THYNI
Eth.
THYNI (
Plin, 4.11. s. 18,
5.32. s. 43;
Θυνοί,
Hdt. 1.28), a people in the SE. part of Thrace, between the Agrianes and the mountains which separate its head-waters from the Euxine.
At a very early period, a portion of the tribe, along with the related race of the Bithyni, emigrated to Asia Minor, where they occupied the district afterwards called Bithynia; but part of which seems originally to have been named more directly from the Thyni, since we find the names
Θυνιακὴ Θρᾴκη (Memnon. 100.18),
Θυνιάς (
Scymn. 727, and 236),
Θυνία (
Steph. B. sub voce p. 315), and Thynia (Amm. 22.8.14). Respecting the Asiatic Thyni, see also
Strabo vii. p.295, xii. p. 541; and the article
BITHYNIA
Of the Thyni who remained in Europe scarcely any notice is taken by the ancient historians. When Xenophon and the remnant of the 10,000 Greeks entered the service of Seuthes, one expedition in which they were employed had for its object the subjugation of the Thyni, who were said to have defeated Teres, an ancestor of Seuthes (
Anab. 7.2.22). Xenophon gives them the somewhat equivocal character of being the most warlike of all people, especially by night: and he had personal experience of their fondness for nocturnal fighting; for, having encamped in their villages at the foot of the mountains, to which the Thyni had retired on the approach of Seuthes and his forces, he was attacked by them on the next night, and narrowly escaped being burnt to death in the house in which he had taken up his quarters (
Ib. 4.14, seq.).
But this attack having failed, the Thyni again fled to the mountains, and soon afterwards submitted to Seuthes. Xenophon visited the country of the Thyni in the winter (
Ib. 6.31), which he describes as being extremely severe, there being deep snow on the ground, and so low a temperature, that not only water, but even wine in the vessels was frozen; and many of the Greeks lost noses and ears through frostbite. (
Ib. 4.3.)
[
J.R]
