Getae

/ɡɛˈteɪ/ noun

Definition

An ancient Thracian or Indo-European people who lived in the regions of what is now Romania and southeastern Europe.

Etymology

From Latin Getae, possibly from Indo-European root meaning 'to pour' or connected to wandering peoples. The Getae were documented by Greek and Roman historians as fierce warrior tribes.

Kelly Says

The Getae fascinated ancient writers because they supposedly practiced voluntary death—when old, Getae warriors would stab themselves, believing they'd rejoin their god Zalmoxis in the afterlife. This religious practice made them seem both noble and terrifying to Mediterranean civilization.

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