Of Romans, Dacians, and Romanians
Of Romans, Dacians, and Romanians

Summary/Abstract: The Romans and Dacians both played an important role in Romanian nationalism and in the construction of the modern Romanian identity. Their relationshipis complex and frequently in conflict, as the political climate determinedwhich mythical ancestor was seen as advantageous at the time. We suggest thatthe Roman ancestry was fundamental for the initial stages of Romanian nationand state-building, providing Romanians with a noble origin and a connection toWestern Europe. As the Romanian state grew more mature throughout the 20thcentury, emphasis shifted to the Dacians, giving the nation even deeper, prehistoricroots which doubled as a claim to territory. In this article we explore the historicalprocess of how the Romans and Dacians have endured together in Romanianpopular imagination.

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