Greek Historian Dimitrios Bethanis Claims to Reveal the truth about Illyria and Albania

Greek Historian Bethanis highlights the idea that Albania and Greece throughout history have been brotherly countries, while claiming that there are some ignorant Albanian and Greek historians who are creating futile animosities.

[arianhoti]

Lamartine: "Albanians, this nation and this people can not be mocked ... This is the land of heroes of all time ... Homer found there Achilles, the Greeks the Alexander the Great, Turks found Skanderbeg, people these of the same race, the same blood" .

Maurico Druon, secretary of the French Academy: "Albanians belonging to those people older than History itself. Albanian grandparents participated in the war of Troy, led by Achilles (on one side) and Hector (the other side) ".

Nicolas Iorga: "The Albanian people together and the Basques one are the oldest in Europe."

Maximilian Lambertz: "The true History of the humanity will be written only when it will be written with the participation of Albanians".

Huacunthe Hecquard: "In no country in the world women are not more respected and does not exercise a powerful activity than Albanian women, some Albanian mothers ousted from home their children because left the war front. They had returned them to the battlefield".

Lord Byron: "Albanians with their costumes make a most wonderful scenery in the world ... Albanians are the most beautiful human race exists, courageous, stronger than their strongholds."

Henry Noel Brailsford: "... The 'primitive' Albanian, in fact is the superhuman, " of which Nietzsche dreamed."

Giuseppe Katapano: "Atlantida which disappeared 12, 000 years ago, was the land of the Illyrians (Pelasgians), who escaped the flood of Atlantis and began new civilizations on all continents, especially in Europe, Africa and Small Asia small".

Agostino Ribeco: "The millennial Albanians Rights, ethnographic and geographic range from old times in Illyria, Macedonia and Thessaly."

[MrLiridonf]

He is right though, no matter what mine or any albanian or greek nationalistic views. All you have to do is do your DNA and compare it to the Greeks to find out and you’ll see that genetically there’s no difference.

[rogeriusrex]

