A region in the southeastern Balkans, Thrace served as contested ground across several centuries of Byzantine history. It was the theater where Valens fought Constantine to a standstill in 316, later suffered Tsar Samuel's devastating raids during Basil II's early reign, and endured further devastation under Frederick Barbarossa, whose forces occupied Adrianople in retaliation for Byzantine provocations. Bulgarian incursions extended as far as Macedonian Thrace during the neglectful reign of Alexius III, underscoring the region's persistent vulnerability to outside powers.
What each episode says
Episode 3 (1 mention)
The region where Valens, Licinius's newly appointed co-emperor, managed to fight Constantine to a standstill after Constantine's invasion of Licinius's territory in 316.
“to a standstill in Thrace.”
Episode 10 (2 mentions)
“Greece fell to the Slavs, Thrace fell to the Avars, then most devastating of all, the Persians”
“from the capital, and the loss of Egypt and Thrace resulted in famine.”
Episode 13 (1 mention)
The Byzantine region invaded by Tsar Samuel during Basil II's early reign, with Samuel selling the population of its major city into slavery and carrying off the bones of its major saint to Bulgaria's capital cathedral — an insult that forced Basil to march on Bulgaria for the first time.
“Thrace and selling the population of its major city into slavery.”
Episode 15 (2 mentions)
The region in which Frederick Barbarossa turned his army loose after Isaac II's provocations, occupying Adrianople. Bulgaria also ravaged as far as Macedonian Thrace during Alexius III's neglectful reign.
“Then he turned his army loose on Thrace and occupied the city of Adrianople.”
“Bulgaria ravaged as far as Macedonian Thrace,”
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