A little history
The presence of humans in eastern Macedonia and Thrace dates back to the Neolithic era. During the Iron Age, the Achaeans settled in eastern Macedonia.
In the 7th century b.c.e. Hellenes from the islands of the eastern Aegean Sea and the coasts of Asia Minor founded the first colonies on the coast of Thrace. Some of the colonies turned into important cities. In the 5th century b.c.e. a powerful kingdom of the Odrysians was formed, which stretched from the Danube to the Aegean Sea on one side, and from the Strymon River to the Black Sea on the other. This kingdom was liquidated in the 4th century. b.c.e. Philip II, who annexed Thrace to the Macedonian kingdom. During the same period, colonies were founded on the coasts of Macedonia by settlers from the south of Hellas. The subjugation of the poleis of eastern Macedonia began in the 5th century. b.c.e. and ended during the reign of Philip II.
After the battle of Pydna, where the Romans won, Macedonia was completely subjugated to Rome. The entire area up to the Nestos River was a Roman province with the capital Amphipolis, cities such as Abdera, Maronia and Enos were proclaimed free cities. In the northern part of Thrace, the king of Odres Kotius was forced to recognize the dominance of Rome. Thrace officially became a Roman province in 46 BC, and Macedonia was declared an imperial Roman province from 20 BC. During the years of Roman rule, the Hellenization of the Thracians, who were mainly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, took place. In eastern Macedonia, the major cities were Amphipolis, Philippi and Limenas on the island of Thasos. Roman emperors contributed to the development of eastern Macedonia and Thrace by founding new cities. And, most importantly, the Romans built a road called Egnatia, which connected the city of Byzantium with Dures and was the main connecting artery for many centuries.
During the Byzantine Empire, Thrace and Macedonia were the two most important provinces of the empire. However, this did not save them from invasions and robbery. The first major invasion was carried out by the Huns and Slavs, it occurred in the 5th century. From the middle of the 7th century. and until the liquidation of the Bulgarian kingdom by the Byzantine emperor Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer in 1018, the Bulgarians made repeated invasions into the territories of Macedonia and Thrace. The re-formation of the Bulgarian state in 1186 resulted in renewed Bulgarian invasions in the territory of Macedonia and Thrace.
After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders, Thrace and some territories of Macedonia passed to the Latin kingdom of Constantinople. However, the crusaders met resistance from the Bulgarians, who in 1230 achieved almost complete control over Thrace and Macedonia, except for the sea coast. Macedonia and Thrace were conquered by the Byzantines in the 13th century.
Thrace is also a region on whose territory in the 14th century. The largest scenes of the internecine war of the Byzantine Empire unfolded. In addition to the destruction of many cities and fortresses, the devastation of provinces, economic decline, and the physical destruction of the inhabitants of these areas, this civil strife brought with it another disastrous result. It was the reason for the appearance of the Ottomans on the territory of Thrace, whom the warring parties used for their own purposes, regardless of further consequences.
The Ottomans reappeared in Thrace in the 14th century, this time not as allies of any of the warring parties, but as invaders. The Byzantines managed to push them back for some time and forced the Ottomans to conclude a peace treaty in 1357. However, this peace did not last long; in 1361, the Ottomans began a holy war in order to spread Islam among the population of Thrace. In 1361 Didimoticho was captured, in 1363 - Komontini, Maronea, Perifori and Xanthi. And after the Battle of Cyrene in 1371, Thrace was completely under the rule of the Ottomans, except for some fortresses located near Constantinople. Very soon the conversion of the local population to the Muslim faith began, which intensified even more in the 15th century. The Christian population, in order to avoid all this, left cities and ancient cities, settling in mountainous or remote areas. The population that remained in place and did not want to change their faith was converted into serfs who cultivated land owned by the Ottomans.
From the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. the situation has changed. The beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire coincides with the settlement of Jewish refugees in Macedonia and Thrace, as well as the return of the Greek population to the plains, since living in the mountains was associated with great difficulties. As part of this movement of human masses, compact parts of the Greek population from the Peloponnese, Thessaly and Macedonia advanced into Thrace. Cities such as Adrianople, Philippopolis, Heraklion, Redestos, Enos, Silivria and Kallipoli were important shopping centers. The Greek population continued to grow and become richer throughout the 18th century. Greek schools existed at the very beginning of the Ottoman yoke, but in small numbers and were located in large cities. However, after the birth of the Greek Enlightenment, the number of schools increased.
Thrace is one of the few regions that did not take part in the Uprising of 1821, although, of course, some rebel centers were formed, but they very soon ceased to exist. The constant presence of the Ottoman army on the territory of Thrace and its location at a short distance from Constantinople, as well as the flat landscape of this area, were the main reasons standing in the way of the active assistance of the Greek population of Thrace in the fight against the Ottoman yoke. Likewise, in eastern Macedonia the Uprising did not find adequate support for the above-mentioned reasons.
