Dromichaetes
| Dromichaetes - Δρομιχαίτης | |
|---|---|
| King of Getae | |
| Reign | c. 300 – c. 280 BC |
| Died | c. 280 BC |
| Burial | Sveshtari, Bulgaria |
| Spouse | a daughter of Lysimachus |
Dromichaetes (Ancient Greek: Δρομιχαίτης Dromichaites) was king of the Getae on both sides of the lower Danube (present day Romania and Bulgaria) around 300 BC.
The Getae had been federated in the Odrysian kingdom 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 Macedonian conquests, secured with considerable military power, caused uproar in the adjoining territories and thus stimulated the political fusion of the Getic tribes.
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 name, or a Thracian name formed with Greek elements (Δρομο- and Χαιτο-, -χαιτης).
Other people with this name:
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 history of Diodorus Siculus. But it must be treated with caution, as the interference of literary motifs lessens its value as historical evidence.
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 Plain. 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.
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