Greeks (Athenians more precisely) were always xenophobic even towards other fellow Greeks let alone Illyrians and later all Greece developed this xenophobic hegemonic mentality where they see themselves as superior to others. Greeks not only founded western civilization but were the the center of it until the fall of the Byzantine empire. But that doesn’t mean others were insignificant. Illyrians came from the pelasgians aswell that’s why Greeks and Albanians have identical dna, so we are brothers by blood. It’s just that the Greeks mainly the Athenians developed a high culture of art and literature and what not and that came to signify them as a people whereas the Spartans and Illyrians were more warlike and weren’t these high cultured aristocratic brats and that’s why history remembers us differently as a people but what the world (including Greeks) forget is that Illyrians always had a big hand in the development of Greece and everything associated with it. For example, Illyrians plaid a big part of the conquests of Alexander the Great that really put Greece and Hellenism of the global map by conquering all of the known world. Pyrrhus who fought the Romans was an Illyrian, Byzantium which became the capital of eastern Rome and the later Greek world was founded by an Illyrian, named Byzas. Constantine the great who transformed Byzantion to Constantinople which became the center of the Greek world and the capital of the globe for a thousand years was an Illyrian. Justinian who raised The Hagia Sofia and his famous general who restored the Roman Empire from barbarian were both Illyrians, from Dardania modern day Macedonia and Serbia (Slavs didn’t exist in the Balkans at that time). They are now saints in the Orthodox Church, funny isn’t it? Albanians as saints in the Serbians Orthodox Church, pay attention to that next time you visit your Orthodox Church and reflect on how we contributed not only to the Balkans but the whole world. Skanderbeg was an Albanian (Illyrian) and he even wrote letters where he stated that he is the descendant of Pyrrhus of Epirus and he declared himself price of Epirus and of all Albanians. It doesn’t matter much if he had Slavic or Serbian blood aswell as Albanian, he identified as an Albanian and was not in good relation with the Serbs, they wouldn’t let him partake in the battle of Kosovo otherwise everyone would have known the outcome of that battle beforehand. Speaking of the battle of Kosovo, how many Albanian knights took part on the Christian armies side? Do you have a clue? It wasn’t a war between Serbia and Turks it was a war between Muslims and Christians and Albanians always constituted a bulk of the Christian armies no matter the battle. The reason why so many Albanians are Muslim today is because the Serbians and Greeks always subjugated Albanians and forced us to assimilate into becoming Greeks and Serbs regardless of if we were Catholics or Orthodox. There’s countless amounts of testimonies of this throughout history. And the main reason is because Greeks always thought they’re better than anyone else and subjugated their “barbarian” neighbors so when the Romans came along and conquered all of the Balkans the Albanians (Illyrians) were integrated to becoming Romans and had freedom and rights much more than under their Greek overlords and they sided with the Romans rather than the Greeks eventually (and that is the Greeks fault). This is the main reason why we hate each other til this day, because Greeks always lacked respect for the Illyrian Albanian neighbors. It was the Greeks who taught the Serbs and Yugoslavs whom they assimilated into the Orthodox Church, how to hate and subjugate Albanians and Serbs followed suit. They learned well from their Greek masters. Jugoslavs are spineless people without history, they have no real identity and do whatever suits them the best. They tried to conquer Greece but failed, accepted orthodox Christianity in Oder to become respected and recognized, today’s Slavic Macedonians stole the name of Macedonia even though they have nothing to do with ancient Macedonians. The Greeks and Illyrians how commonalities with Macedonias, they were Greeks with some Illyrian traits and influence. Nothing to do with Slavs. When the Turks came to the Balkans guess who led the strongest resistance? That’s right, the Albanians. The Serbs collaborated with Turks on so many occasions the list is too long to mention. Albanians were in a desperate position, they were mainly Catholic, and associated with the west, surrounded by hostile Muslim Turks and even more hostile orthodox Serbs and Greeks, not a wonder we became Muslim as a means to survive. That is the Greeks and the Serbs fault. Even in modern times, the warlike traditions of the Illyrians continued as we constituted large fractions of armies both in the west and the east, read about the stratioti, Albanian warrior knights. Read about how Albanians liberated Greeks in the Greek war of independence. The Arvanites. What thanks do the Greeks give to the Albanians? Forced assimilation, subjugation, discrimination. How are we supposed to get along with such neighbors? Deep down I love Greeks because they are like brothers to me regardless of if they’re orthodox or Muslim or whatever, the jugoslavs I don’t really hate them either, but it is you who have been the aggressors towards us. Take a look in the mirror and see what crimes you have committed towards Albanians, then wonder why we don’t want anything to do with you. I’m not so fund of Turks either as a whole but at least they treat us with dignity and respect and have love for us and we show the same back. Could be the case with you guys aswell but you are so brainwashed to hate Albanians for generations that there’s really no hope. You subjugate us, discriminate us, forcefully assimilate us, forbid our language, close down our schools, impoverish us, and then you wonder why we are backwards? Why we are the way we are. Yet throughout history you can see what Illyrians and Albanians contributed with. Instead of safeguarding us and respect us for our history in the Balkans and help us preserve our culture and language you do nothing but hate and discriminate. We could easily have been great neighbors but unfortunately you are thieves and oppressors and until it stays that way we will always hate each other.

[nigga]

Albanians and greeks were the first in the balkans

[BG-zqpi]

The message of reconciliation and harmony in this video is amazing. Both sides need stronger voices like this. It's undeniable we are both ancient people in this part of world and have lived next to each other for thousands of years in 'give and take terms' as neighbors do. It's unfortunate that it has been deeply ingrained in the Greek mentality, that Greeks have always been the good guys and Albanians the bad guys in this duo. That is mostly dished up by Orthodox Church cooks who have used the religion as a weapon to demonise Albanians like muslims (which is the very reason why Albanians partly CONVERTED to survive the hostilities of orthodox neighbors!!). Some hot heads claim Albanians do not exist all all (!!!). Beside Greek Orthodox church that philosophy has been deviously embraced by new comers to the Balkans (like Serbs and their Orthodox church) and both have fought for centuries to wipe out Albanians from their land (where they have lived for thousands of years.). History has shown Albanians are a strong and proud people who have survived assimilation and hostilities of Slavs since their arrival to Balkans and Greeks for thousand of years (such as Megali Idea!!). What strikes me is the fact there are lots of insecurities in the Greek identity who often claiming Albanians are the guilty side! There's still in force a War Law between set up up by Greeks with Albania since WWW||! Why!! Why is it needed today?? Also no ethnic minorities are recognised by law in Greece! How come a so-called civilized country with so proclaimed ancient history keeps its head hidden in the sand at the civilised age today?! What are the insecurities about?? No doubt there are lots of grey areas in Balkan countries history which are disputable and history's footprint are not clear for a decisive end! However, on the other side there are clear facts and confirmed events that our neighbors still entertain themselves by disputing them, paying stupid money for lobbyists today (as they have done for centuries) to create a misled image/reputation for Albanians in Europe and further. Today is the information age and lies promoted by lobbyists for the sake of making money don't go work long!! We and our neighbors have been here and will be here till the end! We have fought together and against each other in many cases!! We just need to learn to live together! HARMONY!!

