V – THRACE

V – THRACE

The northeastern coast of the Aegean Sea belongs to Thrace. According to “Hekatei”, a native of Miletus who lived around 500 BC and one of the oldest ancient geographers and historians, Thrace’s boundary was as follows: To the south it bordered the Aegean Sea, to the southeast it bordered the Sea of Marmara, to the east it bordered the Black Sea, to the north it bordered Mount Hem and to the west it bordered the Rhodope Mountain wreath and the River Nesta (Nestos). But according to Herodotus and Thucydides the area belonging to Thrace extended over the Balkan Peninsula between the Danube River, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, and west to the Illyrian border.

In mythology the word “Traka” is the eponym of the heroine “Trakia” (Thrace), Okean (Ocean) and “Pertenopi’s daughter, Europa’s sister and Asia and Libya’s half sister. “Thrakia” (Thrace), the name of the country, comes from the word “thrax” (Trakiets) meaning brave, bold, persistent, rude and cruel. In the beginning the onomastic “Trakiets” probably referred to a small tribal formation but later, around the VI century BC, it was expanded to include a greater population. According to Hoddinott (Hoddinott, FR: The Thracians, Thames and Hudson, New York, 1981) the Thracians inhabited modern Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and the Ukraine. But according to Homer, all countries north of Thessaly were part of Thrace.

Archaeological researchers have discovered that the “Karanovo 1” and “Karanovo 2” Cultures, located in Nova Zagora, Azmak, Banat at the end of Pazardzhik and other places, belonged to the Central Balkan Neolithic culture. (Gimbutas, Maria: The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe 6500-3500 BC Myth and Cult Images, Univ. of California Press, 1982) These findings confirm the thesis that the indigenous Thracian population existed since the early Stone Age between 65,000 and 55,000 BC.

According to Herodotus (Herodotus, History, V, 2, Matica Srpska, Belgrade, 1988), after the Indians, the Thracians were the largest and most numerous people in the world. They would be unstoppable and unbeatable if they could agree on a single leader to lead them. Approximate calculations have shown their numbers to be between 800 thousand and one million. Poseidon was their main god. Among the other deities they celebrated were Dionysus Arei, Artemis and Salmoksis. The social, political and economic development of the Thracian regions during the Bronze Age was very close to the ones in the Central Balkans and the Aegean. In addition to being connected through the three seas and large rivers, the Thracians were also firmly connected to Asia Minor, the Black Sea and the Aegean world and that was how they had mutual reciprocal influences.

Data available on the Thracians from classical and early literature was very scant, but recent scientific and anthropological research done in the Balkans after World War II has found that the Thracians originated from the Caucasus. According to research, the Thracians came from the north through the Black Sea or through Asia Minor to southeastern Europe to the Carpathian-Balkan region. (Herodotus, History, 15, Matica Srpska, Belgrade, 1988).

Again, according to research it was determined that the Thracians were highly capable farmers and miners with mature communities and social structures who represented one ethnic amalgam of different peoples assimilated over time. In time a group belonging to a tribal aristocracy sprang from the villagers, farmers and artisans within their community. In terms of customs, Herodotus (Herodotus, History, 15, Matica Srpska, Belgrade, 1988, V, 2-8) says that they had a custom where they sold their children abroad. When a child was born they wailed because of the trouble that the child would have surviving and suffering through life. Their dead they burned or buried with great celebrations. There was polygamy and free love. Having tattoos was a sign of high nobility. Unemployment for them was a beautiful thing. Working the soil was the worst thing. There was great pride in warring and living from plunder. The Thracians followed the Central Balkan tradition with regards to gods. Figures of Dionysus and Orpheus were most prevalent in Thrace, followed by those of Ares.

Dio-Nis (Dionysus), Dios from Nish was born in Nish (Homer, Iliad and Odyssey, I, 1, IV, 133, 133, Нови Сад, 1985. (прев. М. Н. Ѓуриѓ); Hesiodus, Fragmenta & Theogonia, p. 940), the land protected by nymphs, and when he grew up he traveled the world adorned in garlands of ivy and laurel. He was mostly famous because he knew how to grow grapes and how to make wine. Dionysus,along with his escort and tutor Silen, who was endowed with nobility, kindness and utmost wisdom, began their travels through Thrace, Macedonia and Greece and from there to Egypt, India and Spain. Dionysus, along with Sabazi and Orpheus, were part of the 4th generation of gods. Dionysus was the god of vegetation, a great deity who guaranteed men’s union with god and salvation after death. Dionysus’s first collision was with the Thracian king Lycurgus who confronted him, but in order to save him Dionysus had to jump into the sea because the king of the gods was punished with madness.

