Moesi
Encyclopedia
The Moesi were a Daco-Thracian
tribe who inhabited present day Serbia
and Bulgaria
, part of the then Roman
province of Moesia
, which was named after them in 87 AD by the Romans after the Romans under Crassus defeated them in the 29 BC
.
, successfully overtaking their stronghold and subduing the majority of the tribe.
They were formed out of the 14th century BC Brnjica culture
.
Thracologists suggest that the Moesi may have spoken a language or dialect intermediary between Dacian
and Thracian
.
(town names end in '-dava' or '-deva') across entire Moesia, parts of Thrace and Dalmatia, indicates a much closer linguistic affinity between Dacian and Moesian languages, than between Moesian and Thracian, hinting to a much closer connection between Dacians and Moesians. The distinctly Thracian -para and -bria endings for town names are mostly present south of Moesia, making the Balkan Mountains
(Haemus Mons) the linguistic border between Daco-Moesian and Thracian languages and cultures.
The close Dacian-Moesian connection is further emphasized by the fact that significant areas of Moesia were part of Burebista
's Dacian kingdom formed by creating a union of related Geto-Dacian, Moesian and Thracian tribes. Additionally, after the Roman conquest of Moesia, the Geto-Dacians constantly raided across the Danube
, under kings like Duras
and Diurpaneus, harassing Roman troops and attempting to regain lost territory.
From the Moesian language or dialect, only a few items are recorded; their ethnonym
(Moesoi, Moesi), some toponyms and anthroponyms, and a phytonym: Mendruta, the Moesian name for the False Helleborine
(L. Veratrum nigrum
) or the Beet
(L. Beta vulgaris).
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...
tribe who inhabited present day Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
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...
, part of the then Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
province of Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
, which was named after them in 87 AD by the Romans after the Romans under Crassus defeated them in the 29 BC
29 BC
Year 29 BC was either a common year starting on Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Thursday, Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Thursday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
.
History
The Romans chased an army of the Bastarnae and marched towards the MoesiWars of Augustus
The Wars of Augustus refer to the military campaigns undertaken by the Roman government during the sole rule of the founder-emperor Augustus . This was a period of 4-5 years when almost every year saw major campaigning, in some cases on a scale comparable to the Second Punic War , when Roman...
, successfully overtaking their stronghold and subduing the majority of the tribe.
They were formed out of the 14th century BC Brnjica culture
Brnjica culture
The Brnjica culture is an archaeological culture in present-day Serbia dating from 1400 BC.The cultural group formed out of this culture are the Moesi, a Daco-Thracian tribe formed in the Roman province of Moesia of present-day central Serbia...
.
Thracologists suggest that the Moesi may have spoken a language or dialect intermediary between Dacian
Dacian language
The extinct Dacian language may have developed from proto-Indo-European in the Carpathian region around 2,500 BC and probably died out by AD 600. In the 1st century AD, it was the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and, possibly, of some surrounding regions.It belonged...
and 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...
.
Language and culture
The large number of Dacian/Moesian davaeDava (Dacian)
Dava is a Geto-Dacian name for a city, town or fortress. Generally, the name indicated a tribal center or an important settlement, usually fortified...
(town names end in '-dava' or '-deva') across entire Moesia, parts of Thrace and Dalmatia, indicates a much closer linguistic affinity between Dacian and Moesian languages, than between Moesian and Thracian, hinting to a much closer connection between Dacians and Moesians. The distinctly Thracian -para and -bria endings for town names are mostly present south of Moesia, making the Balkan Mountains
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...
(Haemus Mons) the linguistic border between Daco-Moesian and Thracian languages and cultures.
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...
's Dacian kingdom formed by creating a union of related Geto-Dacian, Moesian and Thracian tribes. Additionally, after the Roman conquest of Moesia, the Geto-Dacians constantly raided across the 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....
, under kings like Duras
Duras
-Places:* Obsolete French spelling of the Albanian city of Durrës* Duras, Lot-et-Garonne, a commune of the Lot-et-Garonne département in France* Duras, Belgium, a constituent village of the commune of Sint-Truiden in the Belgian province of Limburg-People:...
and Diurpaneus, harassing Roman troops and attempting to regain lost territory.
From the Moesian language or dialect, only a few items are recorded; their ethnonym
Ethnonym
An ethnonym is the name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms and autonyms or endonyms .As an example, the ethnonym for...
(Moesoi, Moesi), some toponyms and anthroponyms, and a phytonym: Mendruta, the Moesian name for the False Helleborine
False Helleborine
False Helleborine is a name is used in different parts of the world to describe several different plants of either the Orchid family or the Lily family....
(L. Veratrum nigrum
Veratrum nigrum
Veratrum nigrum is a coarse, highly poisonous perennial herb of the Melanthiaceae family. As is indicated by its name, the plant is not a hellebore , but from a closely related genus, Veratrum. The plant was widely known even in ancient times. For example, Lucretius Veratrum nigrum (or Black False...
) or the Beet
Beet
The beet is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family which is now included in Amaranthaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...
(L. Beta vulgaris).
See also
- List of ancient tribes in Thrace and Dacia
- List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
- Dacian languageDacian languageThe extinct Dacian language may have developed from proto-Indo-European in the Carpathian region around 2,500 BC and probably died out by AD 600. In the 1st century AD, it was the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and, possibly, of some surrounding regions.It belonged...
- Daco-Thracian
- MoesiaMoesiaMoesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
- DaciaDaciaIn ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
External links
- Sorin Olteanu's Project: Linguae Thraco-Daco-Moesorum - Toponyms Section (Romanian, partially English)