Editing Plovdiv (section)

===Antiquity===
[[File:Roman Trimontium(Phillipopolis).JPG|left|200px|thumb|Plan of the known parts of the Roman city superimposed on a plan of modern Plovdiv.]]

{{Philippopolis sidebar}}
The history of the region spans more than eight millennia. Numerous nations have left their traces on the {{convert|12|m|ft|adj=mid|spell=in|lk=out|abbr=off|-thick}} cultural layers of the city. The earliest signs of habitation in the territory of Plovdiv date as far back as the 6th millennium BCE.<ref name="filipopol">"Philippopolis Album", Kesyakova Elena, Raytchev Dimitar, Hermes, Sofia, 2012, {{ISBN|978-954-26-1117-2}}</ref><ref name="plovdiv1"/> Plovdiv has settlement traces including necropolises dating from the Neolithic era (roughly 6000–5000 BCE) like the mounds Yasa Tepe 1 in the Philipovo district and Yasa Tepe 2 in Lauta park.<ref name="райчевски">{{cite book| last = Райчевски| first = Георги | year = 2002 | title = Пловдивска енциклопедия | publisher = Издателство ИМН | location = Пловдив | page = 341| isbn = 978-954-491-553-7}}</ref><ref name="кесякова">{{cite book | last = Кесякова | first = Елена |author2=Александър Пижев |author3=Стефан Шивачев |author4=Недялка Петрова | year = 1999 |script-title=bg:Книга за Пловдив | publisher = Издателство "Полиграф" | location = Пловдив | pages = 17–19 | isbn = 954-9529-27-4 |language=bg}}</ref><ref>[http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=1097386 Darik] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021410/http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=1097386 |date=5 March 2016}}</ref> 

Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} and objects of everyday life on [[Nebet Tepe]] from as early as the [[Chalcolithic]] era, showing that at the end of the 4th millennium BCE, there was already an established settlement there which was [[List of oldest continuously inhabited cities|continuously inhabited]] since then.<ref>Детев П., Известия на музейте в Южна България т. 1 (Bulletin des musees de la Bulgarie du sud), 1975г., с.27, [http://www.bg.cobiss.net/scripts/cobiss?ukaz=DISP&id=0955075541846121&rec=11&sid=2] {{ISSN|0204-4072}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923020722/http://www.bg.cobiss.net/scripts/cobiss?ukaz=DISP&id=0955075541846121&rec=11&sid=2|date=23 September 2016}}</ref><ref>Детев, П. ''Разкопки на Небет тепе в Пловдив'', ГПАМ, 5, 1963, pp. 27–30.</ref><ref>Ботушарова, Л. ''Стратиграфски проучвания на Небет тепе'', ГПАМ, 5, 1963, pp. 66–70.</ref> Thracian necropolises dating back to the 2nd–3rd millennium BCE have been discovered, while the Thracian town was established between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BCE.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The town was a fort of the independent local [[Thracians|Thracian]] tribe [[Bessi]].<ref>{{cite book | author1 = Елена Кесякова | author2 = Александър Пижев |author3 = Стефан Шивачев |author4 = Недялка Петрова | year = 1999 | title = Книга за Пловдив | publisher = Издателство "Полиграф" | location = Пловдив | isbn = 954-9529-27-4 | language = bg | pages=20–21}}</ref> In 516 BCE during the rule of [[Darius the Great]], Thrace was included in the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian empire]].<ref>The Oxford Classical Dictionary by Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth, {{ISBN|0-19-860641-9}}", page 1515, "The Thracians were subdued by the Persians by 516"</ref> In 492 BCE, the Persian general [[Mardonius (general)|Mardonius]] subjugated Thrace again, and it nominally became a vassal of Persia until 479 BCE and the early rule of [[Xerxes I]].<ref>Dimitri Romanoff, ''The orders, medals, and history of the Kingdom of Bulgaria'', p. 9</ref> The town became part of the [[Odrysian kingdom]] (460 BCE – 46 CE), a [[Thracians|Thracian]] tribal union. The town was conquered by [[Philip II of Macedon]],<ref>''История на България'', Том 1, Издателство на БАН, София, 1979, p. 206.</ref> and the Odrysian king was deposed in 342 BCE. Ten years after the Macedonian invasion, the Thracian kings started to exercise power again after the Odrysian [[Seuthes III]] had re-established their kingdom under Macedonian suzerainty as a result of a successful revolt against [[Alexander the Great]]'s rule resulting in a stalemate.<ref>A. B. Bosworth, ''Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great'', page 12, Cambridge University Press</ref> The Odrysian kingdom gradually overcame the Macedonian suzerainty, while the city was destroyed by the [[Celts]] as part of the [[Celtic settlement of Eastern Europe]], most likely in the 270s BCE.<ref>{{cite book|year=1979|title=Bulgaria|location=University of Indiana|page=4}}</ref> In 183 BCE, [[Philip V of Macedon]] conquered the city, but shortly after, the Thracians re-conquered it.

