Zalmoxis

Who is Zalmoxis?

Zalmoxis, also known as Salmoxis, Zamolxis, or Samolxis, is a divinity of the Getae, mentioned by Herodotus in his Histories IV, 93–96. In later interpretations, which begin with Jordanes and have proliferated during the 19th and 20th century, mainly in Romania, he was regarded as the sole god of the Getae or as a legendary social and religious reformer who, according to Herodotus, taught the Getae a belief in immortality, so that they considered dying merely as going to Zalmoxis. Herodotus states that Zalmoxis was also called by some of the Getae Gebeleizis, which made some searchers conclude that Getae were actually henotheists or even polytheists. Another discussion exists about the chthonic or uranian character of Zalmoxis.