Editing Zalmoxis (section)

==Religion of the Getae==
[[Strabo]] in his ''Geography'' mentions a certain [[Deceneus]] (Dékainéos) whom he calls a {{lang|grc|γόητα}} "magician".<ref>Strabo, ''Geography'', book 7, 3, 1–11</ref> According to Strabo, king [[Burebista]] (82–44 BC) hired Deceneus, who had been in Egypt, to "tame" his people. As a sign of the people's obedience, they consented to destroy all their wines as ordered by Deceneus. The "reform of Deceneus" is the interpretation by the 6th-century bishop and historian [[Jordanes]], who includes the Getae in his history of the Goths (as assumed ancestors of the Goths). Jordanes describes how Deceneus taught the Getae philosophy and physics. Even if it is more probable that Jordanes interjected his own philosophical knowledge into the text, many modern Romanian authors consider that Deceneus was a priest who reformed the religion of the Getae, changing the worship of Zalmoxis into a popular religion and imposing strict religious rules, such as the restriction of wine consumption. Jean Coman deems this prohibition as the origin of the dietary restrictions followed by the modern Orthodox Church during Lent.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

According to [[Iamblichus]] (280–333 AD), "for instructing the Getae in these things, and for having written laws for them, Zalmoxis was by them considered as the greatest of the gods."<ref>Rousell, Patrick (ed.) {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070322152710/http://www.completepythagoras.net/volume1/iamblichus/30.html The Complete Pythagoras]}}</ref>

[[Aristotle]] is said, in the brief epitome of his ''Magicus'' given by Diogenes Laertes, to have compared Zalmoxis with the [[Phoenicia]]n Okhon and [[Ancient Libya|Libya]]n [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]]. Some authors{{who|date=November 2015}} assume Zalmoxis was another name of [[Sabazius]], the Thracian [[Dionysus]], or [[Zeus]]. Sabazius appears in Jordanes as Gebelezis.  Leaving aside the suffixes ''-zius/-zis'', the root ''Saba-'' = ''Gebele-'',{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} suggesting a relationship of the name of the goddess Cybele, as "Cybele's Zeus". [[Mnaseas|Mnaseas of Patrae]] identified Zalmoxis with [[Cronus|Cronos]], as does [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]], who has "{{lang|grc|Σάλμοξις ὁ Κρόνος}}".{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

In [[Plato]]'s writings, Zalmoxis is mentioned as skilled in the arts of incantation. Zalmoxis gave his name to a particular type of singing and dancing (Hesych).<ref name="Znamenski">Znamenski, Andrei A. ''Shamanism''</ref> 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.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}