Rome’s Greatest Challenge | The Dacian Wars (Part 1)

The Dacian Wars is a topic over overlooked due to a severe lack of sources, which is in stark contrast to the magnitude and importance of the conflict. However, with this video, we hope to create a series detailing everything we know about the campaigns until this point, based on the works of numerous researchers and archeologists. So sit back and enjoy our lively animated and epic series as it covers the forgotten wars in their entirety, with no details left out!

Each video will include the details about the cultural and social lifestyle of the Dacians, a deeply fascinating people who were later Romanized to extinction by the Romans.

Sources:

- Charles, B. “The Flavio-Trajanic miles : the Appearance of Citizen Infantry on Trajan's Column” in Latomus, 61, Fasc. 3, 2002, 666-695.
- Florea, G; Pupeza, P. Les Dieux tués: La Destruction du chief-lieu du Royaume Dace” in Die Römischen Provinzen: Begriff und Gründung Colloquium Cluj-Napoca 28. September - 1. Oktober 2006, Editura Mega: Cluj-Napoca, 281-295.
- Neamtu, C; Bârcâ, V; Buna, Z. “Promoting and Capitalizing on the Vestiges from Sarmizegetusa Regia by Modern Multimedia Methods” in Plural, Vol. 8, no. 1, 2020, 150 - 173.
- Oltean, I. A; Hanson, W. S. “Conquest strategy and political discourse: new evidence for the conquest of Dacia from LiDAR analysis at Sarmizegetusa Regia” in Journal of Roman Archaeology, 30, 2017, 429-446.
- Oltean, R. Dacia: La Conquista Romana. Desperta Ferro Ediciones: Madrid, 2016.
- Oltean, R. Tracios, Getas y Dacios. Desperta Ferro Ediciones: Madrid, 2021.
- Pupeza, P. “To see or to be seen: The Dacian fortresses from the Orăştie Mountains” in Annales d’Université Valahia Targoviste, Section d’Archeologie et d’Histoire, XIV, 2, 2012, 81-85.
- Richmond, I. A. “Trajan’s Army on Trajan's Column” in Papers of the British School at Rome, 13, 1935, 1-40.
- Rossi, L. “Dacian Fortifications in Trajan’s Column” in The Antiquaries Journal, 30-35.
- Soria Molina, D. Las guerras dácicas de Trajano Antecedentes, desarrollo, geopolítica, estrategia y consecuencias. Universidad de Murcia: Murcia, 2016.
- Stefan, A. S. Les guerres daciques de Domitien et de Trajan: Architecture militaire, topographie, images et histoire. Ecole Française de Rome: Rome, 2005.
- VV.AA. A Monumental Effort: Trajan’s Dacian Wars. Ancient Warfare Magazine VI.2, Karwansaray Publishers: Zutphen, 2012.
- Wheeler, E. “Rome’s Dacian Wars: Domitian, Trajan, and Strategy on the Danube, Part I” in The Journal of Military History, 74, 1185-1227.

[adrianr]

As a Romanian, I thank you for your dedication in research and editing this video. Epic.

[HistoriaMilitum]

As far as I could think, the Dacian Wars was that one big gap that was never fully covered in a detailed documentary on YouTube, and with good reason. Given the lack of sources, most of which is archeological, this series is and will be a big challenge to produce, but nothing impossible! This series aims to compile everything we know about this long lost conflict, from the combined works of numerous historians and archeologists, and make a fine addition to the already amazing arsenal of free Roman videos on YouTube; thanks to the hard work of many great channels. Thank you all for making this possible!

[khirondb]

We Romanians thank you for this well produced, in depth analysis. Congrats and we wait for part 2! Thank you.

[AntiMuste]

Salut! As a Romanian I would like to thank you profoundly for creating this video. There is a enormous lack of investment into our history by the authorities. However, history still lives through our traditions, our lands and last but not least, our language.
Keep up the great work! 👏👏🙏🙏

[Fluffytehcat]

It is tragic how so many details have been lost considering the magnitude of the campaign and the relevance it still has for both Romanians and Rome. This is a nice insight in the little there is left of their story.

[High_rise]

Thank you so much for covering this, I had no idea just how powerful the Dacians where

[Warmaker]

These were epic wars. The Dacians were a fierce power. It took the Roman Empire at its height, with campaigns led by arguably its best military minded emperor in Trajan, fought by the Legions at their best during the Principate to beat Dacia.