In subsequent years, the Ottomans hardened their stance towards the Greek population. There was a general decline in the economy and a breakdown in administrative rule, all of which worsened the lives of the Christian population, and in particular the Greeks of Thrace and Macedonia. At the same time, an increasing number of Bulgarians begin to acquire national consciousness and compete with the Greeks in all social spheres of activity. During the 1860s, the Greek-Bulgarian conflict took a dramatic turn due to the religious emancipation of the Bulgarians. The position of the Bulgarians was further strengthened after the formation of the Church Exarchate.
The crisis of the Eastern Question was caused by the uprising of the Christian population of Bosnia in 1875 and the Bulgarians in 1876, which caused massacres of the Christian population, this in turn led to the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War. The Russian army reached Constantinople, in 1877 the San Stefano Peace Treaty was signed, according to which Bulgaria acquired vast territories: all of today's Bulgaria, Thrace and Macedonia, except Thessalonica and Chalkidiki. However, the decisions of this treaty were revised at the Berlin Congress in 1878. This time, instead of vast territories, Bulgaria was limited to a small autonomous state. However, in 1885, Bulgaria arbitrarily and illegally annexed Eastern Rumilia. These actions were eventually recognized by the Great Powers. The Greek population was a major political force in the area of northern Thrace until 1906, when serious unrest broke out and most of the Greek population, who had lived in the area for centuries, was forced to leave the area.
In southern Thrace and Macedonia, after 1878, competition began between Greeks and Bulgarians in the fields of education, religion and various professions. Since 1897, Bulgarian military detachments appeared on the territory of Macedonia and in some regions of Thrace, which forcefully forced the Christian population to submit to the Bulgarian Exarchate and demanded that children enter Bulgarian schools. Greek anti-propaganda began to appear after 1906.
During the First Balkan War, all of southern Thrace and eastern Macedonia were captured by the Bulgarian army. In the 2nd Balkan War, the Greek army reached Alexandropol and expelled the Bulgarians. However, according to the Treaty of Bucharest, Thrace was ceded to Bulgaria, except for a small area around Constantinople, which remained under Ottoman rule. As a result, after the conclusion of the Treaty of Neuilly in 1919, Greece annexed western Thrace (up to the Evros River), and after the conclusion of the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, eastern Thrace, except for Constantinople and its environs, went to Greece.
However, the Asia Minor disaster marked the final loss of eastern Thrace. The Greek population was forced to leave eastern Thrace and settle in Macedonia and western Thrace. In total, more than 145 thousand refugees from the regions of eastern Thrace, Asia Minor, Bulgaria, the Caucasus and Armenia settled in Thrace. In turn, 23 thousand people moved to Bulgaria. The population exchange continued in eastern Macedonia, Muslims left these areas, and Greek refugees from the Pontus region settled in their place.
During World War II, Thrace and eastern Macedonia were occupied by German and Bulgarian troops, after which these areas came under the control of the Bulgarian occupation forces, and their center was the city of Drama. The Bulgarians made attempts to change the ethnic composition of the Greek population, and thereby create a new order of things in the political arena. However, their actions met resistance from the local population, in particular, in many cases the Greek population took up arms. The Bulgarian occupation ended in 1944. Eastern Macedonia and Thrace again became part of Greece.
Geochronology of the region
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace are part of the Balkan Peninsula. Today we know that the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, Hellas, the Aegean Sea and the territory of today's Turkey were for many millions of years the bottom of a huge sea, which scientists symbolically call Tithis. Approximately 30 million years ago, at the beginning of the Miocene, the floor of the Tithis Sea began to rise, resulting in the formation of a large land mass - Aegis. The Aegis spread out across the region that is today Greece, Turkey and the Aegean Sea. At the beginning of the next geological period, the Pleistocene, approximately 2 million years ago, the geographical map of Greece begins to take on its present form, resulting in the final formation of the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor and the Aegean Sea.
The region's mountains are mostly crystalline, but there is also a significant amount of volcanic deposits. In particular, the Rhodope mountain range is rich in granite, slate, etc. To the west, some of the mountains of eastern Macedonia, Falakro, Orvilos, etc., are rich in limestone and marble.
Prehistoric flora and fauna
Remains of prehistoric flora, mainly fossilized tree trunks, leaves and seeds, have been discovered in the region. In the prehistoric period, the territory of eastern Macedonia and Thrace was inhabited by various animals that do not exist today, for example, mammoths and other proboscideans. Lions are also known to be found in the region.
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace today
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace consists of the districts of Drama, Kavala, Xanthi, Serres, Rhodope and Evros, which are under the administrative jurisdiction of the Regional District of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The district of Serres covers an area of 3968 square meters. km., with a population of 201 thousand people. The administrative center of the district is the city of Serres. Drama district has an area of 3468 square meters. km., its population is 104 thousand people. The administrative center of the district is the city of Drama. Kavala district covers an area of 2111 square meters. km., its population is 63,293 people, the administrative center is the city of Kavala. The district of Xanthi occupies an area of 1793 square meters. km., with a population of 102 thousand people, the administrative center of the district is the city of Xanthi. The territory of the Rhodope region is 2543 square meters. km., and on its territory the population is 110 thousand people, the administrative center is the city of Komotini. The Evros district covers an area of 4242 square meters. km., with a population of 105 thousand people, the administrative center of the district is the city of Alexandropol.
