List of kings of Thrace and Dacia

This article lists kings of Thrace and Dacia, and includes Thracian, Paeonian, Celtic, Dacian, Scythian, Persian or Ancient Greek rulers up to the point of its fall to the Roman Empire, with a few figures from Greek mythology.

Mythological

Haemus, became a mountain Haemus Mons
Thrax, son of Ares
Tegyrios, mortal
Eumolpus, inherited a kingdom from Tegyrios
Tereus, the king that was turned into a hoopoe
Phineus, Phoenician son of Agenor, blind king and seer
Poltys, son of Poseidon
Pyreneus, died trying to harm the Muses
Harpalycus, king of the Amymnaeans
Thoas, founder of Thoana
Mopsus, killed Myrine, an amazon queen
Peirous, a Thracian war leader killed by Thoas the Aetolian
Rhesus of Thrace, died in the Trojan War
Cisseus, father of Theano, the wife of Antenor
Diomedes of Thrace, Giant that ruled over the Bistones
Lycurgus, of the Edoni
Oeagrus, father of Orpheus and Linus
Orpheus of the Cicones
Polymestor of the Bistonians
Zalmoxis of the Getae
Charnabon of the Getae, who came into power when grain was first given to men mentioned by Sophocles
Pyraechmes of the Paeonians
Asteropaios of the Paeonians

Persian

Darius I, Persian Satrapy named Skudra by 516 BC
Darius I, Thrace is resubjucated by Mardonius at 492 BC
Xerxes I, retains Thrace from 486 BC to 479 BC

Tribal kings

Olorus, 5th century BC
Syrmus, king of the Triballi 4th century BC
Bergaios, petty king of Pangaeum
Dromichaetes, of the Getae 300 BC
Langarus, of the Agrianes
Pleuratus, a Thracian or Illyrian king that attacked Tylis 213–208 BC
Diegylis, chieftain of the Caeni extremely bloodthirsty 145 BC
Ziselmius, Diegylis' son
Mostis, of the Caeni, king ~130–90 BC
Abrupolis of the Sapaeans, 2nd century BC
King Blachernai a local Royal thracian of the Odrysian Astaean Family 2nd century BC mentioned by Dionysus of Byzantium.
Rabocentus of the Bessi mentioned by Cicero
Cosingas, chieftain and priest of Hera to the tribes of Cebrenii and Sucaeboae
Getas, king of the Edones

Getic and Dacian

Charnabon, king of the Getae as mentioned by Sophocles in Triptolemus - 5th century BC
Cothelas, father of Meda of Odessa – 4th century BC
Rex Histrianorum, ruler in Histria, mentioned by Trogus Pompeius and Justinus - 339 BC
Dual – 3rd century BC
Moskon – 3rd century BC
Dromichaetes – 3rd century BC
Zalmodegicus – around 200 BC
Rhemaxos – around 200 BC
Rubobostes – around 200 BC
Zoltes – 200 BC
Oroles – 2nd century BC
Dicomes – 1st century BC
Rholes – 1st century BC
Dapyx – 1st century BC
Zyraxes – 1st century BC
Burebista – 82–44 BC
Deceneus – 44 BC - around 27 BC High Priest
Thiamarkos - 1st century BC - 1st century AD, Dacian king
Cotiso – c. 40 BC - c.9 BC
Comosicus – 9 BC–30 AD
Scorilo – c.30–70 AD
Coson
Duras – c. 69–87
Decebalus – 87–106
*106 AD, Dacia becomes a province of the Roman Empire conquered by Trajan.
Pieporus, king of Dacian Costoboci – 2nd century AD
Tarbus – 2nd century AD. Dio Cassius mentioned him without specifying his origin. Some authors consider a possible Dacian ethnicity

Paeonian

See: List of Paeonian kings

Celtic rulers in Thrace

Celtic rulers of [Tylis] in Thrace

Source:

Comontorius Celtic military commander, first king of Tylis
Orsoaltius
Cersibaulus
Cavarus, last king of Tylis; overthrown by the Thracians

Greek-Macedonian

Philip II of Macedon, annexed Thrace, 341–336 BC
Alexander the Great retains Thrace and suppresses rebellion, 335–323 BC
Lysimachus, one of the Diadochi, includes Thrace in his kingdom, 323–281 BC
Philip V of Macedon controls all cities of Thrace up to the hellespont, 238–179 BC
Perseus of Macedon continues controlling the part of Thrace his father left him, 212–166 BC

Odrysian Kingdom

The list below includes the known Odrysian kings of Thrace, but much of it is conjectural, based on incomplete sources, and the varying interpretation of ongoing numismatic and archaeological discoveries. Various other Thracian kings are included as well. Odrysian kings though called Kings of Thrace never exercised sovereignty over all of Thrace. Control varied according to tribal relationships.
Odrysian kings :

