Thracia

  • Thracia was a Roman Province which is now part of eastern Greece, southern Bulgaria and Turkey including Istanbul.

1. History

  • Pre-Roman history:
  • Thrace
    • Thrace was inhabited by the Thracians who were an ancient Indo-European race, their name was given to them by the Greeks.
    • Thracian Kings dominate Greek Mythology and Homer states the Thracians fought against the Trojans.
    • 516 BCE Thrace became part of the Persian Empire until the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE.
    • 480 BCE The Odrysian Kingdom emerged and ruled the Thracian Tribes until 46 CE. They became Hellenised and formed part of the Army of Alexander the Great in his conquest of the Persian Empire. Under the Odrysians a celibate Priesthood emerged called the Ctistae.
  • Acquisition by Rome:
  • Thracian Chersonese
    • Known as the Gallipoli Peninsular, it was administered separately under direct Imperial control by Augustus (27 BCE-14 CE) as an ‘Ager Publicus’.
    • It controlled the shipping Route from the Crimea and exported wheat.
    • At Agora it had a 4 mile (6.5km) defensive wall across it from sea to sea. From here the Peninsular was 48 miles (77.5km) long and had 12 cities. The important cities were Sestos, which was the main crossing point to Turkey and Callipolis (Gallipoli)
  • Timeline of this Province:
  • After Augustus reconstituted the Republic into an Empire:
    • 46 CE Annexed under Claudius, after the Client King Rhoemetalses III died.
    • 251 CE Gothic and Scythian Raids culminated in the first Defeat and Death of a Roman Emperor, Decius and his son, when he attempted to repel the invasions at the Battle of Abritus, Moesia Inferior. In one of the most serious setbacks to the Roman Empire, Decius’ successor was forced to treaty with the Scythians and they withdrew across the Danube.
    • 267-269 CE Devastated by the Great Gothic Seaborne Raids
    • 271 CE Aurelian finally defeated the Goths and restored peace to the Balkans and Thracia for many years.
  • After Diocletian’s Reforms (297 CE):
    • The Province was fortified by the construction of numerous small forts.
    • Constantine I moved the Capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium and renamed it ‘Nova Roma’, later to be called Constantinople.
    • It became the Diocese of Thrace with six small provinces.
  • After Death of Theodosius (395 CE):
  • Famous Persons from this Province:
  • Chief archeological Finds:
  • Historic Battle Sites:
  • Main Historical Sources for this Province:

2. Geography

  • Capital City:
  • Chief Cities:
    • Acnos, Delcus (a suburb of Istanbul), Edirne in Turkey (Hadrianopolis or Adrianople), Gallipoli in Turkey (Callipolis), Plovdiv in Bulgaria (Trimontium), Sofia in Bulgaria (Ulpia Serdica), Sestus (Ruins) and Traianoupoli in Greece (Trajanopolis).
  • Location Today:
    • Northeastern Greece, Southern Bulgaria and Istanbul, Turkey.
  • Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
  • Climate and Temperature Today:
    • Transitional Continental Climate
      • On the Thracian Plain.
    • Oceanic Climate
      • On the Black Sea Coast.
    • Mediterranean Climate
      • On the Sea of Marmara Coast and Aegean Coast.
      • Winters are cloudy, wet, cold and windy with Snow.
      • Summers are hot and sunny with frequent brief showers.
  • Main Geographical features:
  • Main Rivers:
    • R. Maritsa (Hebrus) with twelve tributaries: R. Tundzha, R. Stryama, R. Topolnitsa, R. Vacha in Greece.
  • Main Straits:
  • Mountain Ranges:
    • Haemus Mountains, Rhodope Mountains with thick Forests.
  • Islands;
    • Thasos, Samothrace, Imbros
  • Peninsular

3. Political Organisation

4. Military Organisation

  • Legions:
  • Navy:
  • Defensive Works:
  • Main Threats:
    • Germanic Seaborne Invasions from the Black Sea (267-269 CE).

5. Economy

  • Chief Exports:
  • Agriculture and Fishing:
    • Wheat
  • Manufacturing:
  • Mines:
  • Mints:

6. Transport

7. Relationship with Rome

  • Peaceful and wealthy Province until the Germanic invasions of the third century CE. It was defended by the Military Frontier Province of Moesia Inferior to the north.
  • Gateway from the Danube to the East.
    • The Danube Legions needed to pass through here on their way east to the Persian Frontier.
  • Gateway blocking Fleets from the Black Sea to Greece and Italy.
    • Its Ports at Perinthus, Byzantium, and on the Gallipoli Peninsular Thracian Chersonese blocked potential Germanic Seaborne invasions from getting into Greece and Italy.
    • However, between 267-269 CE, Thracia was devastated by the Great Gothic Seaborne Raids.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

  • Edict of Serdica (30 April 311 CE)
    • Galerius enforced the Diocletianic Persecution (303-313 CE), oppressing the Christians until just before he died, when he issued an Edict of Toleration at Serdica on 30 April 311 CE ending the Persecution.

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

 

Thracia

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