The landscape of this area is characterized by mountain ranges, plains stretching all the way to the sea coast, and large rivers. The largest mountain ranges are: in Thrace – Papiko (1827 m); in Macedonia - Falakro (2111 m), Bleles (2031 m) and Pangeon (1956 m). Large rivers- these are Strymon, Nestos and Evros, which originate in Bulgaria, cross Greece and flow into the Aegean Sea, forming a delta. Large lakes are Kerkini, located in the Serres district, and Lake Vistonida, located on the borders of the Xanthi and Rhodope districts. The only islands existing in this region are Thasos and Samothrace.
The climatic conditions are slightly different from the rest of Greece. Due to the northern and northwestern winds, in winter there is a strong drop in temperature in mountainous areas, in particular, the Nevrokop plateau is considered the coldest inhabited area of Greece. In coastal areas the climate is milder.
Vegetation
The difference in climatic conditions is reflected in the vegetation of the region. At the foot of the mountains, mainly Mediterranean shrubs (Mediterrnean maqui) grow. Above is a zone of deciduous trees - oaks, which usually reaches 100 m or a little more. Trees that grow in this zone include Broadleaf Oak (Quercus frainetto), Shaggy Oak (Quercus pubescens) and Holm Oak (Quercus petraea). Above this zone, at an altitude of up to 2000 m, there is a zone of coniferous forests. Black pine (Pinus nigra), Macedonian pine (Abies borisiiregis), forest pine (Pinus sylvestris) and red pine (Picea abies) grow here. This zone partially contains beech forests of species such as Fagus silvatica, Fagus orientalis, or mixed forests of coniferous and deciduous trees. On mountain peaks exceeding 2000 m, only perennial dwarf grasses grow
In addition to the above-mentioned zones, there is also a zone of valleys, which is mostly intensively cultivated by the population, and there is practically no natural vegetation here.
Flora and fauna
The flora of eastern Macedonia and Thrace includes approximately more than 2,500 species of different plants. Among them, mountain endemics such as Dianthus dimulans and Diantgus noeanus, Rhodope lily (Lilium rhodopeum), Viola rhodopeja, Viola ganiatsasii, Viola sereiana rhodopes, Haberlea rhodopensis, etc. are of particular value. There are also many species of rare trees.
The fauna of this region is also rich. Due to the numerous and large biocenoses, almost all waterfowl of the country live here. On the other hand, the existence of mountain ranges favors the presence of migratory birds. It is roughly estimated that of the 410 bird species, 400 live in eastern Macedonia and Thrace. As for mammals, there is no other area in Greece where there are so many mammals. These are bear, wolf, jackal, wild boar, fox, hedgehog and many others. Other classes of animals here include amphibians, reptiles, insects, etc.
Geography
The main waterway of the region is the Maritsa or Evros River, along which the state border between Greece and Turkey passes. In the east of the region are the Strandzha Mountains. The climate of the coastal region is subtropical Mediterranean, in the interior regions it is temperate.
History of Thrace
Ancient Thrace
Ancient Thrace is a region traditionally inhabited by pastoral tribes of Thracian origin, which later underwent strong Hellenization. The territory of historical Thrace (the northernmost region of ancient Hellas, extending all the way to Scythia) covered the basins of the Marmara, Aegean and Black Seas. In ancient times it was inhabited mainly by Thracians, after whom it received its name; In ancient times, Greek settlements were founded along the sea coast, the largest of which was located on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait and was called Byzantium - a strategically important trading point on the way from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and from Europe to Asia. The wealth of Byzantium attracts the Romans here. The territory of Thrace came under the control of Ancient Rome already in the 1st century BC. e. Then, in 330 AD. e., the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to the city of Byzantium on the shores of the Bosphorus, renamed in honor of Emperor Constantine - Constantinople. Thrace becomes a strategically important region of the newly formed Eastern Roman Empire (see: Byzantium).
Middle Ages
New time
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, Thrace became the scene of fierce battles when the revolutionary forces of the fading Ottoman Empire tried to defend Constantinople from attacks by Greek and Bulgarian troops. Thus began a bloody struggle for Thrace. Parallel to it, there was also a struggle for Macedonia. In both cases, the local Bulgarian population, who constituted the relative majority before the city, suffered greatly. Lyubomir Miletich described the events of those years in his book “The Defeat of the Thracian Bulgarians of 1913.”
Population
The population of Eastern Thrace, as well as Thrace in general, in the Middle Ages was predominantly Greco-Slavic, although from the end of the 7th century Greek influence in the region gradually weakened and the Slavs numerically predominated in almost all internal regions of the region, making up a significant proportion of the population of cities, especially Odrina (Edirne). After the Crusaders captured Constantinople in 1204, the Slavs became the main ethnic group in the region. After the Turkish invasions of the 14th-15th centuries, a powerful Turkic element was added to them, gradually increasing its presence in the region primarily due to the assimilation of the remaining Greeks and partly the Bulgarians. Currently, the population of Eastern Thrace is represented almost exclusively by Turks; there is a significant, but already Islamized, Roma community. At the same time, a significant number of Turkic-Muslim minorities remain in the neighboring regions of Greece and Bulgaria.
see also
Links
- Catalog of sites of Greek Thrace (Greek)
- Komotini On-Line - portal of the city of Komotini (Greek)
| Provinces of the Roman Empire in 120 | |
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Synonyms:See what "Thrace" is in other dictionaries:
Historical region in the east of the Balkan Peninsula, between the Aegean, Black and Marmara seas (from the name of the ancient population of the Thracians). East Thrace from Edirne (to the Maritsa River) as part of Turkey, West. Thrace Greece, North. Thrace of Bulgaria (these borders... ...
