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THRACE - THE OLDEST CIVILIZATION
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ABOUT THRACE
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Click here to see
photos of the
Thracian Treasures
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Click here to see
the Thracian
Tombs
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Once upon a time the Thracians inhabited our lands. The Greek chronicler Herodotus claims that
“after the Indian, the Thracian people are the most numerous”. For two thousand years,
possibly a million Thracians lived in the area now covered by Bulgaria, northeastern Greece, and
northwestern Turkey. They never progressed beyond a tribal Homeric society, and were
constantly at war with one another and their neighbors. They were renowned for their love of
song, music, dance, colorful clothing, wine, religion, and war.
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Hydronyms in Bulgaria
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Thracian Tribes & Towns
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Pre-history Thrace (2,500 BC)
The history of the Thracians started in the early Bronze Age when archaeology shows there was a change in culture due to peoples
moving in from the Steppe lands to the east. These peoples entered lands which already had more than 3000 years of civilisation;
sturdy square houses, towns, art, copper technology.
Persian invasions (6th - 5th centuries BC)
Around 513 BC the Persian leader Darius invaded Thrace in preparation for a war with the Greeks. The Thracians did not resist the
Persians they knew Darius' intension was to attack the Greeks. The Getae did offer some resistance, but without success.
Around 490-479 BC Xerxes set out to fight the Greeks. When passing through Thrace the Thracians knew that Xerxes's primary goal
was to destroy the powerful city of Athens, far to the south, and so they offered no resistance to the Persian army.
Thracian Kingdom Odrysae (5th - 4th centuries BC)
After the Persian Wars, in 480-460 BC the first powerful Thracian state, the Kingdom of the Odrysae, was founded by King Teres. He
united several of the Thracian tribes under his rule into a kingdom that covered eastern Thrace and north to the Danube.
Sitalkes (455-424 BC) succeeded Teres. Herodotus mentions "Teres, the father of Sitalces". Sitalkes united further Thracian tribes
such as the Thyni, the Asti, the Nipsaii and the kingdom extended from the river Struma to the Black Sea and from the Aegean to the
Danube. In 431 BC Sitalkes allied with the Athenians and in the late autumn of 429 BC, in response to an Athenian request for help,
attacked Macedonia with 150,000 warriors. After thirty days the campaign ended following advice from the second in command,
Seuthes. Sitalkes was killed in a battle with the Triballi, a powerful tribe in northwest Thrace that were not part of his kingdom.
Seuthes (424 - 415 BC) succeeded Sitalkes, but Seuthes was unable to keep the empire intact and Athens encouraged rival Odrysian
princes to fight one another so that the Athenians could retain control of the coastal cities, however the kingdom of the Odrysae enjoyed
a period of prosperity. After Seuthes' death the Odrysian kingdom was divided into three parts, ruled by Amadokos, Maides and
Euryzelmes I.
Kotys I (384-359 BC) was initially in alliance with the Athenians however he later dissolved this alliance and took control of the Thracian
Chersonese and the Athenian naval base of Sestos. After his assassination he was succeeded by his son, Kersobleptes (359-341
BC) but in order to curb Kersobleptes power the Athenians supported his brothers, Bresides and Amadokos, and forced the kingdom
to be shared.
Macedonian incursions (4th century BC)
Kersobleptes assisted Philip II to capture Amphipolis, then became an ally of the Athenians, but was later subjugated by the
Macedonians and Philip gradually captured all the major cities of Thrace, including Avdera and Pulpudeva which he renamed
Philippopolis. Philip's expansion was halted by a heavy defeat by the the Triballi. Alexander later succeeded in conquering the Triballi,
but during his expedition into Asia, Seuthes III, King of the Odrysians, took control of Thrace.
Thrace under the rule of Lysimachus of Macedonia (4th century BC)
After the death of Alexander, Lysimachos (313-281 BC) assumed the administration of Thrace and in 313 BC Macedonian authority
was re-established by Lysimachus. In 309 BC he built a new capital, Lysimacheia, and in 306 BC declared himself King of Thrace.
