The history of Plovdiv spans more than eight millennia.
Numerous nations have left their traces on the twelve-metre-thick (39-foot) cultural layers of the city.
The earliest signs of habitation in the territory of Plovdiv date as far back as the 6th millennium BCE.
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.
Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery 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 continuously inhabited since then.
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.

The town was a fort of the independent local Thracian tribe Bessi.
In 516 BCE during the rule of Darius the Great, Thrace was included in the Persian empire.
In 492 BCE, the Persian general Mardonius subjugated Thrace again, and it nominally became a vassal of Persia until 479 BCE and the early rule of Xerxes I. The town became part of the Odrysian kingdom (460 BCE – 46 CE), a Thracian tribal union.
The town was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, 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.
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 BC.
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 Lucullus but was soon restored to Thracian control.
In 46 CE, the city was finally incorporated into the Roman Empire by emperor Claudius; it served as the capital of the province of Thrace and gained city status in the late 1st century.
Trimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "the largest and most beautiful of all cities" by Lucian.
Although it was not the capital of the Province of Thrace, the city was the largest and most important centre in the province.
As such, the city was the seat of the Union of Thracians.
In those times, the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the Balkans, passed through the city.
The Roman times were a period of growth and cultural excellence.
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 sewerage.
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.

In 250 the city was captured and looted after the 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.
It took a century and hard work to recover the city.
However, it was destroyed again by Attila's Huns in 441–442 and by the Goths of Teodoric Strabo in 471.

An ancient Roman inscription written in Ancient Greek dated to 253 – 255 AD were discovered in the Great Basilica.
The inscription refers to the Dionysian Mysteries and also mentions Roman Emperors Valerian and Gallienus.
It has been found on a large stele which was used as construction material during the building of the Great Basilica.
The history of Plovdiv spans more than eight millennia. Numerous nations have left their traces on the twelve-metre-thick (39-foot) cultural layers of the city. The earliest signs of habitation in the territory of Plovdiv date as far back as the 6th millennium BCE. 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. Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery 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 continuously inhabited since then. 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.
The town was a fort of the independent local Thracian tribe Bessi. In 516 BCE during the rule of Darius the Great, Thrace was included in the Persian empire. In 492 BCE, the Persian general Mardonius subjugated Thrace again, and it nominally became a vassal of Persia until 479 BCE and the early rule of Xerxes I. The town became part of the Odrysian kingdom (460 BCE – 46 CE), a Thracian tribal union. The town was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, 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. 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 BC. 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 Lucullus but was soon restored to Thracian control. In 46 CE, the city was finally incorporated into the Roman Empire by emperor Claudius; it served as the capital of the province of Thrace and gained city status in the late 1st century. Trimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "the largest and most beautiful of all cities" by Lucian. Although it was not the capital of the Province of Thrace, the city was the largest and most important centre in the province. As such, the city was the seat of the Union of Thracians. In those times, the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the Balkans, passed through the city. The Roman times were a period of growth and cultural excellence. 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 sewerage. 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.
In 250 the city was captured and looted after the 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. It took a century and hard work to recover the city. However, it was destroyed again by Attila's Huns in 441–442 and by the Goths of Teodoric Strabo in 471.
An ancient Roman inscription written in Ancient Greek dated to 253 – 255 AD were discovered in the Great Basilica. The inscription refers to the Dionysian Mysteries and also mentions Roman Emperors Valerian and Gallienus. It has been found on a large stele which was used as construction material during the building of the Great Basilica.
Plovdiv