Teres I, son of ? Odryses,
Sparatocus, son of Teres I
Sitalces, son of Teres I
Seuthes I, son of Sparatocus
Maesades, father of Seuthes II, local ruler in eastern Thrace?
Teres II, local ruler in eastern Thrace
Saratocus, local ruler in western Thrace?
Metocus, son of ? Sitalces
Amadocus I, son of ? Metocus or of Sitalces
Seuthes II, son of Maesades, descendant of Teres I, local ruler in eastern Thrace
Hebryzelmis, son or brother of ? Seuthes I
Cotys I, son of ? Seuthes I or Seuthes II
Cersobleptes, son of Cotys I, king in eastern Thrace
Berisades, rival of Cersobleptes, king in western Thrace in Strimos
Amadocus II, son of Amadocus I and rival of Cersobleptes, king in central Thrace in Chersonese and Maroneia
Cetriporis, son of Berisades, king in western Thrace in Strimos
Teres III, son of ? Amadocus II, king in central Thrace in Chersonese and Maroneia
* The kings of Thrace are forced to submit to Macedonian rule or overlordship by 341 BC
Seuthes III, son of ? Teres III or Cotys I, opposed Macedonian rule
* The succession to Seuthes III is unclear; the area was partitioned among Thracian dynasts and Macedonian kings, after 277 also by the Celts of Tylis

Odrysian rulers in eastern Thrace (hypothetical reconstruction)

Source:

Cotys II, son of Seuthes
Rhaezdus, son of ? Cotys II
Cotys III, son of Rhaezdus
Rhescuporis I, son of Cotys III

Odrysian rulers originally in inner Thrace (hypothetical reconstruction)

Source:

Teres IV, son of Seuthes
Seuthes IV, son of Teres
Teres V, son of ? Seuthes IV
Rhoegus, son of Seuthes
Seuthes V, son of ? Rhoegus
Amadocus III, son of ? Seuthes V
Cotys IV, son of Seuthes V
Teres VI, son of ? Amadocus III
Beithys, son of Cotys IV
* The line may have continued as the Odryso-Astaean dynasty listed below

Various Thracian local rulers attested in the Third Century BC

Source:

Spartocus, ruler of Cabyle?
Scostocus, ruler in southern Thrace near Aenus and Sestus
Sadalas, ruler near Messembria, descendant of Cotys, Medistas, Taruntinus, and Mopsyestis
Odoroes
Adaeus, Thracian or Macedonian ruler near Cypsela

Various non-Odrysian rulers in Thrace

Source:

Abrupolis of the Sapaeans, fought with Antigonid Macedonia
Autlesbis of the ? Caeni, fought with Cotys IV as Roman ally
Diegylis of the Caeni
Zibelmius of the Caeni, son of Diegylis, murdered
Sothimus of the ? Maedi, ally of Mithradates VI, invaded Roman Macedonia

Illyrian rulers

Source:

Pleuratus I ruler near Skodra
Agron, son of Pleuratus II
Pinnes, son of Agron ; under regency of stepmother Teuta 230-228 BC and of stepfather Demetrius of Pharos 228-219 BC
Scerdilaidas, son of Pleuratus I
Pleuratus II, son of Scerdilaidas
Gentius, son of Pleuratus II
* 168 BC Illyria annexed by the Roman Republic

Odryso-[Astae]an Kingdom

A possible continuation of the earlier Odrysian monarchy under a line of kings reigning from Bizye in eastern Thrace.

Cotys V, son of ? Beithys
Sadalas I, son of Cotys V
* Amadocus, Odrysian royal sent to the aid of Sulla at Chaeronea in 86 BC
Cotys VI, son of Sadalas I
Sadalas II, son of Cotys VI
Sadalas III, kinsman of Sadalas II
Cotys VII, son of Sadalas II by Polemocratia
Rhescuporis II (Astaean), son of Cotys VII by daughter of the Sapaean king Cotys II, killed by the Bessi
* 11 BC Astaean Thrace conferred on Rhescuporis II's maternal uncle, the Sapaean king Rhoemetalces I, by the Roman emperor Augustus, thereby uniting Thrace

Sapaean">Sapaeans">Sapaean Kingdom and unified Thrace

Originally a local power in the Rhodope area of southern Thrace, the Sapaean kings increased in power and influence and, with Roman blessing, found themselves masters of a unified kingdom of Thrace from 11 BC until the Roman annexation in AD 46.

Cotys I, son of ? Rhoemetalces, 57?–by 48 BC
Rhescuporis I, son of Cotys I, by 48 BC–41 BC
* Rhascus, son of Cotys I, associate ruler? c. 42 BC
Cotys II, son of Rhescuporis I, 42 BC–31 BC
*Thrace becomes a unitary client state of Rome in 11 BC
Rhoemetalces I, son of Cotys II, 31 BC–AD 12
Rhescuporis II, son of Cotys II, in western Thrace, deposed by the Roman emperor Tiberius I, 12–19
Cotys III, son of Rhoemetalces I, in eastern Thrace, killed by his uncle Rhescuporis II, 12–19; married Antonia Tryphaena
Rhoemetalces II, son of Cotys III and Antonia Tryphaena, 19-38
Antonia Tryphaena, co-ruler of her son Rhoemetalces II
The last client rulers of Thrace: Pythodoris II and Rhoemetalces III; Rhoemetalces III, son of Rhescuporis II, 38-46; married his cousin's daughter Pythodoris II, murdered by wife
* 46 annexation by the Roman Empire, by the Roman emperor Claudius I

Scythian

Spargapeithes, king of the Agathyrsi