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2025 - Volume 8 - Number 2

Thracians as “Barbarians”: Greek Stereotypes, Slavery and Constructing of “The Other”

Asen Bondzhev
New Bulgarian University, Department of History, Sofia, BULGARIA

Open Journal for Studies in Arts, 2025, 8(2), 25-34 * https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojsa.0802.01025b
Received: 18 September 2025 ▪ Revised: 4 December 2025 ▪ Accepted: 25 December 2025

LICENCE: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ARTICLE (Full Text - PDF)

ABSTRACT:
This paper explores the portrayal of Thracians in ancient Greek literature, examining how they were depicted as “barbarians” through the lens of Greek culture and societal norms. It discusses the factors contributing to this characterization, such as language, cultural differences, and lifestyle, alongside the Greeks’ tendency to contrast their own civilization with that of the Thracians, whom they saw as primitive and warlike. The portrayal of Thracians as drunken, brutal, and uncivilized is explored through literary references, while also highlighting the exceptions like certain individuals who were perceived as more refined. The paper further examines the association of Thracians with slavery in Athens. The development of the barbarian stereotype and its impact on the treatment of Thracians, particularly as slaves, is analyzed, with a focus on how the Greeks’ conceptualization of “The Other” shaped their perceptions and societal structures.

KEY WORDS: Thracians, barbarians, slavery, Athens, ancient Greece, social hierarchy.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Asen Bondzhev, New Bulgarian University, Department of History, Sofia, BULGARIA.

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