HA, iaAxJci itafi&piidu \ uzaaAlcuv c^L&tMM V 1' 1 HU AC I Al T KRIS TY < BLir» 1 w \ s v *i '> V 1 k. lA -^m V i^ i>\* (I Hat? : i r V\l : ! C I <T A V J *"n £ j. Hill lb > I » *-^*j*. --• ** i 1 - fl ' *// I> A «£ b • A kl 1 c \ o / -x .\ * '') . f ^ I M -A vk I ' 1 / Jtmh -it/ » ' 7 i I A R *• S ^ - 7 r ( i ,i ' i- I rv 1 ! ! \ S 1 V I rt > if A —i - i HaM-paHHMTeM3o6pa>KeHMflHa/i"bBOT6"b/irapcKMTe The earliest images of lion found on 3eMM AOCTHraT ao Hac 6/iaroflapeHwe Ha Bulgarian territory have reached us npon3BeAeHM?iTa Ha TpaKMMCKM m ny>KAn MawcTopn thanks to the works of the Thracian and m 6e3yc/iOBHO ce Hape>KAaT cpefl lueAbOBpnTe Ha foreign artists and are beyond doubt ApeBHOTO Ky/7TypHO HaC/ieACTBO. among the masterpieces of the ancient cultural heritage. npe3 V BeK npeAn XpHCTa, 3a j\a MoraT Aa ce npoTMBonocTaBHT Ha In the 5th century B.C., in order to HaTUCKa Ha BOMCKme Ha npo- resist the pressure of the armies, MyTHfl nepcuPtCKM uap flapnw led by the famous Persian king I, TpaKMMCKMTe n/ieMeHa Darius I, the Thracian tribes 6min npuHyAeHM Aa ce were forced to unite. This oSeAHHAT. ToBa aoseno led to the foundation of AO c-b3AaBaHeTO Ha Or- the Odrysian Kingdom, PUCKOTO UapCTBO, KO- which is considered eTO ce CMHTa 3a eAHO one of the most ot HaPi-flpKMTe B"bn/Tb- glaring examples of meHMfl Ha BoeHHO-no- military and political /iMTHMecKaTa molu b power in the ancient HCTopMHTa Ha flpeBHa Thracian history. TpaKHa. B/iaAeTe/inTe The the Odrysian Ha OAPMCMTe m TexHUTe rulers and their npn6/in>KeHH ca npwTe- entourages possessed >KaBa/in m n3no/i3Ba/in no- and used most of the ro/i^MaTa nacT ot 3/iaTHHTe golden treasures, which cbKpoBMLna, komto AHec Kpa- nowadays may be seen in CflT BMTpMHMTe Ha My3eme HH the museums and spread the n pa3HacflT c/iaBaTa Ha BwirapHfl fame of Bulgaria as a home of no ue/infl CBflT KaTO poA^na Ha ApeB- ancient and rich culture all over Ha m 6oraTa Ky/uypa. the world. Kyna (cpe6po c no3fiara, IV B. Up. Xp.) OT CbKpOBMLUe Hd I ojjpMCKHTe uape, HaMepeno J^eiaiAn - Me/ja/ibOH-bT I npw BopoBO, PyceHCKO. Ha AbHoro Ha ch/ja, M3o6pa3XBatu rpn0OH, crpa6^M/i chpHa. Bowl (silver with gilt, 4th century B.C.) form the Detail - the medallion treasure of the Odrysian on the bowl bottom kings, found near Borovo, depicting a griffon Rousse district r clutching a deer. ^ n '- *m r: 3/iareH Harph/jH^K, • Baujoea Mom/ia, e AyBaH/iM. '» Silver with gilt amphora > from the Kukova Mogila ' treasure, Duvanli district 3/iaTHMTe Harp-bflHMUM, HaKMTH m an/inKaunn no The golden breastplates, jewellery and appliques on the OflexflMTe Ha TpaKntfcHTe Mape, no3/iaTeHHTe garments of the Thracian kings, the gilt decorations yKpacn 3a Ko/iecHnua, mwTOBeTe m 6/iflCKaBaTa KOHCKa on the chariots and the shields, the flary horse harnesses aMyHMMMJi CTaBaT o6nMatfHH OTJiMMHTe/iHii e/ieMeHTii Ha become the usual distinctive elements of the Thracian TpaKuPicKMfl apMCTOKpaTuneH e/iMT. TaKa ce nosiBflBaT noble elite. Thus the earliest effigies of lions have n Haw-paHHUTe n3o6pa>KeHM^ Ha n'bsa Karo e/iMH ot appeared as