Where is dacia located

After centuries of migratory tribes invasions that followed the decay of the Roman Empire, the Romanian historical provinces — Transylvania, Southern Romania, Moldavia, Dobrogea — appeared as distinct and independent regions starting with the 13th century. The only exception was Transylvania, conquered by the Hungarian Kingdom in the 11th century. The territory of modern-day Romania was inhabited in ancient times by the Dacians, mentioned in the historical sources of the time for their bravery.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Later, under King Boerebista, who came to power around 70 BC, the Dacian army was completely reorganized and he raised the moral standard of the people. The limits of the kingdom were extended forming a Dacian empire; the Bastarnae and Boii were conquered, and several Greek cities on the Euxine fell into his hands.

The Dacians appeared so formidable that Caesar contemplated an expedition against them, which was prevented by his death in 44 BC. About the same time Boerebista himself was murdered, and the kingdom was divided into four or five parts under separate rulers. With the rise of Augustus and Roman conquests in the Balkans, the Dacians recognized Roman supremacy.

They were by no means subdued, however, and took every opportunity to cross the frozen Danube and ravage the province of Moesia. In 85 AD he invaded Roman Moesia with a considerable army and enjoyed some early victories. The Romans, during the reign of Emperor Domitian eventually repulsed the invasion and pushed deep into Dacian territory. Defeats in the west to the German tribe, the Marcomanni, forced Domitian to sue for peace with Dacia and they were left with relative independence provided they pay annual tributes to Rome.

The Emperor Trajan, seeking to put an end to this arrangement, resolved to crush the Dacians once and for all. With the occupation of the Dacian capital Sarmizegethusa and the surrounding country, Trajan was satisfied with Dacian subservience and the expedition came to a close. Decebalus was not yet defeated, however, and in AD the Dacians retook their capital and again ravaged Moesia.

Trajan responded with a second campaign from to AD. This campaign resulted in a successful two pronged assault on Sarmizegethusa, the destruction of the Dacian army and the suicide of King Decebalus. With Trajan's conquests, the Roman frontier was extended to the Carpathians and the Dniester, pushing the borders of the Roman Empire to its greatest extent.

The Roman hold on the country was still tenuous, however. Conscious of the difficulty of retaining it, Hadrian contemplated its abandonment and was only deterred by consideration for the safety of the numerous Roman settlers. In an attempt to bring greater governmental authority to the province, Marcus Aurelius divided it into three provinces tres Daciae : Porolissensis , Apulensis and Maluensis.

The tres Daciae had a common capital, Sarmizegethusa, and a common government, which discussed provincial affairs, formulated complaints and controlled taxation; but in other respects they were practically independent provinces, each under an ordinary procurator, subordinate to a governor of consular rank.

Located on the eastern and northern frontier of the Empire, Dacia was under constant threat from migratory Germanic and Sarmatian tribes. Roman control of the native populations was kept in check due only to a constant military presence. Later still, Constantine brought it back symbolically under Roman rule through allied Visigoths, but it was never again garrisoned by Roman legions.

The main occupation of the Dacian people was that of agriculture. The Dacians cultivated cereals, fruit trees, wheat and vines. They also raised large herds of cattle and sheep and were known for apiculture beekeeping. Dacian horses were also highly respected and sought after for military use. The local deposits of iron were first exploited around the 8th century BC, and gold and silver were found in great quantities in the Western Carpathians. After Trajan's conquest, he brought back to Rome over tons of gold and tons of silver.

Salt and timber were additional exports of Dacia. The Dacians were related to the Thracians although mixed with Germanics, Sarmatians and later Romans, all living in an area covered largely by modern Romania, including Transylvania and the Banat. Aside from the Daci, from whence Dacia was given its name, the most well known tribes were:.

Dacia was also a home to several migratory peoples like the Sarmatian Alanni and Roloxani, and the Germanic Bastarnae and Goths. The province was subject to a complex Romanization process and its basic element was the adoption of the Latin language. The Romanians are today the only descendants of the Eastern Roman stock; therefore, the Romanian language is one of the major heirs of the Latin language, together with French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

This was probable the main reason of the war they started in AD He withdrew the Roman army from the Western Plain leaving the whole plain to the Iazyges and moving back the Western border of Dacia and so he did in the South-Eastern plain belonging to Lower Moesia. Only one legion was left in Upper Dacia at Apulum. New forts and new auxiliary units were placed to watch the new borders.

A new change was necessary in Marcus Aurelius time, during the Marcommanic Wars. Later, new names were given to the three Dacias: Apulensis instead of Upper , Malvensis instead of Lower , while Porolissensis was kept on.

From now on they will be under a unique military command, belonging again to a governor who was a former consul in Rome, having its headquarter at Apulum. This situation was continuing without known changes till to the end of the Roman rule in Aurelianus time, when the Roman army and the imperial administration were moved south of the Danube AD The evidence concerning the presence of the natives Dacians inside the new province are fewer that in the case of Illyrians, Thracians, Celts and Germans in the other Roman provinces.

Archaeologically point of view, at the moment, there is not identified not even one settlement or cemetery belonging to the natives, which continue to be used in the Roman period. All the settlements were destroyed at the Roman conquest. There are not attested in Dacia the native communities, the civitates. This situation can be explained based on the evolution of the native Dacian society over the tribal level, reaching the state moment of evolution.

The tribal society and the tribal elite were destroyed, probably by force, by the king. The natives are not present in the new Roman communities. The only native small villages can be found to the South and Eastern zones of the province, close to the mountains.

In conclusion, the natives are little documented in the Roman towns. It is possible that small groups were used as labor force, free, or slaves on rural farms. The natives seem to be a group not very numerous and with a limited social contribution to the economic and social life of the new province and without the right of property over the land.

As a frontier province with an important strategic role, Dacia had a strong military character. There were also numerous auxiliary units taken mainly from Upper Moesia and Pannonia. The defense system was based on timber forts connected by roads. They were placed, some closer to the frontier line, some in a second line situated behind, inside the province. In Dacia cannot be detected a continuous defense line, a limes as in the other European provinces.

The legionary bases were also built inside the province along the main military road. After the crisis from AD and the reorganization of the Roman territories from the North of the Danube, only one legion was kept in Dacia i.

New auxiliary units were taken from Lower Moesia to watch the new created Lower Dacia. In the future decades the auxiliary timber forts got stone defense walls. Very seriously was fortified the area of Porolissum, having the main point the fort on the hill "Pomet".

Nothing changed till the Marcomannic wars of Marcus Aurelius. Its mission was also to watch the golden mines region from the Western Carpathians. Again the three Dacias had two legions and a unique military command, at Apulum, in Upper Dacia. At the moment there are known in Dacia auxiliary and legionary forts.