Sitalces

Family: Odrysian · Role: King of the Thracians · First appears: Book 2 · Chapter 6 · Part 5

Sitalces, son of Teres and King of the Thracians, allied with Athens during the same summer that Nymphodorus negotiated the agreement; Perdiccas also became an ally of Athens. At the end of that summer, envoys including Aristeus son of Adimantus, Aneristus, Nicolaus, Stratodemus, Timagoras the Tegean and Pollis came to him hoping to persuade him to abandon the alliance and march on Potidæa. Instead, Sadocus, his son and an Athenian citizen, had the envoys seized and delivered to the Athenian ambassadors.

At the beginning of the winter, Sitalces invaded Macedonia and the Chalcidian region. Perdiccas had not fulfilled a promise made when he was under pressure at the start of the war, while Sitalces had agreed with Athens to end the Chalcidian war in Thrace. He brought Amyntas, whom he intended for the Macedonian throne, and assembled his forces at Doberus. His army took Idomene by assault and gained other places through support for Amyntas, while another part laid waste Chalcidian and Bottiaean territory. After thirty days, he followed the advice of Seuthes, his nephew and highest officer, and retreated.

About the time of the affair of Delium, Sitalces was defeated and killed in battle against the Triballi. Seuthes, son of Sparadocus, succeeded him as king.