Odrysian kingdom
The
Odrysian kingdom was a union of
Thracian tribes that endured between the
5th century BC and the
3rd century BC. It consisted largely of present-day
Bulgaria, spreading to parts of
Romania, northern
Greece and
Turkey.
Its former capital was
Uscudama or Odrysia which is now the city of
Edirne, in the European part of
Turkey. King
Seuthes III later moved the capital to
Seuthopolis, located at the bottom of the "Koprinka" reservoir near the town of
Kazanlak in Central
Bulgaria.
The Odrysian state was the first Thracian kingdom that acquired power in the region, by the unification of many Thracian tribes under a single ruler, King
Teres. Initially, the state included eastern Thrace and regions as far north as the mouths of the
Danube.
Teres' son,
Sitalkes proved to be a good military leader, forcing the tribes that defected the alliance to acknowledge his sovereignty. The rich state that spread from the Danube to the Aegean built roads to develop trade and built a powerful army that could reach 150,000 men. In
429 BC, they organized a campaign against the
Macedonians, but they retreated after only thirty days.
Sitalkes wanted to unify all the Thracians, so he decided to fight the
Triballi, but was killed in the battle that followed.
Seuthes I followed as king and during this time, the kingdom enjoyed a period of prosperity, but various Thracian tribes quit the Empire.
(to be written)In the
4th century BC, it disintegrated into three smaller kingdoms, of which one, with the capital at
Seuthopolis survived the longest.
*
Teres I 450 BC -
431 BC*
Sitalkes 431 BC -
424 BC*
Seuthes I (
424 BC -
410 BC)
*
Medoc I (
410 BC -
390 BC)
*
Seuthes II (
405 BC -
391 BC)
*
Hebryzelmis (
390 BC -
384 BC)
*
Cotys I (
384 BC -
359 BC)
*
Kersobleptes (
359 BC -
341 BC)