Further victories increased his lands; victory at Ipsos took areas of Asia Minor, war against Demetrios and Pytrhos added Macedonia
and part of Thessaly. Lysimachos was killed at the battle of Koros in 281 BC and was succeeded by the Ptolemy Keraunos.
Celtic invasions (3rd century BC)
The Celtic peoples (associated with the La Tene culture) of central Europe began incursions into Macedonia and Thrace in 280 BC
and succeeded in creating a state in Thrace in 273 BC with the capital at Thylis. The Celts continued to cross into Asia Minor, settling in
the central part between Phrygia and Blythia, and founding Galatia with the capital at Ankara.
Thrace and the Romans (2nd BC to 1st AD)
Kotys II (180-? BC) was King of the Odrysae and allied with Perseas of Macedonia against the Romans. After the Perseas defeat at the
battle of Pydna (168 BC) Kotys made a truce with the Romans and acknowledged their sovereignty. Thrace was not a Roman province,
but all its kings (Kotys III, Raiskouporis I, Raskos, Roimetalkes I and Raiskouporis II) were their vassals.
In a revolt of the Bessi, led by the priest at the Oracle of Dionysos, Raiskouporis II was killed. Roimetalkes I (7 BC-12 AD) became king
of all Thrace with the assistance of the Romans. After the death of Kotys IV (12-19 AD) the Romans divided Thrace between
Raiskoupores III and Kotys V.
Roman province (1st AD)
Roimetalkes III (38-46 AD) was given the position by the the Roman Emperor (Caligula), but was to be last King of Thrace. In AD 46 the
Romans dissolved the Thracian state and declared Thrace a Roman province. The Triballi continued to cause trouble to the Roman
governors of Macedonia and many rebellions against the Roman empire broke out in Thrace.
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The Dacian, Illyrian and Thracian peoples
dominated the Balkans. Their
Indo-European languages give the
names for Beskydy mountains (Slovakia)
and Carpathians and indicate the extent of
the area covered by these tribes.
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The first iron objects north of the Alps appear in this period with the Hallstatt C culture in Bohemia, upper Austria and Bavaria.
From the 8th century the Greeks traded beyond the Aegean and began to settle in these areas, initially in Sicily and Italy and the
northern shore of the Aegean and a few around the Black Sea. The 7th century marks the start of the Classical Greek civilisations in the
southern areas of modern Greece, although the Balkan and lower Danubian regions were unaffected by the emerging Greek culture.
The Scythians crossed the steppes to the Black Sea and reached the northern Balkans. It is not certain if they were Iranian, Turkish or
of some other origin, or combination of Indo-European, Turkish, Uralic tribes. They lived in this area until 3rd century AD when the Huns
arrived. Many place, river and hill names in modern Ukraine and Romania have Scythian routes, such as the rivers Don, Dnepr and
Dnestr are all Iranian in origin from the stem dn-.
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Conflicts between the Thracian tribes, such as the Odrysians in the eastern plains and the Bessi in the mountainous west, were
drawing Rome into their conflicts and in 46AD Thrace was annexed into the Roman Empire. The reunification of Dacian tribes under
Decebal and a couple defeats of the Roman armies led to war in 101AD.
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The Lombards, originally from Scandinavian, moved to Moravia, then established a kingdom in Pannonia. The Avars with the
Lombards destroyed the Gepid kingdom. The Lombards invaded Italy and where they established their second kingdom. The Slavs of
northern Europe start their migrations into the Balkans.
Avars 552-796
The Avars, another Asian-Turkic tribe from the east, took control of parts of southern Russia and Eastern Europe from the Huns and
Slavs. They occupied most of modern Hungary with their empire stretching from the Black Sea to the Baltic, but in the C8 their empire
shrank and was finally crushed by Charlemagne (805).
Slavs 6th century
By the C6 the Slavs were the largest European race. Their early origin is not known, but from 1AD they were thought to have lived in the
marshes east of Russia.
Following the dissolution of the Hun Empire the Slavs made a rapid expansion populating modern Russia, Poland, Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Little remains of Slavic Romania apart from some place names and
possibly the voivode, administrative regions, of the Romanians inherited by the Magyars in Transylvania.