Historical-geographical region in northeastern Greece. 8.6 thousand km². Population 345 thousand people (1981). The largest cities are Xanthi, Komotini... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Thracia, Θράχη). A vast area between the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea and the Danube, inhabited by the warlike Thracian tribe. (Source: “A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, published by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.) ... Encyclopedia of Mythology
Noun, number of synonyms: 1 country (281) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary
Bosphorus, Galatia, Gallipoli Peninsula, Stara Zagora Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001... Geographical encyclopedia
Thrace- (Thrace), region. in the Balkans between the Black Sea and the ancient. Macedonia, inhabited by diff. Indo-European tribes. OK. 516 BC Thracian tribes were conquered by the Persians and fought on their side during the Greco-Persian wars. In con. 5th century Teres, king... ... The World History
Historical region in the east of the Balkan Peninsula, between the Aegean, Black and Marmara seas (from the name of the ancient population of the Thracians). Eastern Thrace from Edirne (up to the Maritsa River) as part of Turkey, Western Thrace of Greece, Northern Thrace ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Θράκη, Thracia) was defined by the ancient Greeks as a country that occupied part of the present day. Balkan peninsula from the north. the coast of the Aegean Sea (including Macedonia) and the Propontis to the Danube, and Scythia was often included in it; later the border of one’s own... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
- (2Mac.12:35) land northeast of Macedonia. The ancient inhabitants of Thrace trace their origins to Tiras, the son of Japheth. Thrace was famous in ancient times wealth of metals, beautiful horses and skillful horsemen (2 Mac. 12:35). Currently… … Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Biblical encyclopedia arch. Nikifor.
We can safely say that the region of Thrace and Sea of Marmara- one of the first that numerous guests of Turkey meet as soon as they decide to leave the resort area and touch the richest historical heritage countries.
Just turning the pages of the history of Thrace, from ancient times to the present day, is striking in the number of ethnic cultures that have succeeded each other, prominent names, powerful conquerors and conquered peoples.
Once a single entity, and today historically divided between Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, the region of Thrace and the Sea of Marmara certainly deserves special attention from travelers. Today, under the name Rumelia, it is Thrace that constitutes the region of European Turkey.
In ancient times, ancient Thrace was located on the territory of the European part of the Sea of Marmara region, and Phrygia and Bithynia were located in Anatolia (on the Asian coast). These countries were closely associated with ancient Greece, but over time, at the beginning of the new era, they became part of the Roman Empire, and after Byzantium. By the middle of the 15th century they were completely conquered by the Ottomans.
Pages of history:
The catastrophe that befell the world of late Hellas as a result of the invasion of the Dorians did not bypass the lands of Thrace. The chariots of the Dorian conquerors crossed the Balkans from north to south, causing destruction and confusion everywhere. The chaos brought about by the invasion of the Dorians (XIII-XI centuries BC), and the subsequent pressure of the Cimmerians (X-VIII centuries BC), and later the Scythians (VIII-III centuries BC) . BC) largely provoked the advance of the Thracians partly into Asia Minor, and partly to the northeast of the Lower Danube, into the region of Western Podolia (Ukraine), where the Thracians dissolved among the bearers of the Belogrudov and Chernolesk cultures, representing the sedentary eastern wing of the Slavic community of Europe .
According to one of the many legends, the ancient inhabitants of Thrace originate from Thiras, the son of Japheth. In former times, Thrace was famous for its variety and wealth of metals, beautiful horses and skillful horsemen. However, the unique geographical location turned the region into a kind of crossroads, where the paths of various peoples converged, migrating between continents, often at odds with each other. Footprints ancient civilizations, which influenced the historical development of Europe and Asia, are found everywhere here.
Today the region of Thrace and the Sea of Marmara, which includes 11 provinces, is one of the most attractive centers culture, art and tourism. The center of the entire region, the city where the idea of mutual influence of cultures found its fullest expression, was, of course, the beautiful metropolis of Istanbul, spread out on both banks of the Bosphorus.
The Marmara Sea region is famous for its thermal springs, which have unique healing properties, as their water is rich in sulfur and iron. Near the Gulf of Izmit is the resort of Yalova, whose hot springs were known back in the days of the Roman Empire. Thermal springs Bursas became popular under Emperor Justinian, by whose order the first public bath buildings were erected over them.
It is interesting that the population of Eastern Thrace, as well as Thrace in general, in the Middle Ages was predominantly Greco-Slavic, and from the end of the 7th century the Slavs numerically predominated, making up a significant proportion of the population of the cities, especially Odrina (Edirne).
