“The thought won me over to take up this labour: to set before the world the kind of this people, from what spring and stock the inhabitants of our country come.”Miron Costin · De neamul moldovenilor · 1687 · De neamul moldovenilor, Predoslovie
Writing history can be an act of dignity: knowing your roots builds a people's identity.
Costin justifies his historical work with patriotic and scholarly motives: he wants to dispel ignorance about his people. 'Labour' hints at the immense effort of gathering documents and traditions. He aims to prove Moldavians are not a people without history, but descendants of Romans — a revolutionary idea in the 17th century.
Miron Costin does not write only for scholars. He wants every Moldovan to know where they come from. When a neighbor tells you your people have no past, Costin gives you arguments to reply. History thus becomes a quiet weapon against shame. The next step is to see how he gathers those scattered proofs.
Why it matters It shows that writing history can be an act of national dignity, and that a people's identity is built through knowledge of its roots.