According to mythology, Orpheus was the son of Eagar, king of Macedonia and Thrace. After his death Orpheus was buried under Mount Olympus. His myth is connected with the Central Balkans. Orpheus’s character brought much respect for the sun as the main deity of the visible world, and because of that many believed that Apollo may have been his father. (Apollodori, Bibliotheca (I-II century BC.)) Orpheus was considered to be a revisionist of the theory that the souls of the dead went underground to Hades’s palaces. He came to this conclusion from the disappointment he experienced after he failed to bring back his beloved wife Eurydice to the light of day. After that he advised people to acknowledge Apollo-Helius, the Hyperborean god, as the most important deity in that respect because he believed that the souls of the dead actually went to heaven. Orpheus was the founder of the “Orpheus” religious sect which taught followers to believe in the divine nature of the human soul and in original sin. Its doctrine was that the soul, because of its sins, wandered around, but with ecstasy, asceticism and initiation it cleansed itself and returned to heaven.

According to Strabo, there were 22 Thracian tribes existing among the many tribes in the region. The most famous were the “Geti” who were believed to be immortal. They lived between Hem and the Danube, and when they moved across the Danube they became known as the “Dachani”. In the I and II century BC, when they were led by Detsibel, the Thracians were a powerful people living in a large country. During Demosthenes’s time they had three small countries.

Among the many Thracian tribes were the Trauzi, Skirniidi, Nipseitsi, Satri and the Besi. The most famous of the Thracian kings was king Lycurgus (wolf) who, according to mythology, was the son of Driantov. He was Areev’s nephew, king of the Edonians. Lycurgus banished Dionysius from Thrace and fought against Osiris, the Egyptian king, who then killed Lycurgus. Among the famous Thracian kings was Diomed son of Areev, king of the Bistoni, who possessed the angry mares (horses) and who has been mentioned in connection with Hercules’s adventures. Among other known, famous Thracian kings were Amikos, Olor, Rineus, Spargapites, Teres, Tereus and Amadoks. According to Thucydides, at the end of the VI and at the beginning of the V century BC, Teres was the first king to create the great kingdom of Odris, which covered the largest part of Thrace. He was also the first ruler who united the people of Odris and who made Odris powerful. After the withdrawal of the Persian garrisons from the Thracian coast in 479 BC, Teres managed to extend his reign from the Danube to the Aegean and to the Sea of Marmara. His successors were Sparadok and Sitalko.

In mythology, as a king of the Thracian Salmid of the Sea of Marmara, the name Finei was often mentioned. Finei was married to Cleopatra, Borea’s daughter and Boreada and Hiona’s sister. Finei is also mentioned in connection with the Argonaut campaign in 1225 BC.

From the middle of the fifth century (from 450 to 424 BC) Sitalko was ruler of Odris. His arrival was followed by dynastic strife. In 429 BC he expanded the Thracian borders to the west at the expense of Macedonia and Halkidiki. He was defeated in 424 BC, during a battle with the Tribillians and died the same year.

After Seut I, Amadok I (407-386) became ruler.

We can find information about the Thracian language in the onomastic of the geographical names that belong to the Paleo Balkan Glossology (PBG). From the oronyms we have “Hem” (blood that flows, also gender), “Rodopi” (rose, appearance) and “Pirin” (fire). From the Hydronyms in first place we have “Istros” (food that flows), “Hebar” (a strong young river), “Mestos-Nestos” (full), “Asimos” (insignificant), etc… The term Thracians and Thrace (Thrax, verb thrauô - brave, bold, persistent, rude, and cruel) also belongs to the PBG.

In the Trojan War the Thracians were on the side of the Trojans about whom Homer (Homer, Iliad and Odyssey, I, 1, II, 844, Novi Sad, 1985. (Prev. M. N. Gjurigj)) wrote: “The Thracian heroes Piroi and Akamant led the war… The Kopianis and Kikonis were led to battle by Eufem, nephew...”

The colonization of the Thracian coast began early, when the first Phoenician ruler Cadmus colonized the island Thassos. Then, during the eighth century BC, it was settled by Phoenician colonists from Halkida (Chalcedon) and Eritrea. The Thracian coast was also intensively frequented by the Aeolians and Ionians from Asia Minor. The Macedonians conquered Thrace during the reign of Philip II (359-336). Roman rule in Thrace was established during Octavian August’s time (27 -14 BC).