After the Crusaders captured Constantinople in 1204, the Slavs became the main ethnic group in the region. After the Turkish invasions of the 14th-15th centuries, a powerful Turkic element was added to them.
Currently, the population of Eastern Thrace is represented almost exclusively by Turks, although there is a significant, but already Islamized, Roma community. The climate in the Marmara Sea region can generally be called moderately warm. In summer, it is warmer here than on the Black Sea coast, but cooler than on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Eastern Thrace and the coast of the Sea of Marmara is a flat region characterized by hot summers and mild and rainy winters. The Marmara region is a land of beautiful parks and gardens. The hills and mountains that rise above the flat coastline are covered with forests. The most common types of trees are cypress, almond, olive, chestnut, magnolia, and laurel.
The mountain slopes are covered with vineyards. This area is famous for its unique varieties of peaches and figs. Travelers are accompanied by pictures of amazing beauty throughout the region, both in the architectural construction of cities and towns, and in the culture of local residents.
The centuries-old history of the Marmara Sea region, which is a natural contact zone between the West and the East, has left a huge number of interesting traces in its memory, each of which is worthy of being labeled “must see” or “can’t be missed.” Such symbols of the era in the Marmara Sea region are three cities, which different time happened to be the capitals of the Ottoman Empire - Istanbul, Bursa and Edirne, as well as one of the most famous places on earth - Troy.
The culture, religion, and customs of the Thracians were formed in close intertwining with Scythian, Greek and Macedonian culture and traditions. 
After the Sarmatian invasion in 2 thousand BC. uh, numerous tribes of Skolots (Scythian farmers) moved to Thrace. Strabo reports: “Many people from Scythia Minor crossed Tiras and Ister and settled in that country (Thrace). A significant part of Thrace in the Balkans was called Scythia Minor."
In the 2nd millennium BC, Thracian tribes occupied vast territories from the Adriatic to the Black Sea (Pontus). The area in Asia Minor near Troy was inhabited by ethnic Thracian tribes, immigrants from Thrace (Bulgaria)…
In Pliny's description of the Transdanubian lands says: " Thrace, on one side, begins from the shore of the Pontus, where it flows into it. In this part there are the most beautiful cities: Istropol, founded by the Milesians, Tomy, Callatia (formerly called Kerbatira). They were lying here Heraclea and Bison, swallowed up by the opening earth. Now it remains Dionysopol, formerly called Kroon. It flows here Zira River. This entire area was occupied by Scythians called plowmen. They had cities: Aphrodisias, Liebist, Zigera, Rocoba, Eumenia, Parthonopolis and Gerania».
The ancient culture, religion and mythology of the Thracians in the Balkans was adopted by the Hellenic Greeks. Thracian myths about Dionysus, Ares, about Europe, the daughter of the Phoenician king, about Orpheus, who, according to legend, was the king of the Thracians and became known in Greek myths. In his 5th book Herodotus writes: " The Thracians honor only three gods: Ares, Dionysus and Artemis. And their kings (unlike the rest of the people) worship the gods more than all other gods Hermes and they swear only by him. According to them, they themselves descended from Hermes. Rich Thracians are like that. The body of the deceased is exposed for three days. At the same time, sacrificial animals of all kinds are slaughtered and, after funeral cries, a funeral feast is held. Then the body is burned or otherwise buried in a mound..."
Herodotus, describing the military equipment of the Thracians fighting the Persians, writes:
“The Thracians wore fox hats on their heads during the campaign. They wore tunics on their bodies and colorful burnouses on top. On their feet and knees they had windings from deerskin. They were armed with darts, slings and small daggers(History, VII, 75).
The Thracians grew a mustache and beard, but preferred hair on their heads collect on top of the head.
According to modern genetics, the Thracians were carriers of the “Indo-European” haplogroup R1a
The first Thracian state in the Balkans formed in the 5th century BC - Odrysian State. King of the Thracian Odrysian tribe Tiras united all that were not homogeneous ethnic composition- Proto-Slavic, Celtic, etc.
Describing the Thracians, the Greek philosopher Xenophanes reports that outwardly the Thracians are different from the Greeks. The Thracians had blond hair and blue eyes, this is exactly how the Thracians imagined their gods.
« All Ethiopians think of gods as black and snub-nosed,
The Thracians think of them as blue-eyed and fair-haired...«
His Thracian daughter King Tiras married (Herodotus, IV, 80), thus arose a political union of peace and kinship between the dynasty of Thracian kings and the Scythians of the Black Sea region. After the death of King Tiras, his son ruled the Thracia Sitalk.
In the 6th century BC, the Odrysian king Tiras and his son Sitalkos managed to expand the possessions of the Thracian kingdom from the city of Abdera on the Aegean coast to the mouth of the Istria River (Histria - Danube) on the Black Sea coast. In 360 BC. The Odrysian kingdom collapsed.
