The Dacians - People of Ancient Times
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DACIANS OR GETAE - PEOPLE THAT INHABITED THE TERRITORY OF MODERN ROMANIA
1. The Dacians - The Getae
- Dacians and Getae are two names for onne and the same people. Getae is the name that appears in the ancient Greek texts (beginning with the History of Herodotus, 5th century BC), and Dacians is the name that was used by the Romans. Probably, these were the names of two important tribes that were later assumed by the entire people, or at least by significant parts of it. Modern historians often call this people the Geto-Dacians.
- The ancient writings, the archeologicaal discoveries and the names of places certify the unity of the Geto-Dacians.
- (In these articles I used the name Gettae when referring to the older period, between 9th-2nd centuries BC, when all the written information comes from the Greeks; and Dacians for the period beginning with the 1st century BC.)
2. The territory inhabited by the Dacians
- The Dacians inhabited an area borderedd by the rivers Tisza, Dnestr, the Balkan Mountains and the Black Sea (this area is called the Carpathian-Danube territory, because it includes most of the Carpathian Mountains and the lower course of the Danube).
3. The Indo-European migration
- Between 2500-2000 BC the Indo-Europeann tribes migrated from the steppes north of the Black Sea and occupied the entire European territory. The newcomers assimilated the local populations and imposed everywhere the Indo-European language.
- After a process of separation and indiividualization, these Indo-Europeans populations became the European peoples of the ancient times, like the Greeks, the Italics, the Celts, the Germans, the Illyrians.
- The Dacians were, also, one such Indo European people, that was completely individualized in the Carpathian-Danube territory at the beginning of the Iron Age (9th century BC).
4. The Dacians and the Thracians
- The Dacians are often considered as thhe northern branch of the Thracians. This fact is mostly based on several ancient Greek texts. When the Greeks, who used to call their northern neighbors with the name of Thracians, met the Getae and noticed certain similitudes in language and customs, they considered them a Thracians tribe.
- But, the political history, the archeoological findings and especially the little that we know of the two languages, prove that the Thracians and the Dacians are two distinct peoples, well individualized, that spoke two different Indo-Europeans languages and that were only related to one another.
- The Thracians, those who were always ccalled so, inhabited an area bordered by the Vardar River, the Balkan Mountains, the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmar and the Black Sea, being the southern neighbors of the Dacians.
5. The Scythians
- In the first half of the 1st millenniuum BC took place the invasion of the Scythians from the east, from the regions north of the Caspian Sea. For a few centuries, the Scythians dominated politically the territories left of the Danube.
- The most important Scythian influence on the Dacians was the method of working iron and other metals. Another consequence of the Scythian invasion was the expansion of the Dacians to the north, west and south. This expansion took place between 900-500 BC and can be observed on the maps of the Ptolemy, where the Dacians appear outside their traditional area.
6. The expedition of Darius I
- The first historical note about the Daacians was written by Herodotus. It refers to the expedition of Darius I in 514 BC.
- Darius, the great king of the Persianss, organized a campaign to punish the Scythians. He crossed the Bosporus Strait with a very big army and continued his way to the north.
- He met some Thracians populations whicch submitted without fight. Only the Getae stood against Darius but they were easily defeated. Herodotus says that the Getae pretend to be immortal.
7. The country of the Getae
- From Herodotus we also have a few moree pieces of information about the regions north of the Danube:
- the first one refers to the hemp that grows in this country, hemp that is used by the natives to make clothes;
- the second is about the bees that are found in such a great number, that Dacia can be called the country of honey.
8. The Greek colonies on the coast of the Black Sea
- The Scythians were the first people whho established contacts with the Dacians and who had an important influence on them; after them come the Greeks.
- In the 7th century BC Greeks from the coast of Asia Minor and from Greece begin a great process of emigration. Because of the population growth and of the desire for profit, large groups of people come and settle on the coast of the Black Sea, founding a number of cities. On the eastern coast of the Black Sea were founded the following cities: Olbia, at the mouth of river Bug, Tyras, at the mouth of Dnestr, Histria, Tomis, Callatis (all three in Dobruja, region of nowadays Romania), Odessos, Apollonia, Dionysopolis (in nowadays Bulgaria). The life in these cities was the same with the one in the cities where the colonists came from.
