva javanica showed significant antibacterial activity but only Salmonella typhi was resistant to Aerva javanica. Moreover, the antifungal activity of Aerva javanica was very poor but the fractions of Paeonia emodi showed sufficient inhibition against fungal strains.

The Paionian Warlords Pyraichmes and Asteropaios in the  Literary Sources and the Pottery of the Archaic Era (text in Greek)

This paper deals with the appearance of the two Paionian mythic heroes Pyraichmes and Asteropaios in the Archaic Greek literature and  vase-painting. The Iliad introduces both heroes for the first time, yet it is quite possible that they appear in other Archaic epics as well. They are safely recognized through inscriptions on three vases from the Corinthian and ‘Chalcidian’ workshops that date to the 6th c. BC. It is very likely that their depiction as fighting against the Achaean heroes, on these vases, owes a lot to their epic image in the Iliad and to the way Homer describes them as worthy opponents of Patroklos and Achilles respectively. It seems that the polarization between the leaders of the Paiones and the Achaeans which is represented in the Iliad as well as on the vases could articulate the notion of the clash between the Greeks and the natives in the Archaic colonial world. The trading and colonial activities of the Greeks during the Archaic era are focused on the shores of the Northern Aegean, where the powerful Paiones had been living for centuries. One could expect that the presence of Pyraichmes and Asteropaios in the Iliad is to express the nexus of relationships and the tensions which the Greek pioneers and the Paionian populations experienced in the North. On the other hand it is very interesting, and quite puzzling at the same time, that Homer closely relates (narratively and semantically) the Paionian leaders with their Lycian comrades Sarpedon and Glaukos, both fighting on the Trojan side against the Acheans. It has been recently argued that the poet of the Iliad was informed on the Lycian mythic traditions while traveling in Rhodes and the Lycian coast. Would it then be reasonable to assume that the same sources (e.g. Rhodian traders and sailors) informed Homer on the Paionian warlords as well, thus resulting in the Paionian-Lycian connection attested in the Iliad?

A new monoterpene glycoside, 6’-O-β-D-glucopyranosylalbiflorin (1), and four known compounds; albiflorin (2), 6’-O-benzoylalbiflorin (3), paeoniflorin (4) and benzoyl paeoniflorin (5), were isolated from the methanolic extract of the roots ofPaeonia lactiflora Pall.. Their chemical structures were completely elucidated using a combination of 2D NMR techniques (COSY, HMQC and HMBC) and HRESI-MS analyses. To investigate the bioactivities of these compounds, their effects on the differentiation of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were tested. Compound 1 (0.01-10 μM) significantly increased the alkaline phosphatase activity and nodules mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells compared to those of the control (Pin vitro and may contribute to the prevention for osteoporosis.

Identification of genotypes of Paeonia spp. from field genebank collections in botanical gardens of Belarus and USA was conducted on the basis of genome screening with sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) molecular markers. Studied taxa include historic P. lactiflora cultivars of European, American and Soviet selection, interspecific hybrids and species. The developed 113 SRAP markers (9.4 loci per primer) were effective to discriminate all 54 studied accessions, generating their first relationship analysis. NJ and UPGMA clustering of genotypes as well as PCoA were consistent with the region of their reported breeding. Interspecific hybrids „Orlenok‟ and „Novost Altaya‟ resolved with their parent species. Regression analysis reveals strong correlations between a number of genetic markers and a set of ancestry and morphological data. Developed markers are demonstrated to be useful for further passportization of herbaceous peony collections, solving controversial issues in r...