The early Slav settlement into Byzantium lands can be traced from toponyms as being along the Timok and Morava rivers and across
from Niš to Sofia.
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Bulgars 680 AD
The Bulgars, a Turkic tribe from the east, having been forced from their kingdom around the Black Sea, formed the First State of
Bulgaria, as rulers of the Slavs. Their kingdom covered the Danube plain to the north (modern Romania) and south (modern Bulgaria).
Later the state of Bulgaria was extended further south into Thrace and Macedonia.
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Thracians Gods
Dionysus - festive God of wine
Dionysus was, in ancient times, a dark and angry god who fertilized the great mother goddess so that the earth could be born. He
developed into a more gentle festive god by the 6th century BC. The strange legends of Dionysus' birth and death and his marriage to
Ariadne suggest that Dionysus had roots in the early, pre-Greek, people. Each winter Dionysus died and every spring his rebirth was
marked by celebrations and lavish festive orgies. Dionysus was also the god of wine for the Thracians were drinking wine long before
the Greeks inherited the practice.
As the Greeks expanded into areas previously occupied by the Thracians, the Thracian God was adopted as the Dionysian cult from
which Hellenic tragedy and comedy were developed. Later, when the Romans adopted Hellenic culture the Dionysian festivities and
orgies became known as Bacchanalia and Dionysus became known as Bacchus. When Christianity was adopted in Bulgaria the
church changed the names of pagan gods and holidays and Dionysus became St. Trifon.
There are some surviving references to remains of Dionysian : In early February Bulgarians celebrate by drinking wine, and in the
Rhodopes climb a mountain and then drink. In some regions, and occasionally in Romania, traditional ritual figures use a giant
phallus to fertilize the soil.
A silver cone-shaped pitcher suggests that the dead were initiated into the Dionysian cult, since the cone was a symbol of Dionysus.
Hero - the Thracian Horseman
The Thracian Hero, also known as the Thracian Horseman, was an abstract figure. The Hero was a central figure in Thracian religion
as protector of life and health of the people. The Thracian Hero was always depicted on a horse, usually slaying an object with a spear.
Stone reliefs can be seen in Bulgaria's museums originating from Thracian times, through the Roman period and into the middle
ages. The Christian church succeeded in hiding the Thracian religious altars and Gods, but the culture and rituals still continued. The
Thracian Horseman was represented as St. George, on a horse slaying a dragon.
Orpheus - The Poet of Rhodope
Orpheus is the Thracian musician from the Rhodopes whose lyre playing charmed the animals, trees, rivers and rocks to dance.
Tradition tells that Orpheus was the son of Calliope, the God of epic poetry, or of Oeagrus a king of Thrace, a Thracian river God, or
Apollo. As well as Orpheus, the musical abilities of the Thracian and Dacian tribes were noted in ancient Greek texts, and may be
continued in the strong music and dance traditions of Bulgaria, Romania and Macedonia. Orpheus' music became integrated into
ancient Greek culture and so into east Mediterranean culture.
Bendis - Goddess of the moon
Bendis is the Thracian goddess of the moon with power of heaven and earth. She was the mother of the Hero, and can be equated to
the Greek goddess Artimis.
Since the chariot is always a symbol of the sun God, many scholars believe that the chariot driver is Apollo - the principle god of the
Tribally.
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Tracian Treasure Discovered at "Valley Of The Kings" and other parts of Bulgaria.
