Dromichaetes
Encyclopedia
Dromichaetes was king of the Getae
on both sides of the lower Danube
(present day Romania
and Bulgaria
) around 300 BC
.
in the 5th century BC. It is not known how the relations between Getae and Odrysians developed. The Balkan campaigns of Philip II of Macedon
between 352 and 340 BC shattered the Odrysian authority and the Getae profited of the situation. By the second half of the 4th century, the Getae occupied sites on both banks of the lower Danube and this region flourished as never before. The new Macedon
ian conquests, secured with considerable military power, caused uproar in the adjoining territories and thus stimulated the political fusion of the Getic tribes.
It can be a Greek name (δρόμος "run" + χαιτήεις "long-haired"), a Thracian
name, or a Thracian name formed with Greek elements (Δρομο- and Χαιτο-, -χαιτης).
Other people with this name:
of Diodorus Siculus
. But it must be treated with caution, as the interference of literary motifs
lessens its value as historical evidence.
. Thus Helis was variously located at Piscul Crăsani
on Ialomița River
, at Popeşti
on Argeş River
, at Zimnicea
on the left bank of Danube, or identified with one of the several earth-walled fortifications from the Alexandria
-Roşiorii de Vede
complex. It was also suggested Helis was located in the Moldavian Plateau
in a cluster of fortified settlements dated between the 6th and the 3rd century BC, where two royal treasures were also found at Cucuteni Băiceni
and Stânceşti
.
However, the discovery of the Thracian
tomb at Sveshtari (1982) in the western Ludogorie
in Bulgaria suggested that Helis was located perhaps in its vicinity, where remains of a large ancient city are found along with dozens of other Thracian mound tombs.
The settlement is situated in a natural stronghold, a plateau surrounded like a peninsula
by the ravines of Krapinets River. The outer stone wall
, up to 4m thick, follows the edges of the peninsula and defends a territory of about 10 hectare
s. The inner wall, of similar construction, encloses a roughly quadrilateral
area of about 5 hectares. The fortified territory was relatively densely occupied by dwellings connected by a thoroughfare network. Dating finds such as amphora
e stamps and coin
s indicate that this settlement existed between ca. 335 and ca. 250 BC.
The settlement enjoyed economic prosperity and sustained active trade relations with the Greek colonies in the Aegean
and the Black Sea
region. The imported goods were found in abundance: Attic
black-glazed ceramics, amphorae from Thassos, Sinope
and Heraclea Pontica
and pottery of probable West-Pontic
colonial origin. It was also an important production center with metalworking, bone and pottery workshops.
, a former general of Alexander the Great, and expelled the military garrisons imposed by him. Lysimachus besieged successively Odessus and Histria and forced them to capitulate. A peace treaty was drawn up in 311, but the siege of Callatis continued until 310 or 309 BC. No other action of Lysimachus is known north of Haemus
until the clash with Dromichaetes in the 290s BC.
The evidence for the conflict is incomplete and contradictory, although attested by a number of ancient authors. It was probably provoked by the territorial expansion of Lysimachus and the control of the Greek colonies was perhaps the issue at stake.
The two fragments of Diodorus' history suggest two separate campaigns. During the first the Getae captured Agathocles
, the son of Lysimachus, but later set him free hoping to recover the territories lost to Lysimachus. During the second Lysimachus himself was taken prisoner and then released under similar conditions. However Pausanias, mentioning the same two episodes, implies they are parallel versions of one and the same event.
The campaign in which Lysimachus fell captive to the Getae is dated by scholars variously between 294 and 291 BC. Lysimachus invaded with significant forces and his offensive enjoyed some early success before ending in disaster. According to Polyaenus
, Seuthes, a general of Dromichaetes, presented himself as a deserter, deceived Lysimachus and led him into difficult terrain. Attacked by Dromichaetes, the army of Lysimachus was defeated and the king had to surrender.
