Romanian History and Culture

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Thrace

Thrace had a heritage which matched that of its south-westerly neighbours, the Mycenaeans. Thracians were allied to Troy during the Trojan War, although Homeric Thrace was vaguely defined. In this period it encompassed a wide swathe of territory to the north of Greece 'proper', stretching from the River Axios in the west, to the Hellespont and the Black Sea in the east, and the Balkan Mountains in the north. Sometimes Thrace could be used to define literally all the territory to the north of Thessaly, incorporating Scythia and even Macedonia. In addition to the tribe that Homer called Thracians (in reality several tribes, all very warlike), ancient Thrace was home to numerous other Indo-European tribes, all non-Greek speakers, such as the Bisaltes, Bistones, Cicones, Edones, and Triballi, and all of them managed to remain rural peoples, usually living in fortified hilltops.

There is little specific order for the kings mentioned here, except by reference to outside events, such as the Trojan War. Thracian unification was not achieved until the fifth century and records are very sparse until that time. Much of what was originally thought of as Thrace is now within Bulgaria, but the south-western coastal districts still remain in modern Greek hands while the large south-eastern corner which includes Gallipoli and Constantinople (Istanbul) is part of Turkey.

Thrax

Eponymous founder, and mythical son of the war-god Ares.

Tegyrios

Greek mythological king of Thrace.

In Greek myth, the undatable Tegyrios of Thrace welcomes the exiled Eumolpus to his kingdom. The king's daughter is married to Ismarus, the son of Eumolpus, but Eumolpus subsequently plans to usurp the throne and is banished. Following the death of Ismarus, Tegyrios forgives his friend and makes Eumolpus his successor.

Eumolpus

Successor king of Thrace.

fl c.1500 BC

Phineas / Phinehas

Son of Agenor of Tyre. King of Thrace.

c.1500 BC

According to Greek legend, Phineas is the son of Agenor, king of Tyre. He and his four brothers, Cadmus, Cilix, Phoenix, and Thasus have all departed their Phoenician home in search of their sister, Europa, who had been abducted by Zeus. Phineas gives up his search in eastern Thrace, where he settles on the western shores of the Black Sea and rules a city state of his own.

Phineas becomes the father to Bithynus, Mariandynus, Paphlagonus, and Thynus (Bithynus and Thynus are adopted from one Odrysus, the eponymous namesake of the later Thracian kingdom). The four each found kingdoms along the shores of the Black Sea; Bithynia, Mariandyne, Paphlagonia, and Thynia.

12th century BC

There are various tribes in Thrace at this time, and many of them take part in the Trojan War, almost exclusively on the side of their near neighbour, Troy. While many of them are given specific tribal names or locations by Homer and later Classical authors, others are simply 'of Thrace' and may represent a more powerful and influential element in Thracian tribal society. For the purposes of this list, in order to aid clarity, general Thracian kings are shown primarily, while specifically named tribes or kingdoms are shown as sub-kings. The Cicones are in green while the Edones are in red.

fl c.1220 BC

Phineas

King of Thrace. Rescued from harpies by Jason of Iolkos.

Cisseus

Father-in-law to the Trojan elder Antenor.

fl c.1200 BC

Poltys

King of Aenus.

c.1200 BC

Poltys appears to be a creation of post-Homeric authors. A son of Poseidon, he rules the city of Poltyobria when Heracles pays him and his brother Sarpedon a visit. The king welcomes him but Sarpedon does not, and Heracles slays him on the beach. No relationship is given between Poltys and his apparent successor, Acamas, but within two decades it is the latter who is king of the city, which is renamed Aenus.

Troezenus of the Cicones

Father of Euphemus. King of Ismara.

fl c.1183 BC

Polymestor

A Thracian king. Executed by Agamemnon.

c.1193 - 1183 BC

Polymestor is married to Ilione, eldest daughter of Priam of Troy. He betrays Priam's trust after the fall of Troy by murdering the king's young son when the boy has been placed in his care along with an amount of treasure. He is denounced by the boy's mother, Hecuba, and tried by Agamemnon. Found guilty, his sons are killed by Trojan women and Hecuba scratches out his eyes before he is led away by Agamemnon's men.

fl c.1183 BC

Acamas / Akamas

Son of Eussorus. From Aenus in Thrace. Killed by Ajax.

c.1193 - 1183 BC

Acamas leads a contingent of Thracian warriors to the Trojan War on the side of Troy. He is the mythical founder of the city of Aenus on the south-eastern coastline near the mouth of the Hebrus. He is joined by his comrade Peiros, son of Imbrasus, and Asius, along with Euphemus, son of King Troezenus son of Ceas, and Rhesus, each with their own contingents which represent some of the various tribes in Thrace. Asius is from the city of Sestus, on the Thracian (northern) side of the Hellespont and is therefore a member of the Hyrtacidae, who may indeed be Thracians.

fl c.1183 BC

Peiros / Peirous

Son of Imbrasus. Comrade of Acamas.

fl c.1183 BC

Rhesus

Son of Eioneus. Joined the Trojan War later but did not fight.

fl c.1183 BC

Euphemus of the Cicones

From the city of Ismara, Ismarus, on southern Thracian coast.

fl c.1183 BC

Lycurgus of the Edones

From between rivers Nestus and Strymon in southern Thrace.

Based in the region of Mygdonia, Lycurgus dies violently, either by going insane, killing his son, and then being executed by his people, or by accidentally removing his own foot when attempting to cut down an ivy vine. Charops is selected as his successor. He is the father of Oeagrus, although sources are divided over this, with some claiming him as the son of King Pierus of Pieria to the west.

fl c.1170s BC

Charops of the Edones

Selected as the successor to the dead Lycurgus.

fl c.1170s BC

Oeagrus of the Edones

Son of Charops or King Pierus of Pieria.

Orpheus

Son. Musician, poet and prophet in Greek myth.

fl c.1170s BC

Tereus

A Thracian king. Son of the war-god Ares.

Zalmoxis

c.1170s BC

Mycenaean-era Thrace fades from history as the Mycenaeans themselves are eclipsed by the invading Dorians. A dark age grips Greece for about four centuries until the rise of the Classical city states. Thrace at this time is still viewed as a wild, mountainous terrain populated by barbarous tribes.

c.800 - 700 BC

The Thracians are driven out of the region of Mygdonia by the newly arriving Macedonians.

513/12 - c.479 BC

Thrace south of the Danube is conquered by the Persians and held for about fifty years, possibly until they are forced out of Macedonia by Alexander I. Following their evacuation, and possibly unified to an extent under Persian occupation of the region, the Thracians form the Odrysian kingdom. Other tribes do still exist, and probably in independence, notably the Bessoi, but they are little-known hill tribes that play no real part in the main history of the region.