| Theme of Thrace θέμα Θρᾴκης, θέμα Θρᾳκῷον | |
|---|---|
| Theme of theByzantine Empire | |
| c. 680–1204 1230s–14th century | |
 The Byzantinethemata of Asia Minor and thethema of Thrace in c. 780. | |
| Capital | Constantinople (Istanbul) /Adrianople (Edirne)/Arcadiopolis (Lüleburgaz) |
| Historical era | Middle Ages |
• Established | 680/681 |
• Latin conquest | 1204 |
• Nicaean recovery | 1230s |
• Divided into smaller units. | 14th century |
| Today part of | Turkey Greece Bulgaria |
TheTheme of Thrace (Greek:θέμα Θρᾴκης or θέμα Θρᾳκῷον) was a province (thema ortheme) of theByzantine Empire located in the south-easternBalkans, comprising varying parts of theeponymous geographic region during its history.
Traditionally, it has been held that the theme (at the time primarily a military command) was constituted in c. 680, as a response to theBulgar threat.[1][2][3] This is based on the mention of a certainpatrikios Theodore, Count of theOpsikion andhypostrategos of Thrace, in 680/681. However, it is unclear whether this implies the existence of Thrace as a separate command, with Theodore holding a dual post, or whether Thrace was administratively united to theOpsikion. In fact, separatestrategoi of Thrace are not clearly attested in literary sources until 742, while seals ofstrategoi are also extant only from the eighth century on.[3][4] Initially,Adrianople was probably the theme's capital.
Under EmpressIrene of Athens, in the late eighth century, the theme was divided, with the western part being constituted as the separate theme ofMacedonia. From then on, the theme's capital was atArcadiopolis, with subordinatetourmarchai atBizye andSozopolis. Another, calledtourmarches tes Thrakes ("of Thrace") is also attested, possibly thestrategos' deputy at Arcadiopolis.[2] TheArab geographersIbn Khordadbeh (wrote ca. 847) andIbn al-Faqih (wrote ca. 903) mention the theme as extending "from the long wall [theAnastasian Wall]" to the theme of Macedonia, and north up to the country of theBulgars, counting 10 fortified places and 5,000 troops.[5] Indeed, the boundaries of the theme fluctuated along with the northern frontier of Byzantium during theByzantine–Bulgarian Wars. Initially, the theme must have comprised most of the ancientDiocese of Thrace, except for the country along theDanube overrun by the Bulgars (Lower Moesia), but after the conquests ofKrum (r. 803–814),Omurtag (r. 814–831), andSymeon (r. 893–927) the border moved by stages south of theBalkan Mountains to roughly the line of the present Bulgarian frontier withGreece andTurkey. Thus, at around the start of the tenth century, the theme comprised essentially the eastern half of modernEastern Thrace, although it extended north along the coast to includeAnchialos.[6]
From the eleventh century, Thrace and Macedonia appear to have been usually combined, as attested by numerousstrategoi and judges (kritai) holding jurisdiction over both themes.[2][7] The name fell out of use as an administrative term in thePalaiologan period, but it is still encountered in some historians of the time as an antiquarian term.[7]