Diodorus gives our only account of the captivity and subsequent release of Lysimachus. Dromichaetes succeeded in persuading the assembly of his compatriots that the release of the enemy king would bring them greater political advantage than his punishment. Dromichaetes also set out a feast to demonstrate the barbarian ways and the poverty of his people, using different furniture, tableware and food. He then asked Lysimachus:
Dromichaetes crowned Lysimachus with a wreath and then set him free, after receiving promises of loyalty and friendship and the return of the Getic territories occupied by Lysimachus. As precaution, the Getae held some high-born hostages like Clearchus
, the son of the tyrant
Dionysius of Heraclea
. Lysimachus also had to give his daughter in marriage to Dromichaetes.
The great tomb in Ginina mound near Sveshtari is among the most proeminent Thracian tombs with its unique architecture and luxurious decoration. It is dated approximately to early 3rd century BC. A painted scene, interpreted as either one of heroization or investiture, points to its probable royal character. The man and the woman buried here were tentatively identified with Dromichaetes and his consort. The unfinished details of its sculptured and painted decoration indicate a hasty and premature burial. The woman was probably murdered to accompany her royal husband in the grave.
The Roman
historian Justin mentions a large army of Celts defeating both Triballi
and Getae before attacking Antigonus Gonatas in 279 BC. Based on this account, Peter Delev argued that Dromichaetes could have fallen in battle against these Celts.
story about the punishment of pride and the virtues of barbarians. Diodorus' story of Dromichaetes' banquet for his royal prisoner is probably a literary device, contrasting Macedonian opulence with Thracian frugality.
of Ceauşescu period identified Romanians
with the Getae
and the Dacians
and transformed Dromichaetes into one of the great heroes of Romania
n national pantheon, alongside Burebista
and Decebalus
. According to Lucian Boia
, "the simplicity, wisdom, and patriotism of a people who seem to be outside history are set in opposition to the conquering greed of the great empires."
Dromichaetes is the king of Dacians and the main character in Muntele ("The Mountain"), a play
written in 1977 by Dumitru Radu Popescu
and a political fable
. The identity between the ruler
and its people alludes to Ceauşescu's cult of personality
.
Helis Nunatak
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after the Getic Helis.
Getae
The Getae was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania...
on both sides of the lower Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
(present day Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
) around 300 BC
300 BC
Year 300 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Corvus and Pansa...
.
Background
The Getae had been federated in the Odrysian kingdomOdrysian kingdom
The Odrysian kingdom was a union of Thracian tribes that endured between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. It consisted largely of present-day Bulgaria, spreading to parts of Northern Dobruja, parts of Northern Greece and modern-day European Turkey...
in the 5th century BC. It is not known how the relations between Getae and Odrysians developed. The Balkan campaigns of Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
between 352 and 340 BC shattered the Odrysian authority and the Getae profited of the situation. By the second half of the 4th century, the Getae occupied sites on both banks of the lower Danube and this region flourished as never before. The new Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ian conquests, secured with considerable military power, caused uproar in the adjoining territories and thus stimulated the political fusion of the Getic tribes.
Name
There is no consensus on the etymology of the name Δρομιχαίτης (Dromichaites).It can be a Greek name (δρόμος "run" + χαιτήεις "long-haired"), a Thracian
Thracian language
The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
name, or a Thracian name formed with Greek elements (Δρομο- and Χαιτο-, -χαιτης).
Other people with this name:
- a Thracian mercenary soldier in AtticaAtticaAttica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
around 300 BC - a Thracian chief helping Antiochus II TheosAntiochus II TheosAntiochus II Theos was a king of the Hellenistic Seleucid Kingdom who reigned 261 BC – 246 BC). He succeeded his father Antiochus I Soter in the winter of 262–61 BC...
(261 – 246 BC) at the siege of KypselaKypselaKypsela was an ancient Greek city located in Thrace , located in the region between the river Nestos to the river Hebros.... - a general of Mithridates VI Eupator sent with reinforcements in 87 BC to support ArchelausArchelaus (general)Archelaus was a leading military general of the King Mithridates VI of Pontus. Archelaus was the greatest general that had served under Mithridates VI and was also his favorite general....
in AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... - Marcus Valerius Dromocheta(es?) sive Calliparthenus, a GreekGreeksThe Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
living in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, probably in the 2nd century AD
Reign
Not much is known about the reign of Dromichaetes, his court and his kingdom. The most detailed account is provided by two fragments from the historyBibliotheca historica
Bibliotheca historica , is a work of universal history by Diodorus Siculus. It consisted of forty books, which were divided into three sections. The first six books are geographical in theme, and describe the history and culture of Egypt , of Mesopotamia, India, Scythia, and Arabia , of North...
of Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
. But it must be treated with caution, as the interference of literary motifs
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
lessens its value as historical evidence.