In a mound near Plovdiv, a gold ring of one of the Odrysian rulers was discovered, on which was engraved Name
Josephus leads self-name of the Thracians - Tirans, descending from Tiras, the seventh son of Iapetus (Japhet), considered the common ancestor of all Indo-Europeans. In ancient times, the Dniester River was called Tiras, hence the modern name of the city - Tiraspol. 
The root of the word “tir” makes the name Tiras related to the mythical (Ταργιταος), the progenitor of the Scythian tribes. According to legend, the Scythian king Targitai was the son of Hercules from horned, daughter of the river Borysthenes(Dnieper). The name Tagitay is Tarha-King, that is, “Bull-King,” the image of a bull, in Latin the word “tayros” means “bull.”
The territory of Macedonia (Greece), Dacia (Romania), Bithynia (northwestern Anatolia), Mysia (northwestern Anatolia) was also inhabited by Thracian tribes who adopted Hellenic culture. In 336 BC. Alexander the Great undertook a campaign against Thrace and subjugated it to his rule, leaving local power to the Thracian princes.
In 46 BC, Thracian Kingdom came under Roman rule and became a province of Rome. The Romans divided Thrace into 33 administrative units (strategies), which were called after the names of the old Thracian tribes.
The Roman ruler Agrippa gained control of Thrace, under Augustus all of Thrace became province of the Roman Empire. Exactly, in the 1st century begins mass exodus of Thracians from Thrace. The Thracians suddenly disappeared from the geographical map of the Balkans. The Thracians moved from these places, this fact is confirmed by the Roman occupation of these territories, the dominance of the Romans in these lands. In Thracian mounds in the Dnieper region, archaeologists find many Roman coins from the 1st century AD.
Many chipped - “Thracians” returned to their former lands in Scythia yu, reviving its agriculture and cities. Antique author of the 2nd century. n. e. Ptolemy reports 6 cities on the Dnieper: Sar, Olvia (Borysthenes), Azagarius, Serim, Metropol, Amadoka. There is a legend in ancient sources about the Thracian king Amadok the First, who ruled the Odrysian state in 410-390.
After the death of Alexander the Great and the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Thracian Prince of Odrysov Seuthes III(324-311 BC) restored the independence of Thrace. Prince of the Odrysians Seuthes III issued his own silver coin in Thrace. The Roman general Lysimachus in 301 BC burned the capital of the Thracian king Seuthus - city of Sevthopolis.
In Ancient Greece, legends were made about the Thracians, as well as the Scythians, as brave warriors who possessed countless gold treasures. The legendary Roman gladiator Spartacus is often classified as Thracian or Scythian. Historian Blades reads Scythian name Pardokas (Παρδοκας), as Spardokas - Σπαρδοκας or identical to the Latin name Spartacus - Spartacus - Spartacus. 
The Thracians living on the Black Sea coast, like the Black Sea Scythians, were fair-haired and blue-eyed, had mustaches and beards. The hair on the head, both the Scythians and the Thracians, was collected on the top of the head, in order to comfortably wear a shaggy fox hat or a small pointed hat (“Thracian cap”), a similar cap was also worn by the Scythians (in the old Russian language - “ skouphia" - pointed hat; in Greek - skouphia, in Greek skyphos - "cup"), the Thracian combat helmet follows the shape of the cap. The clothes and shoes of the Thracians and the Black Sea Scythians were made of leather and fur. When the Scythian king died, his wife, horse and servants were burned with him, their remains were buried in a stone tomb covered with earth (mound) along with her husband; the Thracians had the same custom.
According to modern genetics, the Thracians were carriers of Indo-European , Accordingly, the origins of the now defunct Thracian language must be sought in the Indo-European language group. The ancient Thracians, like the Skolotes (Scythians), spoke one of the dialects that the Hellenes did not know.
Sources of information about the Thracian language are extremely scarce:
1. Glosses in the works of ancient and Byzantine authors (23 words).
2. Thracian inscriptions, of which four are the most valuable, the remaining 20 short inscriptions have been found on the island of Samothrace. The longest inscription in Thracian, found in 1912 near the village of Ezero in Bulgaria, dates back to the 5th century BC. e. It is carved on a gold ring and contains 8 lines (61 letters).
3. In the Thracian language there were - bebrus-"beaver", berga(s) - shore, "hill", berza(s) - "birch", esvas (ezvas) - “horse”, ketri- "four", rudas- ore, red, svit- sweet, “to shine”, udra(s) “otter”, etc.
4. The presence of the ancient Thracians in the Balkans is indicated, first of all, by geographical names - hydronyms - the names of rivers in which Proto-Slavic roots are clearly heard - Iskar, Tundzha, Osam, Maritsa, the name of the mountains - Rhodopes, settlements— Plovdiv, Pirdop, etc.
Slavic roots can also be found in the names of the ancient Thracians:
Astius - Ostash, Ostik. (Ukrainian Ostap)
Brigo - Braiko, Breshko, Breiko, Breg.
Brais - Brashko (related words - mash, boroshno).
Bisa - Bisa, Bisco.
Bessa - Besa, Besko.
Bassus - Bassus, Basco
Vrigo - Vrigo, Frig.
Auluzanus - Aluzanus, Galusha.
