Dr. Zosia Archibald

Well, there are various Greek writings that refer to Thracians. Some of them refer to Thracians as heroes, like the Homeric poems. The comedies that were written in Athens refer in the second half of the 5th century, refer to Thracian slaves. So we get a full spectrum of society in Greek sources, but probably the most important writer about Thrace was the historian Thucydides.

Because Thucydides was connected with this region. So Thucydides was one of those rare authors who wrote about the history of his own lifetime. So he was writing about contemporary affairs. And he himself had family connections with, with parts of Thrace that are now in northern Greece around the great silver mountain Pangaeon. He had a silver concession, a mine concession there.

Because Thucydides was connected with this region. So Thucydides was one of those rare authors who wrote about the history of his own lifetime. So he was writing about contemporary affairs. And he himself had family connections with, with parts of Thrace that are now in northern Greece around the great silver mountain Pangaeon. He had a silver concession, a mine concession there.

Because Thucydides was connected with this region. So Thucydides was one of those rare authors who wrote about the history of his own lifetime. So he was writing about contemporary affairs. And he himself had family connections with, with parts of Thrace that are now in northern Greece around the great silver mountain Pangaeon. He had a silver concession, a mine concession there.

So he knew quite a lot about the area. He knew a lot about the people. But he doesn't tell us a great deal about these local connections. He mainly tells us about the big picture, the politics of his day, the international relations, and that means the Athenians, the Spartans, and, of course, these various Thracian rulers who were referred to in his history and history.

So he knew quite a lot about the area. He knew a lot about the people. But he doesn't tell us a great deal about these local connections. He mainly tells us about the big picture, the politics of his day, the international relations, and that means the Athenians, the Spartans, and, of course, these various Thracian rulers who were referred to in his history and history.

So he knew quite a lot about the area. He knew a lot about the people. But he doesn't tell us a great deal about these local connections. He mainly tells us about the big picture, the politics of his day, the international relations, and that means the Athenians, the Spartans, and, of course, these various Thracian rulers who were referred to in his history and history.

Top of the list is King Sitalkes, who invaded the Halkidic Peninsula of northern Greece at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. He was allegedly an ally of the Athenians. So this was an alliance which united one side of the war, the Peloponnesian War, with these foreign troops.

Top of the list is King Sitalkes, who invaded the Halkidic Peninsula of northern Greece at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. He was allegedly an ally of the Athenians. So this was an alliance which united one side of the war, the Peloponnesian War, with these foreign troops.

Top of the list is King Sitalkes, who invaded the Halkidic Peninsula of northern Greece at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. He was allegedly an ally of the Athenians. So this was an alliance which united one side of the war, the Peloponnesian War, with these foreign troops.

But the Athenians got a little bit scared because suddenly there were literally hundreds of thousands of people moving south. So this was a bit of a no-no for the Athenians, and they decided to pull out of this alliance rather quickly. But what we do learn from this

But the Athenians got a little bit scared because suddenly there were literally hundreds of thousands of people moving south. So this was a bit of a no-no for the Athenians, and they decided to pull out of this alliance rather quickly. But what we do learn from this

But the Athenians got a little bit scared because suddenly there were literally hundreds of thousands of people moving south. So this was a bit of a no-no for the Athenians, and they decided to pull out of this alliance rather quickly. But what we do learn from this

later affairs towards the end of the Peloponnesian War and from various inscriptions that survive from the 5th and the 4th centuries BC, is that the international power, the big movers and shakers of contemporary affairs, really did feel that they needed to find some kind of political opportunity alignment with the rulers of this region because they were big players.

later affairs towards the end of the Peloponnesian War and from various inscriptions that survive from the 5th and the 4th centuries BC, is that the international power, the big movers and shakers of contemporary affairs, really did feel that they needed to find some kind of political opportunity alignment with the rulers of this region because they were big players.

later affairs towards the end of the Peloponnesian War and from various inscriptions that survive from the 5th and the 4th centuries BC, is that the international power, the big movers and shakers of contemporary affairs, really did feel that they needed to find some kind of political opportunity alignment with the rulers of this region because they were big players.

And it's mainly the inscriptions that tell us about this history because a lot of the writers that we read or that dominate this period were not terribly interested in the locals. They were interested in locals who came to them, who happened to be either landowners or slaves, but they weren't terribly interested in political affairs.

And it's mainly the inscriptions that tell us about this history because a lot of the writers that we read or that dominate this period were not terribly interested in the locals. They were interested in locals who came to them, who happened to be either landowners or slaves, but they weren't terribly interested in political affairs.

And it's mainly the inscriptions that tell us about this history because a lot of the writers that we read or that dominate this period were not terribly interested in the locals. They were interested in locals who came to them, who happened to be either landowners or slaves, but they weren't terribly interested in political affairs.

So apart from Thucydides and Xenophon, who we might say something about in due course, most contemporary writers are not terribly interested in local affairs. They're interested in the prominent political figure like Alcibiades goes off and occupies a couple of forts on the coastline near the Hellespontine Straits. Then they're interested, but otherwise it sort of rather falls below the radar.