Helis
According to Diodorus, the main residence of Dromichaetes was named Helis. Traditionally, Helis and the kingdom of Dromichaetes have been placed beyond the Danube, in the Romanian PlainRomanian Plain
The Romanian Plain is located in southern Romania and the easternmost tip of Serbia. Part of the historical region of Wallachia, it is bordered by the Danube River in the east, south and west, and by the Getic Plateau in the north. Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is located in the central part...
. Thus Helis was variously located at Piscul Crăsani
Dacian Fortresses of Crăsanii de Jos
-External links:*...
on Ialomița River
Ialomita River
The Ialomiţa is a river of Southern Romania that rises from the Bucegi Mountains in the Carpathians and flows into the Danube.The upper reach of the river is sometimes known as Valea Obârşiei or Obârşia Ialomiţei.-Localities:...
, at Popeşti
Mihailesti
Mihăileşti is a town located in Giurgiu County, Romania. It administers three villages: Drăgănescu, Novaci and Popeşti.Popeşti village is the location of an important archeological discovery: a large Dacian settlement believed by some historians such as Vasile Pârvan and professor Radu Vulpe to be...
on Argeş River
Arges River
Argeș is a river of Southern Romania. It starts at the junction of headwaters Buda and Capra in the Făgăraș Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians and flows into the Danube at Oltenița.The main city on the Argeş is Piteşti...
, at Zimnicea
Zimnicea
Zimnicea is a town in Teleorman county, Romania , a port on the Danube opposite the Bulgarian city of Svishtov.-Geography:...
on the left bank of Danube, or identified with one of the several earth-walled fortifications from the Alexandria
Alexandria, Romania
Alexandria is the capital city of the Teleorman County, Romania. It is located south-west of Bucharest, towards the Bulgarian border. The city is situated on the Vedea River. The city has 58,651 inhabitants.-Alexandria in 1900:...
-Roşiorii de Vede
Rosiorii de Vede
Roşiorii de Vede is a municipality in Teleorman, Wallachia, one of the oldest cities in Romania. It was first mentioned in a document which dates back to 1385, when the city was visited by two German pilgrims who were returning from Jerusalem and stopped for a few days in a town they called...
complex. It was also suggested Helis was located in the Moldavian Plateau
Moldavian Plateau
The Moldavian Plateau is a geographic area spanning northeast Romania, most of Moldova , and most of the Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine.-Limits:The Moldavian Plateau is bounded :...
in a cluster of fortified settlements dated between the 6th and the 3rd century BC, where two royal treasures were also found at Cucuteni Băiceni
Cucuteni
Cucuteni is a commune in Iaşi County, Romania, with a population of 1,446 as of 2002. It is located 45 km from the city of Iaşi and 10 km from the town of Târgu Frumos. Neighbouring villages and communes are Todireşti , Târgu Frumos and Cotnari and Ruginoasa...
and Stânceşti
Mihai Eminescu, Botosani
Mihai Eminescu is a commune in Botoşani County, Romania. It is composed of nine villages: Baisa, Cătămăreşti, Cătămăreşti-Deal, Cerviceşti, Cerviceşti-Deal, Cucorăni, Ipoteşti , Manoleşti and Stânceşti....
.
However, the discovery of the Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
tomb at Sveshtari (1982) in the western Ludogorie
Ludogorie
The Ludogorie or Deliorman is a region in northeastern Bulgaria stretching over the plateau of the same name. Major cities in the region are Razgrad, Novi Pazar, Pliska and Isperih...
in Bulgaria suggested that Helis was located perhaps in its vicinity, where remains of a large ancient city are found along with dozens of other Thracian mound tombs.
The settlement is situated in a natural stronghold, a plateau surrounded like a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
by the ravines of Krapinets River. The outer stone wall
Stone wall
Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction which have been made for thousands of years. First they were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones in what is called a dry stone wall, then later with the use of mortar and plaster especially in the construction of...
