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Cicones

The Cicones, or Kikones (Ancient Greek: Κίκωνες), were an ancient Thracian people who inhabited the Thracian coast along the Aegean Sea. Their principal settlement was at Ismaros (Ismaros/Ismarus), a city on the Thracian coast near the Aegean. In classical literature they are presented as part of the broader Thracian ethnos, and their exact location and political status vary in later sources.

In Greek mythology and literature, the Cicones are best known from Homer. In the Odyssey, Odysseus and

Historically, evidence outside of literary sources about the Cicones is limited. They are described as a Thracian

See also: Thrace, Ismaros, Homeric geography.

his
men
raid
the
city
of
Ismaros,
killing
some
of
the
inhabitants
and
taking
others
as
slaves.
After
plundering
the
city,
the
Cicones
rally
reinforcements
from
their
Thracian
allies
and
attack
the
Greeks
in
force,
catching
them
off
guard.
The
ensuing
battle
on
the
coast
costs
Odysseus
and
his
crew
many
ships
and
lives,
and
the
survivors
eventually
flee
to
continue
their
voyage.
The
episode
is
often
cited
as
an
example
of
the
dangers
of
overreaching
and
the
consequences
of
delaying
departure
after
success.
coastal
community
rather
than
a
centralized
state,
and
their
portrayal
in
ancient
texts
reflects
the
broader
Greek
view
of
Thracian
tribes
rather
than
a
distinctly
documented
polity.
Modern
scholarship
treats
the
Cicones
as
one
of
several
Thracian
groups
known
primarily
through
literary
remains
rather
than
independent
archaeological
records.