Famous Macedonia is a military march, often regarded as the unofficial anthem

Anthem

The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...

 of the Greek region of Macedonia

Macedonia (Greece)

Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...

, and used by the Hellenic Army

Hellenic Army

The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...

 since the Balkan Wars

Balkan Wars

The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...

.

It is associated with the Makedhonomáhi (Macedonian fighters and/or fighters for Macedonia) in "Macedonian Struggle

Greek Struggle for Macedonia

The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians in the region of Ottoman Macedonia between 1904 and 1908...

" and can be heard on parades and national anniversaries.

Until the recent introduction of 24 hour programming, it also marked the end of radio programs on the local Macedonian channel ("Radio-Makedonia 102FM"), played before the Greek national anthem.

According to Greek Army's website it is a military march (εμβατήριο) based on the traditional "Macedonian Dance

Makedonia (dance)

Makedonia is a form of the Greek folk dance Hasapiko ) that has evolved over the years to the patriotic song "Makedonia Xakousti" , unofficial anthem of the Greek region of Macedonia...

" (Μακεδονικός Χορός) which is related with Akrites

Digenis Acritas

Digenes Akrites , known in folksongs as Digenes Akritas , is the most famous of the Acritic Songs. The epic details the life of its eponymous hero, Basil, a man, as the epithet signifies, of mixed Roman and Syrian blood...

 of Byzantium

Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

.

It is written in Dorian scale, in iambic 15-syllable (ιαμβικός δεκαπεντασύλλαβος). The beat is 2/4 and it can be danced as a chassapiko (χασάπικο). It can be performed in conjunction with the Makedonia

Makedonia (dance)

Makedonia is a form of the Greek folk dance Hasapiko ) that has evolved over the years to the patriotic song "Makedonia Xakousti" , unofficial anthem of the Greek region of Macedonia...

dance. In addition, the text refers to Alexander the Great, who is claimed as the progenitor of the Greek Macedonians

Macedonians (Greeks)

Macedonians are a regional population group of ethnic Greeks, inhabiting or originating from the region of Macedonia, in northern Greece. Today, most live in or around the regional capital city of Thessaloniki. Many have spread across the whole of Greece and in the diaspora.-Preface:Greek...

.

Lyrics of the Macedonian

Macedonia (Greece)

Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...

 Anthem

Greek Greek language Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...  version : ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑ ΞΑΚΟΥΣΤΗ	Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...  transliteration Transliteration of Greek to the Latin alphabet Romanization of Greek is the representation of Greek language texts, that are usually written in the Greek alphabet, with the Latin alphabet, or a system for doing so... : MAKEDONIA KSAKOUSTI	English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...  translation: FAMOUS MACEDONIA
Μακεδονία ξακουστή, του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα, που έδιωξες τους βάρβαρους κι ελεύθερη είσαι τώρα! Είσαι και θα ΄σαι ελληνική, Ελλήνων το καμάρι, κι εμείς θα σ'αντικρύζουμε, περήφανα και πάλι! Οι Μακεδόνες δε μπορούν να ζούνε σκλαβωμένοι, όλα και αν τα χάσουνε η λευτεριά τους μένει!	Makedonia ksakusti, tu Alexandru i hora, pu ediokses tus varvarus, ki eleftheri ise tora! Ise ke tha se elliniki, Ellinon to kamari, ki emis tha se antikrizoyme, perifana ke pali! I Makedones de borun na zune sklavomeni, ola ke an ta hasune i lefteria tus menei!	Famous Macedonia the land of Alexander, you drove away the barbarians, and now you are free! You are and you'll be Greek, the very glory of Greeks Greeks The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world.... , and we will be looking you with pride again! Macedonians cannot live enslaved, even if they lose everything, they still have their Freedom!

Also the verse "κι εμείς θα σ'αντικρύζουμε, ελεύθερη και πάλι!" ("and we will be looking at you with pride again!") is sometimes sung as "κι εμείς τα Ελληνόπουλα, σου πλέκουμε στεφάνι!" ("and we, the Sons of Greece, plait you a crown").

Audio Samples

Makedonia ksakusti

Makedonia ksakusti by Military Band