Trajan's Dacian Wars (101–102, 105–106) were two military campaigns fought between the Roman Empire and the Dacians under King Decebalus during the reign of Emperor Trajan. The conflicts stemmed from repeated Dacian incursions into the province of Moesia and from Rome's growing need for resources. Discontent with the treaty Domitian had concluded with Decebalus in 89 CE persisted, and Trajan, keen to assert himself as a soldier-emperor, took the opportunity to reassert Roman authority.
Trajan's First Dacian War began in 101 CE, when the emperor led a major offensive across the Danube using a pontoon bridge constructed by his engineer Apollodorus of Damascus, who also cut a road through the river cliffs. The Romans won a series of victories, including at Tapae and Adamclisi. Before Trajan could capture the Dacian capital, Sarmizegetusa, Decebalus sought peace. The treaty forced him to surrender territory and engineers provided by Domitian, return equipment, accept Roman garrisons, and refrain from crossing the Danube.
Within a few years Decebalus broke the agreement, rebuilding his forces, stirring neighboring tribes, and raiding Roman territory. In 105, Trajan launched the Second Dacian War, this time crossing on the great stone bridge at Drobeta, also designed by Apollodorus. Roman legions advanced north and destroyed Dacian fortresses, eventually besieging Sarmizegetusa. The Romans cut its water supply, and the city fell in 106. Decebalus fled but committed suicide to avoid capture, and his treasure was seized by Roman forces.
Rome annexed part of Dacia as a new province, settled with colonists from across the empire and secured with permanent garrisons. The conquest brought control of rich gold and silver mines, which strengthened the imperial treasury. Trajan celebrated with a triumph in Rome, accompanied by public feasts and games that lasted more than four months. The victory was commemorated by Trajan's Column, which depicts the wars in detail, and the influx of resources helped finance Trajan's extensive building projects in Rome.
Background
Throughout the 1st century, Roman policy dictated that threats from neighbouring nations and provinces were to be contained promptly. Dacia had been on the Roman agenda since before the days of Julius Caesar when the Dacians defeated a Roman army at the Battle of Histria.
Domitian's Dacian War had re-established peace with Dacia in 89 AD. However, the Dacian king Decebalus used the Roman annual subsidy of 8 million sesterces and craftsmen in trades devoted to both peace and war, and war machines intended to defend the empire's borders to fortify his own defences instead. Despite some co-operation on the diplomatic front with Domitian, Decebalus continued to oppose Rome.
At the time, Rome was suffering from economic difficulties largely brought on by military invasions throughout Europe and in part due to a low gold content in Roman money as directed by Emperor Nero. Confirmed rumors of Dacian gold and other valuable trade resources inflamed the conflict, as did the Dacians' defiant behaviour, as they were "unbowed and unbroken".
thumb|150px|Dacian Gold
However, other pressing reasons motivated them to action. Researchers estimate that only ten percent of barbarians such as Spanish and Gallic warriors had access to swords, usually the nobility. By contrast Dacia had rich resources of iron and copper and were prolific metal workers. A large percentage of Dacians owned swords, greatly reducing Rome's military advantage. Dacia sported 250,000 potential combatants, enough to enable an invasion. It was allied to several of its neighbours and on friendly terms with others that Rome considered enemies. Rome had no concrete defense policy and would not have been able to sustain a war of defense. As such, the new Emperor Trajan, himself an experienced soldier and tactician, began preparing for war. That Dacia was considered a substantial threat can be seen by the fact that Trajan withdrew troops from other borders leaving them dangerously undermanned. Trajan defeated a Dacian army at the Third Battle of Tapae.
In the winter of 101–02, the Roman army under Trajan had been amassed near the later city of Nicopolis ad Istrum at the junction of the Iatrus (Yantra) and the Rositsa rivers in readiness for the attack by the Sarmatian Roxolani tribe from north of the Danube (who were allied to the Dacians), and resulted in a Roman victory for which the city was named.
In 102 Decebalus chose to make peace once it became clear that the Roman advance towards Sarmizegetusa was unstoppable. The war had concluded with an important Roman victory and with the establishment of a garrison and an acting governor at Sarmizegetusa. Nevertheless, the war went on. Thanks to the treason of a confidant of the Dacian king, Bicilis, the Romans found Decebalus's treasure in the river of Sargesia/Sargetia - a fortune estimated by Carcopino at 165,500 kg of gold and 330,000 kg of silver. The last battle took place at Porolissum (Moigrad).
Conclusion and aftermath
thumb|Battle scene between the Roman and Dacian armies
The conclusion of the Dacian Wars marked a triumph for Rome and its armies. Trajan announced 123 days of celebrations throughout the Empire. Dacia's rich gold mines were secured and it is estimated that Dacia then contributed 700 million Denarii per annum to the Roman economy, providing finance for Rome's future campaigns and assisting with the rapid expansion of Roman towns throughout Europe.
Most of the Dacian population was from now outside Transylvania, known as the Free Dacians, who continuously raided the province allying themselves with the Sarmatians, while the insiders (who were divided up by the Romans to tribes
See also
- Dacian warfare
- Illyrian Wars
- Roman-Persian Wars
- Marcomannic Wars
- Jewish-Roman wars
References
- "Assorted Imperial Battle Descriptions", De Imperatoribus Romanis.