The Moesi (/ˈmiːsaɪ/ or /ˈmiːzaɪ/; Greek: Μοισοί) were a Daco-Thracian tribe who inhabited present day Serbia and Bulgaria, part of the then Roman province of Moesia, which was named after them in 87 AD by the Romans after the Romans under Crassus defeated them in the 29 BC.
They were formed out of the 14th century BC Brnjica culture.[1] Thracologists suggest that the Moesi may have spoken a language or dialect intermediary between Dacian and Thracian.
Onomastic range of the Dacian and Moesian towns with the dava or deva ending, covering Dacia, Moesia, Thrace and Dalmatia and showcasing linguistic continuity
The large number of Dacian/Moesian davae (town names end in '-dava' or '-deva') across entire Moesia, parts of Thrace and Dalmatia, indicates a much closer linguistic affinity between Dacian and Moesian languages, than between Moesian and Thracian, hinting to a much closer connection between Dacians and Moesians. The distinctly Thracian -para and -bria endings for town names are mostly present south of Moesia, making the Balkan Mountains (Haemus Mons) the linguistic border between Daco-Moesian and Thracian languages and cultures.[2]
Map of Dacia, Moesia and surroundings during Burebista's campaigns
The close Dacian-Moesian connection is further emphasized by the fact that significant areas of Moesia were part of Burebista's Dacian kingdom formed by creating a union of related Geto-Dacian, Moesian and Thracian tribes. Additionally, after the Roman conquest of Moesia, the Geto-Dacians constantly raided across the Danube, under kings like Duras and Diurpaneus, harassing Roman troops and attempting to regain lost territory.
