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The First Dacian War took place from 101 A.D. to 102 A.D. The kingdom of Dacia, under king Decebalus, had become a threat to Roman supremacy and had defeated several of Rome's armies during Domitian's reign (81-96). The emperor Trajan was set on ridding this threat to Rome's power and in 101 set out determined to defeat Dacia. After a year of heavy fighting, king Decebalus came to terms and surrendered. When he broke these terms in 105, the Second Dacian War began.

After gaining support from the Roman Senate and its blessing for war, by 101, Trajan was ready to advance on Dacia. This was a war in which the Roman military's ingenuity and engineering might were well demonstrated by a stone bridge later known as Trajan's bridge that was constructed across the Danube to assist with the legionaries' advance. The Roman offensive was spearheaded by two legionary columns, marching right to the heart of Dacia, burning towns and villages in the process. In 101, the Dacians led massive assaults on the Roman legions, but were defeated, but not after many Roman soldiers were killed. In 102 Trajan moved his army down the Danube to Oescus. There the roman armies converged for a final assault and defeated the Dacian army at the Battle of Tapae. After the battle, plus some additional minor conflicts, Decebalus chose to surrender. The war, spanning only months, had concluded with a heroic Roman victory.

Once Dacia was secured, Decebalus received technical and military reinforcement from Trajan in order to create a powerful allied zone against the dangerous possible expeditions from the northern and eastern territories by the already moving migrator people. The resources were instead used to make the Dacian Kingdom a great independent power that would eventually rebel against Roman rule.

• Dacian Wars
• Second Dacian War
• Trajan
• Decebalus
• Battle of Tapae
• Trajan's Bridge

1. Scarre, Chris, The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome
2. The Wikipedia Dacian Wars page