03-20-2011, 06:45 PM
Quote:Salvete omnes,
Trajan's dacian wars are a particular interest to me and in, if i remeber correctly,'Traianus Optimus Princeps' by Julian Bennett he states that Trajan took 13 Legions in his second campaign against the Dacian Kingdom.
Legio I Adiutrix ("helper", later Pia Fidelis "loyal and faithful")
Legio I Minervia (later Pia Fidelis, "loyal and faithful")
Legio I Italica
Legio II Traiana Fortis (Trajan's strong or brave legion)
Legio II Adiutrix ("helper") Pia Fidelis
Legio IV Flavia Felix (Vespasian's fortunate)
Legio VI Victrix ?
IX Hispania ?
Legio X Gemina ?
Legio XIII Gemina pia fidelis
Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix
Legio XV Apollinaris
Legio XXX Ulpia victrix
Most of these Legions have archaeoligical evidence to back up there participation but a few i'm not to sure about.
As i am a newcomer to RAT but passoinate about all things Rome, her Legions and Roman warfare i would welcome any and all advice and corrections to my potential mistakes
Frustratingly the lack of written evidence on Trajans campaigns both in Dacia & Parthia hampers my attempts to know more on what is arguably the high water mark of the Imperial Roman Empire and again arguably the 'Best of Emperors'
Now historians are begining to question the accuracy and validity of the depictions of the Dacian campaign on Trajans coloumn
Valete omnes
Quadratus
Salve Andy
From what i know the number is correct, i saw mentioned even 14 legions involved (in "The Dacian threat" of Michael Schmitz, pg.15). I think Schmitz quote as well from Karl Strobel, who i saw in another text say about 175,000 roman soldiers involved in first war (and numbers as 150,000 are usual, i saw even 200,000 roman soldiers for second war 105-106 AD).
Anyway Bennett said too it was the largest Roman Army deployed against a foreign enemy, so i think the number is correct. Same book said, and i saw an article of Blanchard, (if i remember correct the name) saying that Romans (both Domitian and Trajan) took troops from Britania, Germania, and even Syria (or Mauretania) for this wars.
Domitian called back Agricola and his troops who was about to secure Caledonia/Scotland very possible because problems with Dacians who invaded Moesia and he keep there after he drive them off some 8 (or 9) legions i think, even before Trajan come to power (who bring more 4 legions)
Beside those legions Romans bring lots of auxiliars and even many irregular troops (mercenaries raised just for this wars and discharged after)
Almost half of Roman army participated to war, and some extraordinary feats was done. Romans even diverted a part of Danube, making a secondary channel alongside the main river course, and build the Appolodor bridge over the Danube, the biggest bridge in the world for some 1000 years. As well they rebuild and reinforce with stone all fortifications in Moesia.
The second battle of Tapae (101 AD) was probably one of the biggest and bloodiest of ancient times (Dio Cassius said that Trajan himself needed to rip his "toga" to make bandages for wounded soldiers) but unfortunately most of the writing sources either disapeared either some authors, from some considerations, didnt give details about this wars
Paulus Orosius
http://bss.sfsu.edu/mwilliams/hist710/re...us_bk7.pdf
<<I should like to tell in detail of the great battles fought by the Dacian king Diurpaneus (Decebalus) against the general Fuscus, as well as of the extent of the Roman losses. But Cornelius Tacitus, who wrote an exhaustive history of these events, has declared that Sallustius Crispus and very many other authors established the practice of keeping silence about the numbers of the slain, and that he himself preferred to do likewise>>.
Interesting, Tacitus writings about Dacia wasnt found. Neither "Getica" of Dio Crysostomus, "Getica" of Criton (Trajan personal doctor) or "Dacica"/"De bello Dacico" of Trajan, and from Dio Cassius there is just few short things survived.
I saw several reasons proposed for this aparent silence, but no one possible to be prouved 100% (and some even little on conspiracies side)
Razvan A.
