Around 300 BC, the region of ancient Thrace had several small kingdoms. These kingdoms fought against almost all great empires of the time. At different periods, they came under the reign of the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Not much is known about these kingdoms. From what we know, these people were fiercely independent, bitterly resenting foreign domination. Their language, culture, and customs were for most part lost over time. Eventually, the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire. The Romans drove them out or turned them into slaves. One such monarch of this volatile region was Tegrios, the king of Odrysia.

The long dinner table had every item a glutton would ever dream of. Various types of roasted meat, broths, fruits, fruit extracts, the best vintage wine of the land, especially made breads and cakes, adorned the table before the guests. It was not any special occasion. For quite some time, Tegrios did not have dinner with his favorite nephew. His nephew Eumoplus had returned from a long journey to a distant land. Tegrios wanted to honor his nephew in presence of the nobilities. Quite a large number of the feudal lords and their wives had been invited. They praised Eumoplus for successfully representing Tegrios to the monarch of the distant kingdom. Had it not been for the diplomatic skills of Eumoplus, the monarch of that rich land would not have cared to accept Tegrios’ hands in friendship. At least, that is what Tegrios believed. Albeit Ismarus, the crown prince of Odrysia, had also travelled with the entourage, it was later reported that during the visit his role was rather insignificant. When Tegrios asked Ismarus, why he remained so passive, he said he could not find any good reason to involve himself as his cousin had been doing everything which needed to be done. He further added, forming alliance with such a distant kingdom seemed pointless. Ismarus was quite aware, the idea had sprung up from his cousin’s head. Hence, he did not openly oppose the idea. However, throughout the visit, he remained aloof, allowing Eumoplus to interact with the host, on behalf of Tegrios. Tegrios was not too happy with his son’s explanation. Nonetheless, he suppressed his displeasure in presence of the guests.

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During the feast, an unpleasant occurrence marred the festive mood of the occasion. Ismarus had a pet cat. While Eumoplus had been sharing his recent travel experience with Tegrios, from underneath the table, the cat jumped onto the table, grabbing a piece of roast meat from Eumoplus’ plate. Eumoplus hated pet animals. Particularly pet cats. By the time Tegrios pointed his finger at the culprit, it had gobbled up a chunk of the roasted meat. Eumoplus joined the loud laughter which followed. However, while doing so, stood up from his seat, stabbed the cat in its loin with his dagger, instantly killing the poor animal. The sheer exercise of cruelty thundered across the table, silencing those who had been laughing only a few seconds back. The expression on their faces told Eumoplus of their disapproval. On the contrary, Tegrios seemed impressed by his nephew’s decisive nature. He remarked, if Eumoplus had been the crown prince, he would have made an excellent king. Calysto, the queen, and her son left the feast. Before stepping out of the hall room, she glared at Eumoplus, expressing her utter disgust for what he had done.