After the millennia, their ancient and mysterious culture was revealed in its true magnificence. The unearthed Thracian gold
treasures conquered the modern world and enabled a great civilization to take its deserving place in the history of mankind. The
Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis which expert quality as “the world’s oldest gold and Europe’s most ancient civilisation” was a
sensational discovery. The 28 objects - bracelets, hatches, ornaments, are now kept in the Varna Museum of History. The
Vulchitrun treasure dates from the Bronze Age. The perfectly shaped and carefully polished ritual vessels weight 12.5 kg. They
are part of the exhibition of the National Museum of History. The Panagyuriste gold treasure (4th c. B.C.) is a royal set made of 23
carat gold. The nine exquisitely shaped vessels - rhytons, amphoras and phial - are embossed and depict mythological scenes. It
is kept in the Plovdiv Museum. The Vratsa treasure (4th c.B.C) consists of a number of beautiful objects - a golden wreath,
earrings and greaves. The Loukovit and Letnitsa treasures (4th c. B.C.) are both interesting and valuable. The Rogozen royal
silver treasure attracts attention with its 165 vessels with Greek and Thracian subjects. These treasures are necessary to us
today because their brilliance and beauty invariably return us to man’s longing for harmony. As “mankind’s Oldest Gold and
Oldest Civilization in Europe” they were shown in Japan, Canada, The USA, Mexico, France, Russia, Austria, Poland, Germany,
Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Holland and India.
In the last few decades a number of significant collections of Thracian treasures have been discovered in present-day Bulgaria,
providing much of our present knowledge of ancient Thrace. Currently a series of eight US Museums are hosting an exhibit
entitled Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians through the end of 1999. This features a spectacular collection of gold and
silver items from tombs in Bulgaria. About 15,000 such massive ground barrows are still visible today in the hills and flatlands of
the Balkan Range, anciently called Haemus. Thracian rulers and members of the nobility were buried in monumental stone
tombs, which also served as places for ritual ceremonies to honor the deceased ruler, with offerings of rich funeral gifts. The
tombs constituted underground temples of heroes, and have thus become known as heroons. Approximately fifty such tombs
have been uncovered in Thracian mounds in Bulgaria up to the present time, with ten structures found between 1992 and 1996.
Although the Thracians were mentioned by many classical sources including the Histories of Herodotus (445-440 BC) and the
Anabasis of Xenophon (401-399 BC), they remained relatively obscure until the early twentieth century, with most Thracian art
objects assigned to the Scythian culture. After 1917, Dr. Bogdan D. Filow, first director of the Bulgarian Institute of Archaeology,
argued persuasively for the indigenous character and style of ancient Thracian art. Subsequently, in light of such new
interpretations, large quantities of important Thracian art objects have been recovered in Bulgaria.
Most Thracian gold and silver items in the exhibit were manufactured between the 5th and 3rd century BC, the period of greatest
economic, political and cultural expansion of Thrace under the Odrysian kingdom in the Balkan Peninsula, with Kotys I (386-359
BC), rivaling king Philip II of Macedon in the first years of his reign. Some of the richest burials, which date from 6th - 3rd
centuries BC (including Varbitsa, Rahmanli, Brezovo, Dalboki, Ezerovo, Duvanlij, Mezek, Mogilanska mogila in Vratsa, Sveshtari,
Kazanluk, and Shipka) show convincingly that several centers of political activity existed in Thracian lands during that time.
Thrace was also well known for its silver and gold mines, including the Pangeion gold mines near the Strymon delta, captured by
Philip II in 348 BC.
While varying in layout and structure, tombs in Bulgaria during this era (5th - 3rd centuries BC ) share common architectural
elements. Made of either cut stone blocks or fired bricks, they were sometimes adorned with a painted decoration. Their main
burial chambers were either rectangular in plan, or circular, topped by a dome (tholos). The entrances to many Thracian tombs
have sophisticated facades comparable to Macedonian, Persian and Lycian examples, and also contain covered passages
(dromos) with painted walls and ceilings which in some ways resemble Etrurian tombs.
Finds shown in the current exhibit have been selected from more than 350 Bulgarian tombs spanning the period between the end
of 3rd millennium to the 4th century AD. The high artistic mastery, stylistic features, and skilled workmanship of these ancient
Thracian objects, displayed for the first time in the US, comprise a major source of information on Thracian history, culture and
art. The amount of detailed evidence these objects contain may be seen from a sampling of the major collections (most, from the
5th - 3rd c. BC), discussed below.
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Click here to see
photos of the
Thracian Treasures
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Click here to see
the Thracian
Tombs
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