[applemaster]

Because Mr Bethanis is trying to say it politely, which I appreciate, it does not necessarily mean he is right and this is the truth. Without prejudice, he is trying to push that we are Greeks in a friendly way and calling us indirectly greeks, which is unacceptable. We are not searching for inclusion or mercy and begging for our identity or history; our language, and traditions, without changes, prove it. However, Albania, Shqiperia, or Illyria has been and will be there, and we are not Greek or any other; we are eagles. We are warriors, not only to protect our land but to stand for neighbours, truth and justice; we fought aside many nations; this does not necessarily make us Grees, Italians, or others. We have seen in our land many come and go as losers of different religions and creeds, but we have not been assimilated. Nevertheless, we respect any religion and creed, but we keep our language and creed, which is what we are and why we are not assimilated. For now... and indefinitely, we are Albanians, the Illyrians, and there is no argument for this.

[lkz]

If Ali Pasha wanted to create the new Greece. It means Greece didn't exist. Your population was more than half Arvanites ( Albanian) and the rest was migrant tribes.

[metigame]

Albanians are illyrians, but it seems since then till now we are not the paranoid ones, and this tells a lot

[eaglealb]

I dont know the guy but I think what he says makes sense. Illyrians and Greeks lived together for long time. From Bronze age until the Greek revolution. The problem is what happened in these last 200 years, how the Cams were expelled from Greece and how muslim Albanians born in Greece were exchanged with Anatolian Orthodox in the 1920s. The Greeks should at least start with an Apology towards the Cam Albanians.

[adlmnop]

Well said. . Ignorance is dangerous , unfortunately Ignorance has been the leading force in our countries lately... We need more real and unbiased Historians like you Sir. And maybe we will be able to repair the damages done by ignorant politicians, and pseudo Historians.. BRAVO. . Good work.

[GJ-djjx]

At some point I am optimistic that Greeks will rediscover the truth about their history, that at least half of it's population is Arvanites, and modern Greek language was only established by force and propaganda because some European elites wanted it that way. When that happens we will maybe find peace with our Southern Albanian brothers and sisters that lost their language and were lied into a false Identity. The documents are there one just has to look with an open mind and red pill themselves. It's hard to do but truth will have to come out.

[hellohellohello]

Greeks and Albanians are the same people divided on a national basis 🇦🇱🇬🇷

[leo]

Greek saying Albania is Greece you couldn't make it up

[dom]

Serbs left the chat 😂
Respect to Greece the oldest people in Balkans

[ΑρχιμιδηςΣαραδελης]

He didnt say something about albanians being greek what are you saying???. Maybe your subtitles say propaganda. Im greek i understand this guy.

Πολύ σωστό, με επιχειρήματα και αποδείξεις!
Μπράβο σου!

[vego]

He talked about our alphabet, but he knows really well that ancient Greek* has more similarities with modern Albanian than modern Greek. As you see typical but always softer and softer, they don't want to accept that all of modern Greek history is STOLEN!
Illyria Albania Arvanite Arberesh Dardania Cameria

[gothiczwo]

we are pelasg brothers, if we like it or not.

[daviciii]

Pathetik logic ali pasha wanted to creat new greek state? So people who spoke albanian wanted te create greece😂 they even didnt know greece what was.. in that time the states didnt exsist

[rigerspopshini]

Bro this guy funny as shit.Illyria wasnt only southern albania LOL.And Skenderbeg never did an alley w Greece.(Turkish historian said that).Many italian historians proved the illyrian's lived in Albania.And Illyrian's had sun horses snake as their god and they belived in underground gods to they had the places they prayed at caves.(watch marin mema 15 merch 2021) :)