Reineccius and His History of Ancient Thrace from 1595

Abstract

This article discusses a study by the historian Reineccius (1541 – 1595) on aspects of the history of Ancient Thrace and the Thracians. Until now, this work – part of a comprehensive exploration entitled “Historia Ivlia, Siue Syntagma Heroicvm” – has remained unknown to modern researchers and they assumed, that scholarly interest in Thracian history emerged only in the first half of the 18th century. The article begins with brief notes on Reineccius’s biography and works, followed by an overview of the information about the Thracians in his book. It is noted that, in the section titled “Regnum Thracium” the author sequentially examines ancient evidence concerning the geographical scope of Thrace, the strongest Thracian tribes, the Thracians outside Thrace; afterwards he structures the available at his time information of ancient writers about Thracian kings, specifying their family relationships. Special attention is given to the Odryssian kings, constituting about a third of the content. Other kingdoms, which today are considered part of the Thracian ethno-cultural community, are examined in separate sections: Bosphorus, Paeonia and Pannonia, Getica, Dacia and Moesia. The text is complemented by stems indicating established connections between dynasties and kings. Reineccius’s work is remarkable for its rigorous research elements and strict adherence to ancient texts, correctly cited. Undoubtedly, due to these qualities, this study on Ancient Thrace has influenced research on the topic for the next two centuries. Based on the presented facts, it is concluded that Reineccius’s work can be considered the first attempt to systematize ancient information about Thrace and the Thracians.