The Oldest Printed History Books on Ancient Thrace: The Odrysian King Teres I and his Military Campaign Towards the Propontis

Until recently, Thracologists believed that the oldest printed history book on Ancient Thrace and the Thracians was printed in 1752 by Félix Cary. However, a 2024 study of G. Mitrev and Y. Iliev demonstrated that it was actually printed much earlier, in 1595, by Reinerus Reineccius. Nevertheless, Reineccius mistakenly believed Sitalces I to be the first Odrysian king. The first part of this study briefly summarizes the history of Thracology and the earliest printed sources on Ancient Thrace, before exploring the military conquests of Teres I, the first Odrysian king to establish a large kingdom. The failed Scythian campaign of the Persian King Darius I created a military and political vacuum, allowing Teres I to capitalize on the situation and pursue the conquest of the Propontis region.