Information AboutZalmoxis |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ZALMOXIS | |
| 713 bc births | |
| dacian deities | |
| dacian gods | |
| life-death-rebirth gods | |
| thracian deities | |
| thracian gods | |
| year of death unknown | |
| ancient greece | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
Zalmoxis ( Greek '''Ζάλμοξις''', also known as '''Salmoxis''', Σάλμοξις, Zamolxis, Ζάμοξλις, or Samolxis Σάμοξλις) was a semi-mythical social and religious reformer, regarded as the only true God by the Thracian Dacians (also known in the Greek records as Getae Γέται). According to Herodotus (IV. 95 sq.), the Getae, who believed in the Immortality of the soul, looked upon death merely as going to Zalmoxis, as they knew the way to become immortals. ETYMOLOGY
Hesychius (ca. 5th Century ) has ''zemelen'' (ζέμελεν) as a Phrygian word for "foreign slave". The correct spelling of the name is also uncertain. Manuscripts of Herodotus' ''Historiae'' have all four spellings, viz. ''Zalmoxis'', ''Salmoxis'', ''Zamolxis'', ''Samolxis'', with a majority of manuscripts favouring ''Salmoxis''. Later authors show a preference for ''Zamolxis''. Hesychius quotes Herodotus, using ''Zalmoxis''.
THE MAN Herodotus was told by the Euhemeristic Pontic Greeks that Zalmoxis was really a man, formerly a slave (or disciple) of Pythagoras , who taught him the "sciences of the skies" at Samos . Zalmoxis was Manumitted and amassed great wealth, returned to his country and instructed his people, the Getae , about the immortality of the soul. Zenon also records that Zamolxis was Pythagoras' slave. At one point, Zalmoxis traveled to Egypt and brought the people mystic knowledge about the immortality of the soul, teaching them that they would pass at death to a certain place where they would enjoy all possible blessings for all eternity. Zalmoxis then had a subterranean chamber constructed (other accounts say that it was a natural (Thus he can be seen a Life-death-rebirth Deity , parallel to Tammuz or Jesus .) Herodotus, who declines to commit himself as to the existence of Zamolxis, expresses the opinion that in any case Zalmoxis must have lived long before the time of Pythagoras. Plato says in the '' Charmides '' dialogue that Zamolxis was also a great medic who took a Holistic approach to healing body and mind, not just the body, as was the Greek practice. THE GOD After the death of Zamolxis, his cult grew into a Henotheistic religion. During the rule of Burebista , the traditional year of his birth, 713 BC , was to be considered the first year of the Dacian calendar. Aristotle equates Zamolxis with Phoenicia n '' Okhon '' and Libya n '' Atlas ''. It is possible that Zamolxis is Sabazius , the Thracian Dionysus or Zeus . Mnaseas Of Patrae identified him with Cronos (Hesychius also has Σάλμοξις· ὁ Κρόνος). In Plato he is mentioned as skilled in the arts of incantation. His realm as a god is not very clear, as some considered him to be a sky-god, a god of the dead or a god of the Mysteries. EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCES
ZALMOXIS ''Primus Getarum Legislator'' ( see www.dacia.org "Articles - Translations - English" ) Carolus Lundius 1687. |