Dromichaetes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dromichaetes was ruler of the Getae north of Danube (present day Romania) around 300 BC. His capital was named "Helis" and was probably in the Romanian Plain (in Wallachia). An archaelogical site near the town of Isperih in Bulgarian Dobruja has been interpreted by Bulgarian scientists as the capital Helis.

Ancient chronicles (Diodorus Siculus, Polybius, Plutarch, Pausanias) recorded his victory over Lysimachus, King of Thracia, former general of Alexander the Great.

The remarkable thing about Dromichaetes was his diplomacy. After he captured Lysimachus, a symbolic feast was staged in which Lysimachus was treated with the best food and ate from silver plates, while the Getae ate modest food from wooden plates. The point made by Dromichaites was: 'if you had all these silver plates in your country, why did you come here to take our wooden plates?' Eventually, Lysimachus was set free and was offered lavish gifts, a peaceful relationship between he and the Getae being thus established. The peace between the Getae and Lysimachus was strengthened further by the marriage between Dromichaetes and Lysimachus' daughter.