Zalmoxis

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Zalmoxis ( Greek  Ζάλμοξις Zálmoxis , also Σάλμοξις Sálmoxis , Ζάμολξις Zámolxis or Σάμολξις Sámolxis ) is a deity of the Geten in ancient Greek mythology , who gives eternal life to the deceased.

According to Herodotus , a messenger was sent to Zalmoxis every five years, to whom anyone could give his requests and wishes. To do this, the messenger was grabbed by the hands and feet and dropped into spears set up for this purpose. If the messenger was killed in this way, this was interpreted as a good sign; however, if he was alive, people would call him a "bad guy".

According to a more recent legend, Zalmoxis was a Thracian or Gete who lived temporarily on the island of Samos with the philosopher Pythagoras , whose slave and pupil he was. He later gained freedom and returned to his homeland. There he hid for three years and was therefore thought to be dead; when he reappeared, his simple-minded compatriots believed his tales of survival in death. This legend is a mockery of the Pythagorean doctrine of immortality.

The author of Philosophumena saw Zalmoxis as a teacher of Celtic druids: "[...] Zamolxis, who is said to have taught the Celtic druids the Pythagorean philosophy."

Zalmoxis Peak , a mountain in Antarctica, has been named after him since 2012 .

literature

  • Jan N. Bremmer : Zalmoxis. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 12, Metzler, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-476-01470-3 , column 691.
  • Dan Dana: Zalmoxis. In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques. Volume 7, CNRS Éditions, Paris 2018, ISBN 978-2-271-09024-9 , pp. 317–322
  • Dan Dana: Zalmoxis in Antonius Diogenes' Wonders beyond Thule. In: Studii clasice. Societatea Româna de Studii Clasice , Vol. 34-36, 1998-2000, pp. 79-119.
  • Mircea Eliade : De Zalmoxis à Gengis-Khan. Études comparatives sur les religions et le folklore de la Dacie et de l'Europe orientale. Payot, Paris 1970, pp. 31-80; German: From Zalmoxis to Genghis Khan. Religion and Popular Culture in Southeast Europe. Translated by Altrud Homann. Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1990, ISBN 3-458-16115-5 , pp. 31-83.
  • Ion I. Russu : Zalmoxis. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume IX A, 2, Stuttgart 1967, Sp. 2301-2305.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Philosophumena I, 2, 22, Philosophumena - Refutatio omnium haeresium .