In 72 BCE, the city was seized by the Roman general [[Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus|Marcus Lucullus]] but was soon restored to Thracian control. In 46 CE, the city was finally incorporated into the [[Roman Empire]] by emperor [[Claudius]];<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dimitrov |first=B. |title=The Bulgarians – the first Europeans |publisher=University press "St Climent of Ohrid" |location=Sofia |page=17 |language=bg |isbn=954-07-1757-4 |year=2002 }}</ref> it served as the capital of the province of [[Thrace]]. Although it was not the capital of the Province of Thrace, the city was the largest and most important centre in the province.<ref>Lenk, B. – RE, 6 A, 1936 col. 454 sq.</ref> As such, the city was the seat of the Union of Thracians.<ref>Римски и ранновизантийски градове в България, p. 183</ref> In those times, the [[Via Militaris]] (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the [[Balkans]], passed through the city.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.seecorridors.eu/index.php?w_p=27&w_l=2&w_c=3&w_id=450
 |title=Cultural Corridors of South East Europe/Diagonal Road
 |publisher=Association for Cultural Tourism
 |access-date=25 January 2007
 |archive-date=8 October 2007
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008071205/http://www.seecorridors.eu/index.php?w_p=27&w_l=2&w_c=3&w_id=450
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref><ref>Николов, Д. ''Нови данни за пътя Филипопол-Ескус'', София, 1958, p. 285</ref> The Roman times were a period of growth and cultural excellence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dimitrov |first=B. |title=The Bulgarians – the first Europeans |publisher=University press "St Climent of Ohrid" |location=Sofia |pages=18–19 |language=bg |isbn=954-07-1757-4 |year=2002 }}</ref> The ancient ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings, shrines, baths, theatres, a stadium, and the only developed ancient water supply system in Bulgaria. The city had an advanced water system and [[sanitary sewer|sewerage]].{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} In 179 a second wall was built to encompass Trimontium which had already extended out of the Three hills into the valley. Many of those are still preserved and can be seen by tourists. Today only a small part of the ancient city has been excavated.<ref name=pldiv>[http://www.plovdivcity.net/bg/plovdiv_history.html PlovdivCity.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412054326/http://www.plovdivcity.net/bg/plovdiv_history.html |date=12 April 2008 }}, посетен на 10 ноември 2007 г.</ref>

In 250 the city was captured and looted after the [[Battle of Philippopolis (250)|Battle of Philippopolis]] by the [[Goths]], led by their ruler [[Cniva]]. Many of its citizens, 100,000 according to [[Ammianus Marcellinus]], died or were taken captive.<ref>{{cite book | author1 = Елена Кесякова | author2 = Александър Пижев |author3 = Стефан Шивачев |author4 = Недялка Петрова | year = 1999 | title = Книга за Пловдив | publisher = Издателство "Полиграф" | location = Пловдив | isbn = 954-9529-27-4 | language = bg | pages=47–48}}</ref> It took a century and hard work to recover the city. However, it was destroyed again by [[Attila]]'s [[Hun]]s in 441–442 and by the [[Goths]] of Teodoric Strabo in 471.<ref>[http://www.romanplovdiv.org/en/history/6 Roman Plovdiv: History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185326/http://www.romanplovdiv.org/en/history/6 |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>

An ancient Roman inscription written in Ancient Greek dated to 253 – 255 AD were discovered in the [[Great Basilica, Plovdiv|Great Basilica]]. The inscription refers to the [[Dionysian Mysteries]] and also mentions Roman Emperors [[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]] and [[Gallienus]]. It has been found on a large stele which was used as construction material during the building of the Great Basilica.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2019/07/18/huge-roman-inscription-of-dionysus-cult-secret-society-after-251-goth-invasion-found-in-early-christian-great-basilica-in-bulgarias-plovdiv/ |title=HUGE ROMAN INSCRIPTION OF DIONYSUS CULT SECRET SOCIETY AFTER 251 GOTH INVASION FOUND IN EARLY CHRISTIAN GREAT BASILICA IN BULGARIA'S PLOVDI |work=Archaeology in Bulgaria. and Beyond - Archaeology, History & Nature: the Human - Earth Connection |date=18 July 2019 |access-date=1 December 2019 |archive-date=6 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106175429/http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2019/07/18/huge-roman-inscription-of-dionysus-cult-secret-society-after-251-goth-invasion-found-in-early-christian-great-basilica-in-bulgarias-plovdiv/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2024, archaeologists from the Regional Archaeological Museum announced the discovery of a well-preserved Thracian temple dated to the third century BCE. The 10-metre-long temple is made of dry joints and clay-sand mortar and has two rooms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archaeologists Discover 3rd Century BC Thracian Temple in Plovdiv |url=https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/729806-archaeologists-discover-3rd-century-bc-thracian-temple-in-plovdiv |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=www.bta.bg |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=The Sofia Globe |date=2024-08-22 |title=Archaeology: Third century BCE Thracian temple found fully preserved in Bulgaria's Plovdiv |url=https://sofiaglobe.com/2024/08/22/archaeology-third-century-bce-thracian-temple-found-fully-preserved-in-bulgarias-plovdiv/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=The Sofia Globe |language=en-US}}</ref>