, up to 4m thick, follows the edges of the peninsula and defends a territory of about 10 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s. The inner wall, of similar construction, encloses a roughly quadrilateral
Quadrilateral
In Euclidean plane geometry, a quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides and four vertices or corners. Sometimes, the term quadrangle is used, by analogy with triangle, and sometimes tetragon for consistency with pentagon , hexagon and so on...
area of about 5 hectares. The fortified territory was relatively densely occupied by dwellings connected by a thoroughfare network. Dating finds such as amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
e stamps and coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s indicate that this settlement existed between ca. 335 and ca. 250 BC.
The settlement enjoyed economic prosperity and sustained active trade relations with the Greek colonies in the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
region. The imported goods were found in abundance: Attic
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
black-glazed ceramics, amphorae from Thassos, Sinope
Sinop, Turkey
Sinop is a city with a population of 36,734 on İnce Burun , by its Cape Sinop which is situated on the most northern edge of the Turkish side of Black Sea coast, in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, in modern-day northern Turkey, historically known as Sinope...
and Heraclea Pontica
Heraclea Pontica
Heraclea Pontica , an ancient city on the coast of Bithynia in Asia Minor, at the mouth of the river Lycus. It was founded by the Greek city-state of Megara c.560-558 and was named after Heracles who the Greeks believed entered the underworld at a cave on the adjoining Archerusian promontory .The...
and pottery of probable West-Pontic
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
colonial origin. It was also an important production center with metalworking, bone and pottery workshops.
The war with Lysimachus
In 313 BC, during the Third War of the Diadochi, the Greek colonies of the western Black Sea shores revolted against LysimachusLysimachus
Lysimachus was a Macedonian officer and diadochus of Alexander the Great, who became a basileus in 306 BC, ruling Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedon.-Early Life & Career:...
, a former general of Alexander the Great, and expelled the military garrisons imposed by him. Lysimachus besieged successively Odessus and Histria and forced them to capitulate. A peace treaty was drawn up in 311, but the siege of Callatis continued until 310 or 309 BC. No other action of Lysimachus is known north of Haemus
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...
until the clash with Dromichaetes in the 290s BC.
The evidence for the conflict is incomplete and contradictory, although attested by a number of ancient authors. It was probably provoked by the territorial expansion of Lysimachus and the control of the Greek colonies was perhaps the issue at stake.
The two fragments of Diodorus' history suggest two separate campaigns. During the first the Getae captured Agathocles
Agathocles (son of Lysimachus)
Agathocles was a Greek Prince who was of Macedonian and Thessalian descent. He was the son born to the diadochus Lysimachus from his first wife the Queen consort, Nicaea a daughter of the powerful regent Antipater...
, the son of Lysimachus, but later set him free hoping to recover the territories lost to Lysimachus. During the second Lysimachus himself was taken prisoner and then released under similar conditions. However Pausanias, mentioning the same two episodes, implies they are parallel versions of one and the same event.
The campaign in which Lysimachus fell captive to the Getae is dated by scholars variously between 294 and 291 BC. Lysimachus invaded with significant forces and his offensive enjoyed some early success before ending in disaster. According to Polyaenus
Polyaenus
Polyaenus or Polyenus vs. e]]; , "many proverbs") was a 2nd century Macedonian author, known best for his Stratagems in War , which has been preserved. The Suda calls him a rhetorician, and Polyaenus himself writes that he was accustomed to plead causes before the emperor...
, Seuthes, a general of Dromichaetes, presented himself as a deserter, deceived Lysimachus and led him into difficult terrain. Attacked by Dromichaetes, the army of Lysimachus was defeated and the king had to surrender.
Diodorus gives our only account of the captivity and subsequent release of Lysimachus. Dromichaetes succeeded in persuading the assembly of his compatriots that the release of the enemy king would bring them greater political advantage than his punishment. Dromichaetes also set out a feast to demonstrate the barbarian ways and the poverty of his people, using different furniture, tableware and food. He then asked Lysimachus:
Dromichaetes crowned Lysimachus with a wreath and then set him free, after receiving promises of loyalty and friendship and the return of the Getic territories occupied by Lysimachus. As precaution, the Getae held some high-born hostages like Clearchus
Clearchus of Heraclea
Clearchus was a citizen of Heraclea on the Euxine who was recalled from exile by the nobles to aid them in quelling the seditious temper and demands of the people. According to Justin, he made an agreement with Mithridates of Cius to betray the city to him on condition, of holding it under him...
