The purpose of the present Master thesis is to describe the Greek‐Thracian
relations and to investigate the extent of the subsequent Hellenization of the
indigenous population in Thrace. Specifically, it focuses on the chronological periods
between the Archaic and Late Classical era. This research supports that the Greek
colonial movement towards the Thracian area, starting from the Archaic period
onwards, was the stimulus that activated the familiarization of the natives with the
Greek culture.
The next catalytic event in the history of the examined area was the
emergence of a centralized political power, the Odrysian kingdom, after the Persian
failure in 480 B.C. (ca. the middle of the 5th century B.C.). The Odrysian kings, who
favored the presence of the Greek colonies in their territory, established official state
relations with the mainland Greece and consequently, were involved actively to the
Greek historical scene. The consequent political‐diplomatic, economic‐commercial and
social interactions between the local population and the Greeks constitute the basic
factors for the diffusion of the Greek culture in the Thracian area. These arguments
are supported by the available ancient literary sources and archaeological material,
which substantiate the various forms in which this process was manifested.
The next phase for the Thracian history was initiated with the subjugation of
the examined area to the Macedonians (341 B.C.). During this era, the penetration of
the Greek culture towards the Thracian hinterland was favored by the establishment
of settlements in the interior. This transitional phase in Thrace was marked by the
amplification of the Hellenization process and the inclusion of those who took part in
it, regardless of their origin, into the Greek world. However, the results of this process
became definitive during the next historical period, the Roman era.
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