- The main occupation of the colonists wwas the trade with the local populations. From the Geto-Dacians they bought wheat, honey, wax, skins, furs. The Greeks sold them jewelry, ceramics, fine tissues, oil, Greek wine. Due to the commerce, the colonies became flourishing cities.
- Sometimes the colonies on the coast off the Black Sea were at war with the local populations. Often the cities made agreements with the Geto-Dacian of Scythian King, giving a sum of money in order to be left in peace.
- The Greek influence upon the Dacians, that lasted for many centuries, is seen in:
- the Dacian coins, imitations of the Maacedonian coins;
- ceramics.
9. Alexander the Great
- In the year 335 BC Alexander the Greatt organized a raid against the Getae from the north of the Danube.
- Alexander led a campaign against a Thrracian population of whom he had heard that were willing to revolt. With this occasion he crossed one night the Danube with a part of his army. They used the boats of the natives - hollowed logs - that were found here in quite in a great number. On the left bank of the river there large fields of wheat.
- The Getae raised an army of 4,000 horssemen and 10,000 infantry-men. Even so, they couldn't stand if front of Alexander's army. The Getae ran to their town, which was situated 6 km from the Danube. Finally, they left the town with as many children and women as they could carry on horses. Alexander plundered and destroyed the town. Then he returned to the other side of the Danube.
- From these events we can say that:
- the Getae were rich (Alexander carriedd with him an important loot after conquering just one town);
- the fields of wheat show that agricullture was a very important occupation for the Geto-Dacians.
10. Dromihetes - king of the Getae
- Dromihetes is the first great king of the Geto-Dacians. We have information about him related to his conflict with Lisimah. Lisimah was a general of Alexander the Great, who became the king of Thracia after Alexander's death.
- The causes of this conflict were:
> - Lisimah wanted to extend his kingdom oon the left side of the Danube;
- Dromihetes wanted back some fortressess from the right bank of the Danube, that had been conquered by Lisimah.
- There were some battles; the Geto-Daciians led by Dromihetes won all of them. In one of the battles (about 300 BC) the son of Lisimah, Agatocles, was captured. Dromihetes treated him very nice and after a while he sent him with gifts, back to his father. Dromihetes hoped to regain this way the lost fortresses.
- But Lisimah didn't agree and he left iin 292 BC with a big army against the the king of the Geto-Dacians. The Macedonian army crossed the Danube. After a short time the soldiers suffered of hunger and thirst (the Getae had burnt everything in their way). The army of Lisimah is surrounded and captured. Again, Dromihetes treated the prisoners very well. He takes Lisimah to Helis, the capital of the Getae.
- The people of the town asked for the ddeath of Lisimah. Dromihetes convinced them it is better to keep him alive, because this way they could regain their fortresses and because if Lisimah dies, another king would rise and would come with an army against them.
- After this event, Dromihetes organizess a great banquet in honor of Lisimah. The Macedonian King promised to be the friend of the Getae and gave them back their fortresses. Dromihetes even married one of the daughters of Lisimah.
11. The Celts
- After 300 BC takes place the migrationn of the Celts on the territory inhabited by the Dacians. The Bastarnians joined the Celts in their invasion.
- The Geto-Dacians held many battles aggainst the Celts and the Bastarnians. Other times the Geto-Dacians helped them in their expeditions of plunder in the Balkan Peninsula.
12. Geto-Dacian kings
- Other Geto-Dacian kings in this periodd (3rd century BC - 1st century BC) were:
- Zalmodegicos and Rhemaxos (in Dobruja));
- Oroles (in Transylvania) - we know thaat he defeated the Bastarnians.
13. The Roman threat
- In the 2nd century BC the Roman power advances in the Balkan Peninsula. In the year 148 BC, the Macedonian kingdom is transformed into a Roman province.