11-10-2012, 05:27 PM
Quote:I know you wasnt quite convinced about the numbers of Romans, but quite few other historians are.
Well, we've been here before! But what evidence do these 'other historians' give? As I've said, most are quoting one another, and their quotes derive from much more cautious assessments. Trajan's Column shows six different legion shield designs. Epigraphy provides us with nine legions involved in the wars, but at least one was only a vexillation. That's all the evidence we have. Nothing suggests that the two new legions were raised prior to the Dacian wars.
Quote:Many Roman emperors continued to fight against "free Dacians" or other Dacian tribes as Costoboci or Carpi, finally being forced to abandon the province to "free Dacians" and Goths (which had anyway a large Dacian component).
Yes, there were problems in Dacia in other eras. The 'free Dacians', Carpi and others may have been the same people as the Dacians of Trajan's era - we don't know for sure. Gothic origins are another matter again, and I know you have your own ideas about this!
Quote:Dacians was arguably the most respected enemies at Rome. They was the only ones that was represented in statues (quite lots of them).
Arguably! I would say the Persians were far more respected, and for much longer. The Gauls, in their day, caused more anxiety, the Jews more outrage and the Germans more dread. But in the era of Domitian and Trajan Dacia was indeed a prominent adversary - the wars there coincided with a major building program in Rome, which in turn left us with a great visual record, intended to glorify the emperors. As an established state with a relatively modern army, Dacia was treated differently to many other 'barbarian' polities - so there was a measure of respect, yes.
Quote:About the tribute paid by Romans, i think this was one of the main reasons for Domitian assasination, and probably was one of the reasons of Dacian invasion in Moesia (when they beheaded the governor).
The death of Oppius Sabinus was in c.85, so before Domitian's assassination. We don't know if he was 'beheaded', of course! Just killed somehow. Domitian's assassination was an in-house affair involving palace staff and competing senators, and probably had little to do with foreign affairs. Domitian himself was very popular with the army, which would not have been the case if he was perceived to have failed in Dacia.
Compare Severus Alexander - ruler of a strong stable Roman state, popular with the senate, recently gained a qualified victory over Persia, but assassinated by his troops - apparently for paying off the Alamanni...
Quote:Germans was a danger mostly at the end, when Romans was at their dusk anyway, split and too weakened by all kind of internal problems.
The Germans (collectively!) had been a problem since the 1st century BC, and continued to be so. The Severan empire was as large as Trajan's and the army larger - 'dusk' was a long time coming!
Nathan Ross
