Thessaly: Northern Greece in Antiquity

Thessaly was an important part of the ancient Greek world, bordered by Mount Olympus in the north. Yet, despite its importance, Thessaly has largely been overlooked. In this video, we look at the cities and larger history of this region and its people.

[annascott]

I’ve really come to cherish this channel, so grateful to you, Thersites, for sharing all your knowledge. Seriously learned a lot from your videos.

[dreamiden]

So lovely to see a documentary on Thessaly. My family is from there. Larissa on my father’s side and Agrafa on my mother’s side.

[LuisAldamiz]

I think it's worth mentioning that Thessaly is however rather well researched for the Neolithic and Bronze Age, when it was an important center, first of the mainline European Neolithc (Sesklo, Otzaki, etc.), of likely Vasconic language, then of the Halaf-related wave that invaded Anatolia and parts of the Balcans c. 5000 BCE (Nea Nikomedia, Dimini, Vinca in Serbia, etc.), which I interpret as carriers of the Pelasgo-Tyrsenian languages (and Y-DNA J2 a genetic marker, later re-expanded by Rome). Thessaly was one of the last bastions of this wider ethno-cultural group after the Indoeuropean invasions that ravaged the Danube and other parts of Central Europe in the 3rd millenium, with the culture of Rakhmani being continuous with the previous one of Dimini. It is well known that Thessaly was considered by ancient Greeks a "Pelasgian" region and this probably relates to what you mention of the Titanomachy, which probably reflects in mythological language a real war of ancient times, in the early or middle periods of Mycenaean Greece. In the Trojan legends Larissa (the main Thessalian city) was said to have sided with Troy, being thus the only "Greek" city on that side of the war.

[AdSd]

Hi, I have read Olympic games were held near the temple of Zeus at Olympia in Peloponnese. Not near the mount Olympus as you mention in this video.

[ricardoponcefernandez]

Thank you for your videos about Greece, they are very detailed, really amazing!

[rememberingtruth]

Great! I appreciate your dedication to the memory of these timeless cities

[aetherion]

2:20: The Pindus mountain range does not separate (like a border or what do you mean?) Thessaly and Epirus, since Pindus is IN both regions on major parts, mostly in Epirus, and also Macedonia. Pindus stretch widely in both regions. :)

PS: I would not say either that Thessaly is northeast, since northeast would be around Thrace, and east in general would be all the islands in the Aegean etc. In geographical sense the Thessalians, along with Macedonians and Epirotes are also considered northwest Greeks.

[ScythianGryphon]

I looked up for some info on the Catalan Company. Well, the tale of their adventures is quite "'byzantine" (:

[Μπρο]

Nice vid, I am Greek and I never heard of Strongilovouni. You got the pronunciation pretty close btw. Also I can't wait for Epirus! Great Job

[Evan]

You kept mentioning passing through to go to olympic games. But those were in Olympia, not Mt. Olympus. Just to be clear.

[mattmoffitt]

Really like your channel man, keep it up!

[howardjohnston]

Your videos are very good. I have been studying ancient Greece for a long time and it is nice to see some of the 'backwaters' explored as well. However, I think you are mistaken in one respect on this video. You mention a couple of times about other Greeks will have been familiar with Thessaly, because of the Olympic Games. Well, obviously, as you state; Mount Olympos - the home of the Gods - is in northern Greece (Thessalian border with Makedon); but the games famously occurred every four years at Olympia, which is in Elis on the Peloponnese. I'm sure you know that.

[ReallyLee]

At St. John's college, in 1965, I read The Meno and then studied classical and then some New Testament Greek for two years. It is a great delight to see Meno mentioned in your video at 22:35. From that dialogue I still hear "Ook oiden." which translates as 'I don't know' which is the beginning of a powerful philosophical tradition of washing the sand out from underneath the rhetorical tangles of a sophist.
Another quote from The Meno, I think was said by Meno is "virtue consists in helping your friends and harming your enemies." What an interesting statement to lay alongside your most interesting history. Thank you.

[CousinDP]

Just one thing. The Olympic games were taking place in Olympia, in Peloponisos, not near The mount Olympos.

[panagenesis]

Meno was apparently a friend of "The Great King"(of Persia) according to the Platonic dialogue. W.H.D. Rouse's translation mention that Xenophon's Anabasis describes him as a treacherous, self-seeking character.

[destrier]

Thanx for the video!

Strongilovouni (you didn't "butcher" it at all!) means round mountain.

[ellcaa]

I want to comment about something from the episode about Napoleon's Marshals. I actually am from Poland, and in general Napoleon is considered here something of a hero. He's one of three people who get namedropped in Polish anthem. Alongside Stefan Czarniecki (who's romanticized to be the model soldier, officer and patriot) and Tadeusz Kościuszko (a general who led a national uprising, you might know him from American Revolutionary War in which he was one of the generals too).

There's one thing though. Sean said that Poles know their history and they know who Poniatowski was. That is... sort of true, but not really. Education in Poland is very nationalistic. People learn a lot of history, but only the parts that are convenient to nationalists. So people like Poniatowski are extensively talked about. But because history in Poland is mostly serving the propaganda, there are things that Poles dont know about. The revolution of 1905 is one of the big examples, it's rarely mentioned, despite how important it was for Poland. Similarly, people are thought that there was someone called Rosa Luxemburg, but the only thing they learn about her is that she was a Pole who wasn't in favor of Polish independence, because she was a communist. Which implicitly paints her and communists as villains. That's literally the only thing Poles learn about Rosa.
Also, about the Toruatus vid - when I first saw the length of the video I thought to myself "Oh god, did he just ramble for an hour?" But after watching it... holy smokes, the dude was really accomplished and important! He definitely deserved the time he got.

[nowthenzen]

Important to point out Thessaly and the Magnetes were also know for their cows which gave good milk which was know as the Milk of the Magnesians. This stuff just writes itself.

[tristanbastille]

Just an FYI it wasn't Thessalian cavalry which acted as a decoy at Grannicus, but Companion cavalry, which is the cause of Peter Green's weird perspective on that battle as the squadron in that battle suffered heavy casualities and Alexander had that monument set up for them.

[panagenesis]

Good presentation! However, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, which is in the western Peloponnese, not where Mount Olympus is in the north. Mount Olympus is actually in the northern most province of Greece, Macedonia. The Ancient Macedonian administrative/military center of Dion is in the valley nearby. I know it's confusing but ancient travellers/pilgrims to the Games would head to Western Peloponnese to Olympia, not North through Thessaly to Mount Olympus. I've been to Thessaly and Mount Olympus. It's really beautiful. Never been to Olympia though...