Seuthes III

While the three main rulers of Thrace attested during this period of Philip's reign disappear from the sources by the end of the 340s BC, it remains unclear to what extent native Thracian kingship was eliminated.

Perhaps around 320 BC, Seuthes III established his residence at Seuthopolis (near Kazanlăk in Bulgaria), which he built and named after himself, in imitation of the Macedonian kings Philip and Alexander.

In 313 BC Seuthes III supported the revolt of Callatis (Mangalia in Romania) against Lysimachus, by allying with other towns and tribes and occupying the passes of Mount Haemus.

[16] Numismatic evidence has been used to infer that Seuthes III was still ruling at the time of the death of the Macedonian king Cassander in 297 BC.

[18] While Seuthes III is generally considered a great ruler, and certainly held his own against Alexander's successors, built a well-planned royal town (Seuthopolis) and impressive tomb (see below), and issued ample coinage in several types, it should be remembered that he ruled only part of Thrace and shared space with both the Macedonian Lysimachus and with other Thracian rulers (like the Spartocus mentioned above).

[24] The tomb of the Thracian King Seuthes III has been identified as the Golyamata Kosmatka mound, at a distance of 1 km south of the town of Shipka in Bulgaria.

Remarkable is the bronze head of the statue of Seuthes III buried ritually in front of the façade, which is quite detailed and realistic.

The upper plains of the wings are decorated with images of the god Dionysus, who in the east part embodies the sun and in the west the earth and night.

After the burial the entrance of the round chamber and the anteroom were blocked, the horse of the ruler was sacrificed, and the corridor was ritually set on fire.