Durze - Durzhe (from the word - friend, squad),
Didil - Didil, Dedilo. (related words in Russian: detina, etc.)
Doles - Dolesh (related words in Russian: share).
Dines - Dines, Tinko.
Tutius - Tutius, Cloud, Tuchko
Mettus - Mittus, Mitusa (from the name of the goddess of earth and fertility Demeter, the names Dmitry, Mityai come from).
Mucasis - Mukoseya, Mukosey, Mokoseya
Purus -Purus, Puruska
Sipo - Sipo.
Suarithus - Suaritus, Sirich.
Scorus - Skorus, Skora, Skaryna, Skorets, Skoryna, Skoryata.
Sudius - Sudius, Sudislav, Sudimir, Sudich, Sudets, etc.
(modern name – Sergei)
Tarsa - Tarsha, Turusa.
Thrace
(2 Mac 12:35) - land northeast of Macedonia. The ancient inhabitants of Thrace trace their origins to Tiras, the son of Japheth. Thrace was famous in ancient times for its wealth of metals, beautiful horses and skillful horsemen (2 Mac 12:35). Currently, Thrace, under the name of Romania or Rumulia, constitutes a province of European Turkey.
Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book
(I.A. Lisovy, K.A. Revyako. The ancient world in terms, names and titles: Dictionary-reference book on the history and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome / Scientific editor. A.I. Nemirovsky. - 3rd ed. - Mn: Belarus, 2001)
Scythians. Byzantium. Black Sea region. Dictionary of historical terms and names
Thrace
a region in the southeast of the Balkan Peninsula, stretching from the Carpathians to the Aegean Sea and from the Black Sea to the Aksiy River (modern Vardar), which served as the border of Thrace with Macedonia. In 46 AD became a Roman province and subsequently remained partly part of Byzantium, and partly part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, created in 681. In 687, the Byzantine territory became part of the theme of the same name.
encyclopedic Dictionary
Thrace
- historical and geographical region in northeastern Greece. 8.6 thousand km2. Population 345 thousand people (1981). The largest cities are Xanthi and Komotini.
- historical region in the east of the Balkan Peninsula, between the Aegean, Black and Marmara seas (from the name of the ancient population - Thracians). East Thrace from Edirne (to the Maritsa River) - part of Turkey, West. Thrace - Greece, North. Thrace - Bulgaria (these borders were established by the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923).
Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Thrace
(Θράκη, Thracia) - the ancient Greeks defined it as a country that occupied part of the current Balkan Peninsula, from the northern coast of the Aegean Sea (including Macedonia) and the Propontis to the Danube, and Scythia was often included in it; later, the border of its own F. was made up of the Nest River and the Rhodope mountain range in the west, the Haem mountain range in the north, the Black Sea and the Thracian Strait in the east, and the Propontis, the Hellespont and the Aegean Sea in the south. F. also included the region of Moesia (Mœsia), the border of which was the mountains of Gem, Orbel and Skord in the south, Skord and the rivers Drin and Sav in the east, the Danube River in the north and the Black Sea in the east. The country had a mountainous, harsh character. The main mountain range of F. was Heme.(Hæ mus, now the Balkan Mountains), from which the chains separated in the southeast direction Skomiy And Rhodopa; In addition, the city represented a noticeable elevation. Ismar (to the south). In the country's irrigation system, Gem served as a watershed for the river basins. Danube and Aegean Sea. The river flowed into the latter. Gebr, which had tributaries: on the right side, Suem and Ardu, on the left - Artisk, Tonz and Agrian; in addition, the rivers Nest, Kossinite Kompsat, Trav, Melas, Goat River (Aigos Potamos), Xerogypsum, Arz, Athyras, Bafinius. The Angre, Brong and others flowed into the Danube, within Moesia. Among the lakes of F. are Bistonskoe, Stentorskoe and Ismarskoe. The Thracian tribe, classified as part of the Indo-European family of peoples, split into many small tribes ruled by princes. The Thracian tribes included the Bisalts, Denselets, Digers, Bessae, Dii, Elephs, Diobessae, Carbyles, Brises, Sapei, Odomants, Odryses, Cabiletes, Pirogers, Drugers, Kenics, Gypsalts, Beni, Korpilli, Bottiei, Selleti, Prianti, Dolonki , Finns, Getae, Travases, Aorzes, Gaudaes, Morisenes, Siphonians, Ciconians, Bistonians, Brigs, Treres, etc.; The Moesian Thracians included the Myses, Tricornensians, Timachis, Triballi, Peucians, Crobisians, Obulenzians, and others. Information about Thracian customs and culture is very fragmentary. Judging by Herodotus and Strabo, they were a warlike, brave people who despised peaceful pursuits and, by the way, agriculture, although the country was distinguished by its fertility. The abundance of vineyards developed in them a penchant for feasts and drunkenness: it is not for nothing that the Greek Dionysus is recognized by the ancients as a deity of Thracian origin. The necessary accessories of a feast - song and dance - were also common among the Thracians, as indicated by the Hellenic legend, which attributed Thracian origin to the mythical singers Orpheus, Thamyris, and Eumolpus. The Thracian family was polygamous; When a husband died, his beloved