, the son of the tyrant
Tyrant
A tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
Dionysius of Heraclea
Dionysius of Heraclea
Dionysius was a tyrant of Heraclea on the Euxine . He was a son of Clearchus, who had assumed the tyranny in his native place. When Clearchus died , he was first succeeded by his brother Satyrus, who was reigning as guardian for Clearchus' sons Timotheus and Dionysius...
. Lysimachus also had to give his daughter in marriage to Dromichaetes.
Death and burial
The great tomb in Ginina mound near Sveshtari is among the most proeminent Thracian tombs with its unique architecture and luxurious decoration. It is dated approximately to early 3rd century BC. A painted scene, interpreted as either one of heroization or investiture, points to its probable royal character. The man and the woman buried here were tentatively identified with Dromichaetes and his consort. The unfinished details of its sculptured and painted decoration indicate a hasty and premature burial. The woman was probably murdered to accompany her royal husband in the grave.
The Roman
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
historian Justin mentions a large army of Celts defeating both Triballi
Triballi
The Triballi were an ancient tribe whose dominion was around the plains of southern modern Serbia and west Bulgaria, at the Angrus and Brongus and the Iskur River, roughly centered where Serbia and Bulgaria are joined....
and Getae before attacking Antigonus Gonatas in 279 BC. Based on this account, Peter Delev argued that Dromichaetes could have fallen in battle against these Celts.
Classical world
The captivity of Lysimachus was echoed in the Classical Greek literature as a moralizingMorality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
story about the punishment of pride and the virtues of barbarians. Diodorus' story of Dromichaetes' banquet for his royal prisoner is probably a literary device, contrasting Macedonian opulence with Thracian frugality.
Modern world
The historical-political propagandaProtochronism
Protochronism is a Romanian term describing the tendency to ascribe, largely relying on questionable data and subjective interpretations, an idealised past to the country as a whole...
of Ceauşescu period identified Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
with the Getae
Getae
The Getae was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania...
and the Dacians
Dacians
The Dacians were an Indo-European people, very close or part of the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia...
and transformed Dromichaetes into one of the great heroes of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n national pantheon, alongside Burebista
Burebista
Burebista was a king of the Getae and Dacians, who unified for the first time their tribes and ruled them between 82 BC and 44 BC. He led plunder and conquest raids across Central and Southeastern Europe, subjugating most of the neighbouring tribes...
and Decebalus
Decebalus
Decebalus or "The Brave" was a king of Dacia and is famous for fighting three wars and negotiating two interregnums of peace without being eliminated against the Roman Empire under two emperors...
. According to Lucian Boia
Lucian Boia
Lucian Boia is a Romanian historian, known especially for his works debunking Romanian nationalism and Communism.-Bibliography:* Eugen Brote: Litera, 1974...
, "the simplicity, wisdom, and patriotism of a people who seem to be outside history are set in opposition to the conquering greed of the great empires."
Dromichaetes is the king of Dacians and the main character in Muntele ("The Mountain"), a play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
written in 1977 by Dumitru Radu Popescu
Dumitru Radu Popescu
Dumitru Radu Popescu is a Romanian novelist, poet, dramatist, essayist, short story writer, and formerly communist politician. A former member of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party , he is a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy and was, between 1980 and 1990, Chairman of...
and a political fable
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
. The identity between the ruler
Conducator
Conducător was the title used officially in two instances by Romanian politicians, and earlier by Carol II.-History:...
and its people alludes to Ceauşescu's cult of personality
Cult of personality
A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are usually associated with dictatorships...
.
Helis Nunatak
Helis Nunatak
Helis Nunatak is a crown-shaped rocky peak of elevation 340 m in Vidin Heights on Varna Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Western Antarctica...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after the Getic Helis.
See also
- List of rulers in Thrace and Dacia
- List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia