:''Dii'' ''is also the plural of Latin

Deus ''Deus'' (, ) is the Latin word for 'God (word), god' or 'deity'. Latin ''deus'' and ''dīvus'' ('divine') are in turn descended from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European *''deiwos'', 'celestial' or 'shining', from the same root ( ...

.''

The Dii (; ) were an independent

Thracian The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...

tribe,

swordsmen Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to an ...

, who lived among the foothills of Mount Rhodope in

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

, and particularly in the east bank of Nestos, from the springs to the Nestos gorge. They often joined the ranks of organized armies as mercenaries or volunteers.

Thucydides Thucydides ( ; ; BC) was an Classical Athens, Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts Peloponnesian War, the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been d ...

declared that they were the most warlike infantry in Sitalkes' army. Though usually described as swordsmen, they defeated a Theban cavalry by using

peltast A ''peltast'' (, ) was a type of light infantry originating in Thracians, Thrace and Paeonia (kingdom), Paeonia and named after the kind of shield he carried.

tactics, so they were certainly skilled in other areas of warfare as well. The Dii are known for their love of freedom and independence. A Thracian uprising broke out on the territory of the Dii due to Thracian's opposition to sending military recruits for the Roman army. Prior to the uprising, the Dii fled to inaccessible rock formations in the Hemus and Rhodope mountains. The Dii sent envoys to the Roman envoys, promising to maintain friendship with the empire in exchange for the Romans to stop demanding recruits. The Romans refused and besieged the Dii. The leaders of the Dii rebellion –Tarsus, Turesis, and Dinus – killed themselves rather than surrender to the Romans.

References

Ancient tribes in the Balkans Ancient tribes in Bulgaria Mercenary units and formations of antiquity Thracian tribes {{Ancient-Thrace-stub

See also

References