[emiibbb]

I'm a romanian and I'm born into Carpatian mountains and proud of my ancestors .

[kalibra]

The fact that you used music from Praetorians, one of my childhood games that I played so much is even more impressive. Thank you for this!

[kreken]

Absolutely great episode. I have written several scientific writings on the Dacian Wars in the course of my history studies and can only say that you have presented everything perfect so far. Cant wait for Part 2!

[mirceapirvu]

I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPLAIN ME GRATITUDE . AS A ROMANIAN . ty ty ty ty god bless you and your work

[tonyn]

As a Romanian I studied about Dacians a lot and I'd like to add the following details/facts:

1. Dacia won at Tapae and had a lot more small battles won at south of Danube, this being the main reason the Roman Empire wanted Dacia conquered as it was a rising power at its borders, constantly raiding its territories.

2. Roman Empire paid the Dacians tens of thousands of Denari tribute, which is the largest sum Romans ever paid in tribute. That was for Dacia to behave and not organise as a Kingdom, but Daecebalus kept unity and military training along with raids at south of Danube despite of the tribute being paid.

3. After the first Dacian-Roman war, because of the Dacian falx sword all the legions taking part in the conflict had to improve their helmets and armors as they were just being chopped off by Dacians, which led to a whole new armor type in the Roman Empire

4. Although the Roman Empire managed after the second large scale war to conquer Dacia, they didn't exterminate the Dacians as a lot retreated at north of the Carpathian Mountains and lived known as Free Dacians and kept trading, language and traditions with living Dacians left in the Roman province of Dacia.

5. Romans held a small part of Dacian territory for about 200 years and this time period it was considered till nowadays to be the end of the Dacian people (end of language, traditions, etc) and the start of a new nation (nowadays Romania) resulted from the converted Dacians to the Roman culture. But as you can see Dacia was a powerful kingdom at the time, its people considered by many historicals at the time as being brave, courageous, fierce warriors. Was it possible for Romans in 200 years to erase such a strong culture, considering that a large part of Dacian people lived free of any Roman occupation at the north of the province? Also Roman Empire inhabited England for over 400 years and English people are still speaking their own language and have their own culture.

6. Dacians had huge issues with alcohol. The first king, Burebista, had to burn all the grapevines and ban alcohol consumption in order to get Dacians to fight properly and not be constantly drunk af

7. The Dacians were religious people and they believed in one god, Zamolxis along with prophets as Daeceneus, Zeuta etc. In their religion death was seen as a relief from this world and a pass to the next world and they were celebrating every death. This is very similar to other cultures as Egyptians, Vikings. And my personal belief is that this made them fierce warriors as they were not afraid to die in battles.

[nenadnikolic]

My village is on Serbian side 12km far from Trajan's bridge, where the Romans crossed the Danube in Dacia.

[stevolopez]

This is the best Roman video on YouTube I have ever seen, by far! I will watch it over and over! I won't lie... I thought of Spartacus while watching this!

[YesterYearsProductions]

Fantastic coverage of an often overlooked part of Roman History. Arguably the best narrative on Dacia I've seen on YouTube yet. Brilliant job. I'm looking forward to part 2!

[Tanu.]

Salut! 🇹🇩 Romanian here wearing the Dacian Draco as my channel image since 2011! Our ancestors were a great civilization of Antiquity, a fact with which not may nations can be proud of. I wish us romanians acknowledged our roots and be more confident in ourselves everywhere we are. And you help us do that, so you have my huge respect, and I declare a friend of the romanian people ^ ^. Mult succes în continuare prietene!! ❤💛💙🤗

[robertscheidbauer]

Proud to be Daco-Romanian !!! 🇷🇴🇷🇴🇷🇴🇷🇴🇷🇴🇷🇴

[aaronjordan-webb]

Preatorian ambient music in the background at the Man I got goosebumps from that

[tudorm]

Trajan wanted to remain in history like Caesar, and his conquests in Dacia to be equal to those of Caesar in Gaul. He wrote a description of the wars with the Dacians "De Bello Dacico" which has not been preserved, in the mirror of Caesar's "De Bello Gallico". In Rome, Trajan's Forum was right next to Caesar's forum and was wider.

[flaviusstilicho]

You didn’t mention that Crassus grandson managed to kill a Bastarnae chief in one on one combat and was eligible to be granted the Spolia Opima but was snubbed by Augustus