European Kingdoms

Kingdom of Sapes (Thrace)

The Thracian tribal kingdom of Sapes was founded in 55 BC, and in circumstances just as mysterious as the founding of its rival, the tribal Astean kingdom. In 57-55 BC there was unrest in Macedonia during which the Roman governor of Macedonia, Lucius Calpurnius Piso, had to take action to restore control over the Bessoi, and perhaps other tribes, making this the perfect opportunity to secede from Roman control. Apart from Rome itself, Astean always posed the biggest threat to Sapes in the short period in which both existed alongside each other.

Otherwise known as the Sapaei or Sapaioi, an Odrysian king known as Abrupolis (c.200-172 BC) was perhaps one of their number. There is a line of apparently rival kings in this period who could be early representatives of the tribal Sapaei.

The Roman occupation of Thrace began with a large production run of silver tetradrachms and the apparent removal of the ruling Odrissae king. The subsequent century saw Thrace being developed into a permanent Roman client state, albeit with the emergence of the Astean tribal kingdom around 100 BC. A further half-a-century later, the Sapaei tribe also emerged, initially under the rule of Raskouporis. They seem to have picked up a good deal of Roman influence, not least when it came to political intrigue and assassination. The last of these royal murders came in AD 46 when Roimitalkes III was finished off by his own wife. By this time he was king of both Sapes and Astean, and the territories were immediately annexed by Rome, ending Thracian independence for good.

(Additional information by I Mladjov, University of Michigan.)

c.55 - 48 BC

Kotys I

Son of Roimitalkes?

48 - 42 BC

Raskouporis I / Rhascuporis I

Son.

42 BC

During his reign, Raskouporis has already granted assistance both to Pompey and Caesar during their struggle for power. Now, immediately after the murder of Julius Caesar, he supports the Roman republican faction under Brutus and Cassius against Mark Antony and Octavian. In return, Brutus and Cassius lead campaigns against the tribal Bessoi in the highlands in defence of their allies.

c.42 BC

Raskos

Co-ruler? Although the name may simply be a shortening.

c.42 - 31 BC

Kotys II

Son of Raskouporis.

c.42 - 31 BC

Sapes conquers or otherwise controls the Astean kingdom, although no details appear to be known regarding the circumstances.

31 BC - AD 12

Roimitalkes I / Rhoemetalkes I

Son. Possibly reigned from 11 BC instead.

11 BC

Upon the death of Kotys IV, the last Astean king, the Roman Emperor Augustus confers all of Thrace to his Sapaen uncle, Roimitalkes. He rules the region as a client kingdom. In this period between about 11 BC and AD 12, Roimitalkes and his queen, Pythodoris, share a coin with Augustus, one of many that are Thracian-made but which appear to be Roman.

A coin issued during the reign of Roimitalkes which, although it is Thracian, bears heavy similarities to Romen coins

AD 12

Rather than concentrate their energies on uniting to fight the Romans, the Odrysian kings of Sapes and Astean continue their dynastic squabbles. Roimitalkes does in this year, and Rome entrusts the Odrysian territories to the north of the Haemus to Raskouporis II, while those to the south are given to Kotys III.

12 - 19

Raskouporis II / Rhascuporis II

Son of Kotys II. Ruled in the north-west.

12 - 19

Kotys III

Son of Roimitalkes I. Ruled in south-east. Also king of Astean.

19

Kotys is killed by Raskouporis II. Roimitalkes II, the son of the victorious king is given the lands to the north of the Haemus while Kotys' son, Roimitalkes III gets the lands to the south, both ruling under the guardianship of the Roman governor of Macedonia.

19 - 38

Roimitalkes II / Rhoemetalkes II

Son of Raskouporis II. Also king of Astean.

38 - 46

Roimitalkes III / Rhoemetalkes III

Son of Kotys III. Also client king of Astean. Murdered by his wife.

AD 46

Roimitalkes of Sapes and Astean is murdered by his wife, and Thrace is annexed as a province by Roman Emperor Claudius, permanently ending its independence. Under the third century administrative reforms of Diocletian, Thrace's territory is divided into four smaller provinces: Europa, Haemimontus, Rhodope and Thracia. These are overseen by the diocese of Thraciae, which is part of the 'Prefecture of the East'. This organisation remains in place until the Balkan peninsula is largely overrun by the Avars and Slavs in the 640s, following which it is reorganised as a Byzantine diocese. Today the territory forms parts of south-eastern Romania, central and eastern Bulgaria, and Greek and Turkish Thrace.