Getae and Dacians? Are they the same? Or is this unknowable?

[diegis]

Hailog Diegis,

I believe that "later" ancient authors (Crirtias to Jordanes) followed the principles and nomenclature set by Herodotus. When we hear that the Getae were the "most numerous of peoples" other than the Indians, we can see the reasoning. The ambiguity of the term places various Getae within a wide geographical range. The Massagetae and Thyssegetae were branches of the Saka, and the Saka were formed as a culture in the Altai, especailly around the river Yenessy near the Mongolian border. If we encompass all these various "Getic" peoples, from Mongolia to Rumania, we have the group called "most numerous." The Dacians were a part of this larger cultural group; and we see this in various customs such as their use of the dragon wind-sock.

I hope you see what I'm trying to explain. This group, through language and custom, were the Getae to Herodotus but they were simply one of the three branches of Indo-European culture. The other two branches were the Indians (Hindus) and the Europeans (Greeks, Romans, Celts, etc.). Therefore the Dacians were Getae, but not all Getae were Dacians.

Salve Alanus

I think you made some small confusions here. First, Herodotus said that "Thracians" are the most numerous peoples on Earth, after Indians, so not Getae. He just said that Getae are the most wise and brave from the Thracians. The confusion betwen Getae-Dacians and "other Getae" maight be because some similar way of fighting for ex., as archer cavalry, dont know, and Herodotus didnt explain from where the name come. Geto-Dacians was the memeber of "european" branch of so called "indo-europeans", thats sure, i didnt hear until now that indo-europeans being split in 3, Getae, Indians and Europeans. I hear about "arians" ( the "indians" ones who write the Veda ), iranians, greeks, latins, celts, germanics, and, the first ones formed as a distinct peoples among this "indo-europeans" was proto-thracians, who was split in some peoples as cimmerians, phrygians, getae-dacians and southern thracians ( called simple - thracians ).