11-26-2009, 06:24 PM
Salve Dragos
I see, and i have a slightly diferent view. Hartog said that Zalmoxis was "born" in that chapter as since then is known to "the world" outside getians, or so, since Herodotus write about him. He said just before that he dont know if was a man, daimon or god. And in generaly is just his opinions, at his level of knowledge of the subject (very interesting views indeed). From what i understand he said that the views on him, coming from greeks, are "contaminated" by pythagorism, or viewed/interpretated thru pythagorism, but in the same time he point out some diferences betwen those two cults (who appear in "public eyes" about in the same period i understand). Neither from the quote from Eliade i dont understand he is a fictional character, just that he saw a "revival" in the last (from now) two centuries.
Its hard to believ he was a fictional character invented by greeks from Black Sea coast, or Herodotus, is just that agree, they didnt know too much about him, and the scarce infos they had about him was completed with stuff they took from a, somehow similar doctrine from their "world". But there are other information about Zalmoxies, from later chronicars, one being if i remember correct, that he was covered with a bear skin when was born, and that was a kind of explanation of his name, and this is an information we dont see at Herodotus from what i know. As well, the quote from Julian the Apostate, i dont think is based on Herodotus, but on Traian memoirs (lost today, unfortunately) about his war against Dacians. So, i dont think that was just a fictional character invented by Herodotus, invention who survived some half a millenium after, or more, and after countless greeks and romans had all kind of contacts with dacians, even lived in Dacia, and travel back in Greece or Rome, and they will know if that such doctrine or religion doesnt exist in fact. Yes, we dont know too much about it, but for sure it was something real. Even that inscription find from Sorin Oltean site, with that word "kaga", is put in conection with the "holly mountain" of dacians, related with zalmoxian religion, named Kogaion, so this is a material prouve as well, of his existence.
About Dan Oltean (no relation with Sorin Oltean, not sure about Ioana Oltean (damn, a lot of Oltean lately
D ), but unfortunately there is a current who exagerate on the other side too, trying (for i dont know what reasons) to diminish anything interesting or original about them (the so called "demythization" current, who is more or less just a kind of "witch hunt" who "put down" for an exaggerated thing other two real and correct as well).
This is an interesting article (not exactly about Zalmoxis anyway), is just in romanian
http://studiietnoistorice.wordpress.com ... si-altfel/
I see, and i have a slightly diferent view. Hartog said that Zalmoxis was "born" in that chapter as since then is known to "the world" outside getians, or so, since Herodotus write about him. He said just before that he dont know if was a man, daimon or god. And in generaly is just his opinions, at his level of knowledge of the subject (very interesting views indeed). From what i understand he said that the views on him, coming from greeks, are "contaminated" by pythagorism, or viewed/interpretated thru pythagorism, but in the same time he point out some diferences betwen those two cults (who appear in "public eyes" about in the same period i understand). Neither from the quote from Eliade i dont understand he is a fictional character, just that he saw a "revival" in the last (from now) two centuries.
Its hard to believ he was a fictional character invented by greeks from Black Sea coast, or Herodotus, is just that agree, they didnt know too much about him, and the scarce infos they had about him was completed with stuff they took from a, somehow similar doctrine from their "world". But there are other information about Zalmoxies, from later chronicars, one being if i remember correct, that he was covered with a bear skin when was born, and that was a kind of explanation of his name, and this is an information we dont see at Herodotus from what i know. As well, the quote from Julian the Apostate, i dont think is based on Herodotus, but on Traian memoirs (lost today, unfortunately) about his war against Dacians. So, i dont think that was just a fictional character invented by Herodotus, invention who survived some half a millenium after, or more, and after countless greeks and romans had all kind of contacts with dacians, even lived in Dacia, and travel back in Greece or Rome, and they will know if that such doctrine or religion doesnt exist in fact. Yes, we dont know too much about it, but for sure it was something real. Even that inscription find from Sorin Oltean site, with that word "kaga", is put in conection with the "holly mountain" of dacians, related with zalmoxian religion, named Kogaion, so this is a material prouve as well, of his existence.
About Dan Oltean (no relation with Sorin Oltean, not sure about Ioana Oltean (damn, a lot of Oltean lately
D ), but unfortunately there is a current who exagerate on the other side too, trying (for i dont know what reasons) to diminish anything interesting or original about them (the so called "demythization" current, who is more or less just a kind of "witch hunt" who "put down" for an exaggerated thing other two real and correct as well).This is an interesting article (not exactly about Zalmoxis anyway), is just in romanian
http://studiietnoistorice.wordpress.com ... si-altfel/
Razvan A.