wife killed herself over his grave and was buried with him. The Thracians had the custom of tattooing; a tattoo was considered a sign of noble birth. - The proximity of the Thracian coast and the fertility of the country early began to attract Greek colonists to the barbarian shores, who founded the cities of Abdera (VII century), Maronea (a colony famous for wine even in the time of Homer), Aen, Sest, Eleus, Cardia, Perinth ( VI century), Kallipolis, Selymbria, Bizanthe, Byzantium; on the Black Sea coast of F. Greek were known. the cities of Salmidess (Hellenized in later times), Mesambria, Apollonia, Odessa, Kruny, Tomy, Istria. The shores of the Propontis and the Thracian Chersonesus, which, during periods of dependence on the Athenians, were the granary of Athens, were particularly fertile. The history of F. is known to us only in separate episodes, since the Thracian tribes were involved in the general course of Greek and, later, Roman history. The most powerful tribe during the fighting period of Greek history (from the 5th century) were the Odrysians: there is more information about them that relates to Thracian history itself. In the 5th century BC, the Odryzian king Teres concentrated most of the Thracian tribes under his rule. After his death (about 440 BC), his possessions were divided between his two sons Sitalkos and Sparadok, and when the latter fled from the persecution of his brother to Scythia, Sitalkos became the sole ruler of a powerful but barbarian tribe with which the Athenians were in the union. During the Peloponnesian War, Brazides with an army entered the borders of Physics in order to strike blows at Athenian power here, but his campaign was aimed not at conquering Physics itself, but at the Athenian colonies on the shores of the Aegean Sea - Amphipolis, Stagira, etc. In general, Greek campaigns in Thrace were undertaken to conquer not the Thracian proper, but the Greek possessions within Thrace, and these vicissitudes of Greek history did not in the least interfere with the strengthening of the power of the Odrysians. After Sitalkos' successor, Seuthes, under whom the power of the Odryzes reached the highest degree of development, their kingdom gradually began to decline, thanks to internal turmoil, and the monarchy united by Seuthes fell apart into a number of small states. King Cotis (384 - 360) reunited the country, mainly thanks to the support of the Athenian Iphicrates, but internal turmoil continued under him. By the way, it is known that in 360 Cotis conquered the city of Sest from the Athenians. After the death of Cotis, a struggle for the throne broke out in the country of the Odryzes between Cotis's son Kersobleptos and his two rivals, Amadok and Berisad, which was resolved by Kersobleptos receiving the region on the Propontis and the Hebra Valley, Amadok - the coast of the Aegean Sea from Aene to Maronea, Berisad - the rest of the country to Macedonia. In 357, the Athenians took Sestus from Kersobleptos, who was forced to cede to them the Thracian Chersonese. Under Philip II of Macedon, Kersobleptos was a vassal of Macedonia; by 339, all of Thrace was made dependent on Macedonia, and, as a stronghold of Macedonia, Philip founded the city of Philippopolis within the country. In 335, Alexander the Great launched a campaign against the Tiballs and Getae, which ended with the conquest of their restless neighbors. After the death of Alexander, F. passed into the control of Lysimachus. After the death of the latter (281), its ruler was Seleucus, then Keraun. In 279, Thrace was attacked by the Celts, who, under the command of Ceretrius, occupied the country and founded a kingdom in the region of Haema with the capital Tilis. After the expulsion of the Celts, the previous order of government and separate existence of disparate tribes was established in Thrace, the conquest and unification of which only the Romans succeeded after a series of campaigns: thus, Minucius Rufus (at the end of the 2nd century BC) conquered the Triballi, Marcus Licinius Lucullus (72 BC) - Bessians and the southern coast, Marcus Licinius Crassus (29 BC) - Bastarnov. The final conquest of Thrace dates back to 15 BC, the first governor of the province of Moesia is mentioned in 6 AD. Under Domitian, Moesia was divided into two parts - Upper Moesia (Moesia Superior, now Serbia) and Lower Moesia (Moesia Inferior, now Bulgaria). In Upper Moesia there were the cities of Raziaria, Singidun, Scupi; in Lower Moesia Esk, Nikopol, Tresmis, Istres, Tomy, Odessa. F.'s own was turned into a province only under Caligula (46 BC): its internal cities included Philippopolis, Apra, Develt, Flaviopolis, etc. Under Diocletian, the following provinces became part of the Thracian diocese: Europe, since Perinfom and Aprami, Rhodope, from the mountains Maximianople, Maronea and Aenom, Thrace with Philippopolis and Beroe, Hemimont with Adrianople and Anchial, Scythia with Dionysopolis, Toms and Kalatis and Moesia Inferior, with Marcianople and Nicopolis. Wed. R ösler, "Einiges ü ber das Thrakische" in "Zeitschrift f ür ö sterr. Gymn." (1873, p. 105); Kiepert, “Lehrbuch der alten Geographie” (B., 1878, pp. 320 et seq.); "Höck, "Das Odrysenreich in Thrakien" in "Hermes" (XXVI, 1891, pp. 76ff., 453ff.).
