▁either ▁as ▁sub ordinates , ▁depend ents , ▁or ▁al lies . ▁The ▁per io ik oi ▁were ▁composed ▁of ▁Per r ha ib ia , ▁Mag nes ia , ▁Ach ae a ▁Ph th iot is , ▁Dol op ia , ▁Ain is , ▁Mal is , ▁and ▁O ita ia . ▁The ▁three ▁largest ▁cities ▁in ▁Th ess aly ▁were ▁Lar isa ▁( P el as gi ot is ), ▁Ph era i ▁( P el as gi ot is ), ▁and ▁Ph ars al os ▁( Ph th iot is ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁Th ess al ian ▁pla ins ▁were ▁ide ally ▁su ited ▁for ▁cultiv ating ▁gra ins ▁and ▁c ere als , ▁and ▁were ▁known ▁in ▁anti qu ity ▁for ▁horse - re aring . ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great ' s ▁horse , ▁Bu ce phal us , ▁was ▁originally ▁from ▁Ph ars al os . ▁The ▁surrounding ▁mountain ous ▁regions , ▁however , ▁were ▁less ▁suitable ▁for ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁re lied ▁more ▁heavily ▁on ▁past oral ism . ▁ ▁History ▁Th ess aly ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁extensive ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁and ▁Chal col ith ic ▁cult ures ▁around ▁ 6 0 0 0 ▁BC – 2 5 0 0 ▁BC ▁( see ▁Card ium ▁pot tery , ▁Dim ini ▁and ▁S esk lo ). ▁My c ena e an ▁settlement s ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁discovered ▁in ▁Th ess aly ▁un ear thing , ▁at ▁the ▁K astr on ▁of ▁Pala ia ▁Hill , ▁in ▁Vol os