Zalmoxis

Ancient historians beginning with Herodotus (484-425 BC) write of an enigmatic Thracian priest-prophet, who introduced the concept of immortality of the soul before the Greeks. Lucian Blaga, gifted Romanian poet, philosopher, and dramaturg, captures the charismatic eponymous figure of his dramatic poem, Zalmoxis, in this exciting revised translation in parallel Romanian-English texts by Doris C. Plantus-the first of its kind to English speaking audiences. Notable characters, including a carver of statues, a hunchback who fertilizes his grapes with corpses, a cunning mage and sorcerer, and a simple shepherd afflicted with lycanthropy form a collective antagonist against the Blind One of Zalmoxis’ new religion. Blaga’s play embodies important historical, philosophical, and religious elements of Thracian culture and deserves attention for its timeless relevance to everlasting life of the soul.