one of the symbols of the royal ideology in CMMBO/iUTe Ha uapcKaTa wfleo/iorMa b flpeBHMfl cbat. the Ancient world. Cpe6hpHa dM0opa c Silver with gilt amphora no3nara or cbKpoBMmero or from the Kukova Mogila KyKyBa Monona, /JyBaH/M. treasure, Duvanli distict. C-bKpOBMLHeTO OT The Kukova Mogila KyKOBa Morn/ia Kpafi treasure, found AyBaH.nn, flaTHpaHO kt>m VI near Duvanli and dated - V b. np. Xp., HameflHO around the 6th-5th npeacraBfl HeoSxoAHMOcrra century B.C., clearly ot nepcoHncjDMUMpaHeTo presents the necessity Ha uapcKaTa B/iacT c for personification of onpefle/ieHu chmbo/ih. the royal power with Cn/ieH pecneKT m distinctive symbols. The CTpaxonoMMTaHMe two lion heads with horns, BHyiuaBaT ABeTe /TbBCKn gracefully depicted on r/iaBu c pora, n/iacTMMHO the handles of a gilt silver npeAa,qeHM B~bpxy amphora, inspire with Ap-b^KMTe Ha cpe6tpHa strong sense of awe and aMc()opa c no3/iaTa. Ha respect. On one of the lion e/iHa OT/rbBCKUTe (Jwrypw figures there is a spout for e nocraBeH nynyp 3a - pouring liquids. fleraiiji Detail H3/lHBaHe Ha TeHHOCT. Ap-bMKara hb - the amphora aM0opara. handle. ' K I HarptAHMK c Breastplate with pe/iecp Ha ntBoae, embossed figures of npec/ieflBawM chpHH, lions, chasing deer, 5th V e. np. Xp., mpaKuucKU century B.C., Thracian enademencKU apod kings tomb near '*,, npu c. WepH03e/w, Chernozem village, flnoeduecKO. Plovdiv district. i OOOO C-bKpoBHinero OT BopoBO (P/CeHCKO) The treasure from Borovo (Rousse) e pMTya/ieH cepBW3, npeAHa3HaMeH is a ritual set, used for religious 3a pe/inrno3HHTe npaKTHKH Ha ApeBHMTe practices by the ancient Thracians. TpaKM. 3a Hero yneHHTe n3Ka3BaT pa3- The scientists have suggested many /immhh xwnoTe3i/i, noBeMeTO ot kohto ro hypothesizes regarding this treasure, CB"bp3BaT C KyHTa K"bM flMOHUC. most of which related to the Cult of B-bpxy KaHMMKaTa-pnTOH ot TOBa Dionysus. On the rhyton jug from CTDKposniue e M3o6pa3eHa cueHa, kohto this treasure there is a scene, which Har/ie.qHO npeACTaB* HaMMHa Ha rineHe graphically portrays the way of ot puTOHHTe, n3no/i3BaHn no BpeMe Ha drinking from rhytons, used during TpaKMHCKUTe nupiuecTBa- the Thracian feasts. of KoraTo pa3r/ie>KflaMe My3efiHMTe KO/ieK- On seeing the museum collections start Umh c npeflMeTn ot TpaKMMCKO BpeMe, objects from Thracian times, we BepoflTHo ce nuTaMe 3amo npeACTaBM- wondering why the representatives of Te/iMTe Ha Ta3M ApeBHa i4WBn/iii3auwfl ca this ancient civilization have used so B/iara/in TO/iKOBa MHoro 6e3ueHHM weTa- many priceless metals and artistic in workmanship of those /in m xyqowecTBeH yceT b M3pa6oTKaTa sense the Ha Te3H CK"bnn cbAOBe? expensive utensils. CnopeA yneHUTe b ApeBHOCTTa uap- According to the scientists, in CKMTe nupOBe He ca 6m/im B-b3npneMa- Antiquity the royal feasts were hh KaTO o6nKHOBeHM yromeHkifl, a KaTO not perceived as ordinary treats, eAUH ot Haw-6/iacKaBMTe cmmbo/ih Ha but as some of the most splendid B/iaAeTe/iCKaTa hhctmtyuha. nniuHHHT symbols of the ruler's institution. pMTya/i, CB-bp3aH c MarnnecKaTa cn/ia The magnificent ritual related to Ha