Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
wheat, fish and salt, while Greek pottery was traded for Thracian metalwork and jew-
ellery.
The Greeks avoided Bulgaria's interior,
however, being heavily outnumbered by Thra-
cians there. Thus, few inland towns attest to
Greek settlement. These include Pataulia
(Kyustendil) and Danubian Silistra. Still, the
Greeks did influence Balkan religion, arts and
culture, and the Bulgarian language retains
The Valley of the Thracian Kings
by Georgi Kitov
is an up-to-date account of the fascinating archae-
ological discoveries made in Central Bulgaria, with
some beautiful colour photos
many Greek words and place names.
A more dangerous neighborhood adversary for the Thracians arose in the 4th century
BC, when Macedonian King Philip II (and later his son, Alexander the Great) conquered
Thrace. Philip's new capital, Philipopolis (Plovdiv) became an important military outpost.
Odessos (Varna) and Serdica (Sofia) were also occupied.
Macedonian rule ended when Rome defeated them in 168 BC. In the mid-1st century
AD, Romans occupied Mesembria (Nesebâr) and Odessos (Varna), site of Bulgaria's
largest Roman ruins, the Thermae complex.
After AD 46, Bulgaria was divided into the
provinces of Thrace, in the south, and Moesia,
in the north. Roman fortifications arose at ma-
jor Thracian and Greek towns along the
Danube, such as Ruse and Bononia (Vidin),
and at Debeltus (Burgas) along the Black Sea
coast. The Romans burnt, but then rebuilt
The Thracian 'Getae' tribe would send 'messen-
gers' to their god, Salmoxis, by hurling them onto a
row of upturned spears.
coastal Apollonia.
Ulpia Serdica (Sofia) subsequently became the Roman capital of Inner Dacia province
(today's northwestern Bulgaria); the impressive Sveti Georgi Rotunda, or Church of St
George, attests to this period. By the late 3rd century AD, Ulpia Serdica had become a
major regional imperial capital, where Diocletian and subsequent emperors held court.
Bulgaria's other Roman towns include Sevtopolis (Kazanlâk), Ulpia Augusta Trayana
(Stara Zagora), Nikopolis-ad-Istrum (north of Veliko Târnovo) and Trimontium (Plovdiv),
site of a magnificent (and still working) amphitheatre. From the 3rd century AD onwards
Goths, Visigoths, Vandals, Huns and other 'barbarians' wreaked havoc, though their raids
were sporadic and short-lived.
