Since the moment political life in Greece became 'Skopjanized' and in North Macedonia it became 'Vucelicized', the traditional 'Macedonian Issue', once the most difficult subject in the examinations of diplomatic academies, was set aside. It has not been forgotten; it has simply changed the level of discussion and terminology. The burning issue today is the usufruct of the rich ancient Macedonian heritage, a matter inextricably linked to the final name of North Macedonia.

In essence, however, the recent developments do not constitute a novelty. Through this study, it is understood that the negotiation of terms and identities has been the central axis of the Macedonian issue since the 19th century. It is also understood that the historiography of the issue forms part of the entire problem. In every era, the concerned countries, parties, or various interest groups produced their own literature based on national or political criteria.

The pen was their sword when the sword rested in its sheath. These expediencies are indeed much more apparent than the scientific demands. Obviously, whatever has been written about Macedonia did not exclusively serve History, but this does not mean that the history of Macedonia represents a historical dead end or a foregone conclusion. A careful study of the historiographical landscape, attempted here, may constitute the safest first step for bold researchers.

As this study shows, the negotiation of terms and identities and the usufruct of the ancient Macedonian heritage have been the central axis of the Macedonian Issue since the 19th century, and the relevant historiography forms part of the whole problem. This does not mean that the history of Macedonia is a scientific dead end, but that careful study of the historiographical landscape constitutes the first step towards a bold inquiry.

Its starting point is the realization that, although from a diplomatic perspective the Macedonian Issue is not a timeless entity, it presents itself as a seemingly compact cognitive object due to the ongoing reflection on the identity of the Macedonians. Therefore, the historical question shifts from searching for the 'real' identity to identifying the factors that have maintained this reflection for 150 years.

Such factors include the historical delay in state organization and diplomacy, the geographical indeterminacy of the Macedonian region, the absence of a unified economic market, the tense cultural division of labor in the area, and the hasty formation of modern Balkan nation-states according to Western models. This book relies on the exploration of these factors and their consequences, accompanied by selected bibliography and a chronology of the Macedonian Issue.