bmhoto, BC-binHOCT npec*b3AaBa/i ue- the magical power of wine actually peMOHMaJlHO-COUHa/IHMTe OTHOLUeHMfl ceremonially reproduced the social b TpaKMMCKaTa apwcTOKpauna. nMpt>T relations in the Thracian aristocracy. feast the role v\3r\~br\H9\Ban po/ia Ha CBoeo6pa3eH uap- The was rendered ckm cbBeT. BceKM rod 3aeMa/i mhcto, of an original royal counsel. Every C"bOTBeTCTBaLL|0 Ha MepapXhMHOTO HMBO guest took a seat, corresponding to B 06U4eCTB0T0, C KOeTO Ce M3IOlK)MBa/10 his hierarchical social rank and this npMctCTBMeTO Ha HenocBeTeHM yMacTHM- excluded the presence of uninitiated participants. PMT0HPi3HpaHa KaHtMKd (cpe6po c no3/iara) or Silver with gilt rhyton jug from the Borovo EopOBCKoro cbKpoBume, PyceHCKQ, IV e. np. Xp. treasure, Rousse district, 4th century B.C. \: > .• rp-bUKMAT MCTopiiK KceHOC^oHT fl,asa onncaHne Ha The Greek historian Xenophon describes such a TaKOBa nupiuecTBO, npoBefleHO b ABopa Ha TpaKHtfcKM?] feast organized in the court of the Thracian ruler B/iaAGTe/i CeBT II. Ot Hero HaynaBaMe MHTepecHu Seuthes II. From him we learn interesting details for the noApo6HOCTM 3a o6nMafl "no6paTMM*BaHe": M36npaHeTO Ha "fraternization" rite: the selection of a "friend" to the "npHHTe/i" Ha uapa ce onpeaennno ot /ihhhhtc KanecTBa ruler was determined by the personal qualities and social m o6mecrBeHO no/ioweHne Ha KaHAMAaTMTe. 06peAvr ce position of the candidates. The ritual was carried out ocbLiiecTBflBa/i ^pe3 eflHOBpeMeHHO nweHe ot eAMH 06m by simultaneous drinking from one vessel, full of wine, cbfl, nwieH c bhho, npuMeceHO c Kp^BTa Ha 6-bAemnTe mixed with the blood of the future sworn brothers. This no6paTHMM. T^kmo 3a TOBa cnywena aMcJ)opaTa-pnTOH ot was exactly the purpose of the rhyton amphora from the cbKpoBMLyeTo b KyKOBa Morula. treasure, found in Kukova Mogila. Uap^T MO>Ke/i fla M3no/i3Ba no6paTHMHBaHeTO npw The king could use the fraternization to fasten a political CKpenBaHeTo Ha AaAeH no/iHTwnecKH cbK>3, KaKTO n npn alliance as well as in dynasty marriages. AHHacTHMecKM 6paKOBe. HaHOCHHK OT KOHCKa aMyHMLiHfr, cpe6po c no3/idTa, c. CBemapw, V b. up. Xp. Nose cover plate of horse trappings, gilt silver, 5th century B.C., Sveshtari village. CKwcpoc, cpe6po c no3naiaf orwia npw rp. Crpe/wa, VIV e. np. Xp. Skifos, silver with gilt, from the mound near the town of Strelcha, 4th century B.C. J™| peBHMBT mctophk XepoAOT ct>mo oniiCBa MHTepecHM ancient historian Herodotus also describes interesting M The jLJ|fleTaMnM ot noAo6HO nwpwecTBo: BeAHt>>K b roAHHaTa details from similar carousal: "Once per year the ruler B/iafleTe/iflT npwroTB* cbA 3a CMecBaHe Ha bhhoto. Ot to3h prepares a vessel for mixing of the wine. From this vessel C"bA nuaT caMO Twn, kohto ca y6nnw Bpar. A tms, komto He drink only those who have killed an enemy. And those, ca ycne/in #a y6n^T ome Bpar, He MoraT aa nn*T bhho ot who have still not managet to kill an enemy, cannot drink T03M ci>a w ca fljrwKHM Aa ctoat HacTpaHa KaTO ono3opeHM. wine from this vessel and are obliged to stay aside as 3a CKMTUTe TOBa e Haw-cpaMHOTO ot bchmko.