Kingdoms of Greece


Thrace Thrace had a heritage which matched their south-westerly neighbours, the Mycenaeans, being allied to Troy during the Trojan War. Homeric Thrace was vaguely defined, and stretched from the River Axios in the west to the Hellespont and Black Sea in the east. In addition to the tribe that Homer called Thracians, ancient Thrace was home to numerous other Indo-European tribes, all non-Greek speakers, such as the Edones, Bisaltes, Cicones, and Bistones, and all of them managed to remain rural peoples, usually living in fortified hilltops. There is little specific order for the kings mentioned here, except by reference to outside events, such as the Trojan War. Thracian unification was not achieved until the fifth century and records are very sparse until that time.
	Thrax		Mythical son of the war-god Ares.

	Agenor?
fl c.1220 BC	Phineas		Son. Rescued from harpies by Jason of Iolkos.
	Cisseus		Father-in-law to the Trojan elder Antenor.
	Acamas		From Aenus in Thrace. Killed by Ajax.
c.1193 - 1183 BC	Acamas leads a contingent of Thracian warriors to the Trojan War on the side of Troy. He is joined by his comrade Peiros, son of Imbrasus. Rhesus, Euphemus, and Asius also join the war with their own contingents and it is possible that they represented some of the various tribes in Thrace.
	Rhesus		Later joined the Trojan War.
	Asius		From city of Sestus, on Thracian (northern) side of Hellespont.

	Euphemus of the Cicones		From Southern Thrace near Ismarus.
	Lycurgus of the Edones		From between Rivers Nestus and Strymon in Southern Thrace.

c.800 - 700 BC	The Thracians are driven out of the region of Mygdonia by the newly arriving Macedonians.

513 -512 BC	Thrace south of the Danube is conquered by the Persians and held for about fifty years. Following their evacuation, the Thracians formed the Odrysian kingdom.


Odrysian Kingdom (Thrace) The Odrysian kingdom was a union of Thracian tribes that endured between the fifth and third centuries 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. It was the first true Thracian state under a single ruler, adopting Greek language and customs, although it did not encompass all Thracian tribes.
450 - 431 BC	Teres		Founded the kingdom.
431 - 424 BC	Sitalces		Son. Forced defecting tribes to acknowledge him.
424 - 410 BC	Seuthes I
410 - 390 BC	Amadocus I		Lost many territories.
405 - 391 BC		Seuthes II	Created sub-king by Amadocus.
390 - 384 BC	Hebryzelmis		Killed by Cotys.
384 - 359 BC	Cotys I		Murdered.
359 BC	Cotys makes an alliance with Philip II of Macedonia.
359 - 341 BC	Cersobleptes		Son. Young king who was advised by Charidemus.
359 - ? BC		Charidemus	Euboean adventurer who was the brains behind the throne.
359 - 352 BC		Berisades	Probable brother of Cersobleptes.
359 - 351 BC		Amadocus II	Probable brother of Cersobleptes.
358 - ? BC		Cetriporis	Probable son of Berisades.
351 - ? BC		Teres III	Probable son of Amadocus.
352 - 343 BC	Philip II of Macedonia makes a successful expedition into Thrace, gaining ascendancy until about 346 BC. Over the course of the following three years Cersobleptes throws off Macedonian control so Philip marches again in 343 BC and reduces him to a tributary ruler.
341 BC	Macedonia completes its conquest of Southern Thrace.
c.330 - 300 BC	Seuthes III
336 BC	Alexander the Great puts down the Thracian rebellion, gaining submission from all the tribes, and they become part of the Greek Empire. Thracian troops accompany Alexander when he crosses the Hellespont which links Thrace to Asia Minor.
323 BC	Following Alexander the Great's death and the seizure of Thrace by Lysimachus, Seuthes continues to rule in parallel with him. Sole Thracian rule is re-established in 214 BC following the destruction of the Celtic kingdom.

ARGAED DYNASTY OF THRACE The Argead were the ruling family and founders of Macedonia who reached their greatest extent under Alexander the Great and his two successors before the kingdom broke up into several Hellenic sections. Alexander's successors held no real power, being mere figureheads for the generals who really held control of Alexander's empire.
332 - 323 BC	Alexander III the Great		King of Macedonia. Conquered Persia.
323 - 317 BC	Philip III Arrhidaeus		Feeble-minded half-brother of Alexander the Great.
317 - 310 BC	Alexander IV of Macedonia		Infant son of Alexander the Great and Roxana.

LYSIMACHIAN EMPIRE Lysimachus seized control of Thrace upon Alexander's death but only nominally, as the Ordrysian king continued to rule in parallel. Lysimachus' focus was elsewhere, however, as he fought in the various Wars of the Diadochi (generals), most notably in 314-311 BC against Antigonus of Greater Phrygia, and managed to survive with his domains intact. When Antigonus proclaimed himself king in 306 BC, all the other surviving generals followed suite, confirming the dismantling of the empire into various regional domains.
305 - 281 BC	Lysimachus		Satrap of Thrace (323-305).
301 BC	Following the death of Antigonus of Greater Phrygia, Lysimachus gains much of his territory in western Asia Minor.
288 BC	The combined forces of Pyrrhus (of Epirus), Ptolemy (of Egypt) and Lysimachus oblige Demetrius I of Macedonia to leave his kingdom. He passes into Asia and attacks Lysimachus' provinces but famine and plague destroys much of his forces and he is abandoned by his troops on the field of battle, surrendering to Seleucus. Lysimachus and Pyrrhus share Macedonia between them.
282 BC	Lysimachus' general, Philetaerus, takes control of the city of Pergamum, with his successors forming a kingdom centered around it. Lysimachus dies in battle at Corupedium against the Seleucid Empire the following year.
281 - 279 BC	Ptolemy II Ceraunus		Son of Ptolemy Soter of Egypt. Gained Macedonia. d.279 BC.
281 - 279 BC	Ptolemy assassinates Seleucus in 281 BC, but is killed during an invasion of Celts in 280-279 BC.
273 - 214 BC	The Celts invade again, destroying the Thracian kingdom and forcing the aristocracy to escape to the Greek colonies bordering the Black Sea. The Celtic kingdom of Galatia is created by the victorious Celts.
230 BC	The Thracians lose any remaining control of Pergamum, when the Lysimachian governor there proclaims himself king.
214 BC	The Thracians destroy the Celtic kingdom and restore Thracian rule.
213 - 208 BC	Pleuratus

202 - 168 BC	Philip V of Macedonia conquers the kingdom.
168 BC	Roman rule of Macedonia and Thrace follows the defeat of Macedonia, although several Thracian revolts occur over subsequent years.

European Kingdoms

Greece