ANCIENT FESTIVAL "ODRYUZA, Cradle of the Thousand Cities"

The Historical Festival "ODRYUZA, Cradle of the Thousand Cities" is an event dedicated to the material and spiritual culture of the ancient civilisation and the state traditions of the Odrysian Thracian Kingdom (Greek: Βασίλειον Ὀδρυσῶν), in the Balkans.

The festival will be held on 27th and 28th of July, 2024, in the "Historical Park", a museum of "living Bulgarian history", built in the village of Neofit Rilski, municipality of Vetrino, Varna region, Bulgaria.

The organisers of the festival are "Historical Park" JSC and the Bulgarian School of Ancient Warfare "Velichie".

27th of July, 2024 (Saturday)

Several associations focused on ancient historical reenactment from Bulgaria, Switzerland, Greece, Romania and Italy will take part in the festival. The two festival days will be filled with battles and rituals, and the nights with wine, songs and dances of the gods:

• Opening of the festival with the "Royal Welcoming ritual" (ancient reenactors and master craftsmen from the country and abroad) (11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.);

• Presentation of the associations of ancient reenactment, to visitors and guests of the Historical Park (12:00 - 13:00);

• Discovery walk the guests: participants through the "ancient Odryuza" (Ancient area of the Historical Park) and an overview talk for the tourists - visitors of the Park (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.);

• Presentations of the groups for ancient historical reenactment: battles of hoplites and peltasts, rituals and offerings, open history lessons, etc., presented by the participants of the Festival (4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.);

21.00., guests and visitors to the festival will also witness the spectacular evening spectacle "The Thracian King's Feast".

The most prominent of the spear-fighting Thracians from Odryusa, Kabyle and Seutopolis, the horse-loving Getae and Scythians from Dausdava and Helis, and the shield-bearing, worthy men who came from Thebes, Sparta and Athens, will be among the chosen ones whom Teres, the king of the Odrysians will receive in the "Male Hall of Glory'. These champions of the gods will feast with the cups of the initiates and, toasting with the divine "zeila", the drink of Dionysus, they will offer sacrifices before the altars and the gods will witness their decisions.

July 28, 2024 (Sunday)

During the second festival day, the "Day of the Battles", when the storms of Ares will erupt, leaders of men will try their strength in the Thracian war games: "Areti" (ἀρετη).

Similar to the archaic military contests of the Atlétikos and the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, the Thracian Games will bring together the bravest, in competitions of:

• Stadium dash of 192.27m "stadiodromos" (στάδιοδρομος) running with armour "hoplitodromos" (ὁπλιτοδρομος), at a middle distance called double run: "diaulos" or 2 stadia of 192,28 m (384 m);

• Javelin throw ``akontismos'' (ακοντισμός) with a length of 1 human height and a marble disk ``discos'';

• "Pali" wrestling (πάλη), a demonstration fight according to the ancient rules and a tournament with pre-registration of the participants;

• Fist fight "pygmachia" (πυγμαχία) and free fight "pankration" (παγκράτιον - fight with "all forces"): demonstrative fights according to the ancient rules;

• Armed duels "monomachia" (μουνομαχίης), fencing tournament for fighters.

Warriors from Thrace, Dacia, and Macedonia, athletes from Sparta and Athens, horsemen from the Scythian steppes, and men from the mountains of Gaul, will win glorious victories, will crown their heads with laurel wreaths, and the walls of their bright temples will shine with the broken armour of the enemy.

And their names will be spoken from the mouth of Nestos at Abdera, as far as the Black Sea, and from Byzantium on the White Sea to the great river Istros. The word of their exploits will fly to the great Pella, Thebes and Athens and will reach the mighty Sparta.

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Ancient festival "Odryuza, Cradle of the Thousand Cities", on the 27th and 28th of July, 2024, in the "Historical Park", village of N. Rilski, municipality of Vetrino, region Varna, Bulgaria.

You will find the general conditions for participation and holding of the event HERE