The Personality of Kotys in the Ancient Literary Tradition
The Personality of Kotys in the Ancient Literary Tradition

Summary/Abstract: Kotys remains in history as one of the most remarkable individualities in the first half of the 4th century BC. He was the great politician of the Odrysian kingdom, the king who turned the Odrysae into a factor of political life in the Balkans and in the Early Hellenistic world. His character and lifestyle were of particular interest to the ancient writers. Greek 4th century authors understandably painted his image in a deliberately maligned and biased manner, and cast the foundations for his extremely unfavourable reputation for centuries ahead. However, the intensive literary tradition surrounding his personality is actually fuelled by the great and unswervingly followed ambition of that Thracian ruler to find his prominent place in the Hellenic space and to become successfully an integral part of the trends in the Early Hellenistic world. The paper presents the evidence on the personality of Kotys, which has been left to us by authors from different historical periods and genres, and traces the evolution of his image.

• Details
• Contents