“The Thracians? I don’t know much about them. Was that a culture here in Bulgaria during the Roman era?” the main character of the book asks.
So, here is the answer. With pictures of typical Thracian treasures similar to those depicted in my novel.
As mentioned in the book, the Thracians "came before the Romans! Thrace was a country in this part of the world before the rise of the Greeks and the Romans. Its territory included Bulgaria, parts of Greece, and parts of Turkey."
What do we know about the Thracians?
"The Thracians included a distinct group of militant tribes that lived in this area, and they had their own language, kings, burial customs, and cultures. They fought against the ancient Greeks and Persians, were conquered by Philip of Macedonia and later by the Romans. Considered to be ruthless warriors, they were hired by their conquerors as mercenaries, and apparently they enjoyed the looting and pillaging that came in the wake of their battles."
"The Thracians were skilled metal workers, adept at creating the finest jewelry and working with the most-valued metals. The Thracians were a highly militaristic tribal people, feared throughout the Balkans as they expanded their sphere of influence. Their wealth rivaled that of the surrounding countries of that age. Their sculptures were crafted with remarkable artisan skills and were often crowned with semiprecious stones. The Thracians were knowledgeable in the science of viniculture and engaged in elaborate drinking rituals. They believed in resurrection after death and buried their leaders in opulent tombs full of objects that would be used in the afterlife."
Many of the Thracian rulers were buried in the area near Kazanlak in central Bulgaria, an area which is known as the Valley of the Thracian Kings. It is believed that there are nearly 1,500 funeral mounds in the region dating back to Thracian days. Pictured below is the entrance to a reconstructed Thracian tomb near Kazanlak.
What happened to the Thracians?
“The Thracians were subjugated by Alexander the Great and later were conquered by the Romans… As a people, the Thracians eventually became Hellenized and later yet, they were subjects of the Roman Empire until finally their culture and language disappeared—a forgotten chapter in history."
Not forgotten! This ancient people play a major role in Valley of Thracians.
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Excellent article! I first became interested in this fascinating ancient culture while researching the first book of my UF trilogy.
ReplyDeleteWow! Thank you for this article. I never knew. Their work is beautiful. Thank you Ellis Shuman.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed this introduction to the Thracians. As you travel around Bulgaria, you can't help but coming across their legacy, yet, not everything is known about them. Although there are no traces of the language they spoke, for example, at least we have some of their beautiful gold and silver creations to see!
ReplyDeleteReally interesting article, I've heard about them a lot recently.
ReplyDeleteI don't entirely agree with the last sentence. The Thracians might have been forgotten but their traditions did not disappear. Their dance, music, rituals, beliefs are part and parcel of Bulgarian culture. In Bulgaria we have a lot of rituals incorporated into Christianity which are Thracian in their essence, there is an entire region of the country where music and dance are called Thracian, even folk tales, beliefs and a number of major festivals and celebrations have Thracian roots. Thracian tribes mixed with the Slavic and Bulgarian tribes which arrived later in our lands, all mixed through marriages and eventually formed the nation but Thracian culture has played a crucial role in shaping Bulgarian culture.
ReplyDeleteTeddy is correct! Although there are no traces of the Thracian language, many of their customs and traditions did make their way into Bulgarian culture! We witnessed this over and over during our two years in Bulgaria.
DeleteThe revival of the legendary Spartacus via the Starz television series and several novelists, such as Ben Kane and Simon Scarrow, have led to an interest in Thracian culture. That is great news. I remember in my student days helping Liverpool Museum put on an exhibition about Bulgaria (there were lots of roses as I recall!)and I have found it fascinating ever since. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteYou should visit Bulgaria! It is truly a fascinating country!
DeleteEllis, my friend! It's like sitting in Art History again...my favorite place. This is powerful. Their artifacts do demonstrate a culture quite evolved for their time. We often don't consider a peoples prior to the Romans. In that we are missing the mark!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful article! Come visit our town of Sozopol on the Black Sea. Ancient Thracian city. The archaeologists are now more than residents
ReplyDeleteExquisite experience to travel back in time – thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the world of the Thracians and their customs.
ReplyDeleteThey were such a wonderful civilisation! But their theritory wast way more vast, until the south of Ukraine! You know, Dacians were Thracians too!
ReplyDeleteThey never disappeared their ancestors still live where they used to ! People in Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia... are ancestors of the Thracians ! The term Slavs is one big propaganda created by the Russian empire in 16th century in order to help their imperialistic approach for creating their colonies...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UscSukfeRSk