03-07-2008, 11:52 PM
Because very little literary evidence survives of Trajan's campaigns, ( though frustratingly he wrote an account -'The Dacica' similar to Caesar's 'Gallic Wars' which has not survived) we don't know exactly how strong his invasion army was in either war, but from inscriptions, grave stealae, known dispositions of legions etc it is possible to make a deduction/educated guess.
The german scholar Karl Strobel( 'Untersuchingen zu den Dakerkriegen Trajans', Bonn, 1984) thus demonstrated that 14 Legions were involved in movements and transfers in the Danube at this time ( though because of the length of the frontier and the need to retain some troops as garrisons not all would have been involved in the Dacian fighting)
Two Legions, IIII Flavia Felix and XIII Gemina formed the garrison after the wars, and were therefore certainly a part of the invasion force, along with a possible third, I Adiutrix. Legio II Adiutrix and I Minervia ( commanded by the future Emperor Hadrian) also moved to take part. VII Claudia, the garrison of Viminacium, from which the expedition set off, must also have taken part, and almost certainly the other Pannonian Legions, probably vexillations from XIIII Gemina and XV Appollinaris. For the second war, vexillations from XXX Ulpia and X Gemina ( who do not appear to have arrived in Pannonia in time for the first war) can be added.
In addition to these six Legions and 2,000 vexillarii aprox from Pannonia, there is evidence for a vexillation of I Italica (in the first war), and almost certainly that means a vexillation from the other lower Moesian Legion, V Macedonica, as well.
From Syria, vexillations of IIII Scythica, XII Fulminata and an un-named Legion are known to have served in the first war under C.Julius Quadratus Bassus.
The total number of Legionaries involved was therefore in the vicinity of 35,000-37,000 (plus several cohorts of Praetorian Guard) giving atotal of something under 40,000.
As for Auxiliaries, it was normal at this period for Legionary forces to have been accompanied by an equivalent number of Auxiliaries.
Once again, Strobel traced evidence of Unit movements, and for Cavalry listed 5 Milliary Alae and a sixth which probably sent only a vexillation, 16 quingenary Alae ( 3 of which were sagitarii- archers, vexillations of 2 more and another vexillation ( of AlaI Thracum veterana sagittorium) which probably only took part in the second war. This gives us something like 13,500 cavalry.
For Infantry, Strobel lists 78 Cohorts, some 9 of which seem not to have crossed the border, and were thus reserves or used to secure supply routes.The remaining 69 ( 4 of which probably only took part in the second war) The balance of 65 consisted of 12 Milliary cohorts and 51 quingenary ones, together with 2 more probaly consisting only of vexillations. 9 Milliary and 24 quingenary cohorts were Equitatae (mostly Infantry, but part mounted) and 7 quingenary cohorts were sagittarii (archers).
This gives a total of aprox 37-38,000 cohortales, plus the cavalry, making a grand total of around 51-52,000 auxiliaries.
There were also an unknown number of Barbarian Allies, including German tribesmen such as Asturum tribesmen under Prefect C. Sulpicius Ursulus and probably Aestii as well(symmachiarii).
The Sarmatian Iazyges tribe were also allied to Rome.
This gives us a potential maximum invasion force of less than 95,000, but it must be noted that the Danube continued to need guarding, not to mention internal supply line etc. The actual force that crossed the Danube will have been considerably smaller, around 75-80,000 max at a guess.
This gargantuan effort by the Empire was not achieved without sacrifice - for example around 103-105 A.D., the whole of Southern Scotland was evacuated, including at least one legionary fortress (Inchtuthil) and at least 18 auxiliary forts ( effectively a whole province).
Diegis wrote:-
The german scholar Karl Strobel( 'Untersuchingen zu den Dakerkriegen Trajans', Bonn, 1984) thus demonstrated that 14 Legions were involved in movements and transfers in the Danube at this time ( though because of the length of the frontier and the need to retain some troops as garrisons not all would have been involved in the Dacian fighting)
Two Legions, IIII Flavia Felix and XIII Gemina formed the garrison after the wars, and were therefore certainly a part of the invasion force, along with a possible third, I Adiutrix. Legio II Adiutrix and I Minervia ( commanded by the future Emperor Hadrian) also moved to take part. VII Claudia, the garrison of Viminacium, from which the expedition set off, must also have taken part, and almost certainly the other Pannonian Legions, probably vexillations from XIIII Gemina and XV Appollinaris. For the second war, vexillations from XXX Ulpia and X Gemina ( who do not appear to have arrived in Pannonia in time for the first war) can be added.
In addition to these six Legions and 2,000 vexillarii aprox from Pannonia, there is evidence for a vexillation of I Italica (in the first war), and almost certainly that means a vexillation from the other lower Moesian Legion, V Macedonica, as well.
From Syria, vexillations of IIII Scythica, XII Fulminata and an un-named Legion are known to have served in the first war under C.Julius Quadratus Bassus.
The total number of Legionaries involved was therefore in the vicinity of 35,000-37,000 (plus several cohorts of Praetorian Guard) giving atotal of something under 40,000.
As for Auxiliaries, it was normal at this period for Legionary forces to have been accompanied by an equivalent number of Auxiliaries.
Once again, Strobel traced evidence of Unit movements, and for Cavalry listed 5 Milliary Alae and a sixth which probably sent only a vexillation, 16 quingenary Alae ( 3 of which were sagitarii- archers, vexillations of 2 more and another vexillation ( of AlaI Thracum veterana sagittorium) which probably only took part in the second war. This gives us something like 13,500 cavalry.
For Infantry, Strobel lists 78 Cohorts, some 9 of which seem not to have crossed the border, and were thus reserves or used to secure supply routes.The remaining 69 ( 4 of which probably only took part in the second war) The balance of 65 consisted of 12 Milliary cohorts and 51 quingenary ones, together with 2 more probaly consisting only of vexillations. 9 Milliary and 24 quingenary cohorts were Equitatae (mostly Infantry, but part mounted) and 7 quingenary cohorts were sagittarii (archers).
This gives a total of aprox 37-38,000 cohortales, plus the cavalry, making a grand total of around 51-52,000 auxiliaries.
There were also an unknown number of Barbarian Allies, including German tribesmen such as Asturum tribesmen under Prefect C. Sulpicius Ursulus and probably Aestii as well(symmachiarii).
The Sarmatian Iazyges tribe were also allied to Rome.
This gives us a potential maximum invasion force of less than 95,000, but it must be noted that the Danube continued to need guarding, not to mention internal supply line etc. The actual force that crossed the Danube will have been considerably smaller, around 75-80,000 max at a guess.
This gargantuan effort by the Empire was not achieved without sacrifice - for example around 103-105 A.D., the whole of Southern Scotland was evacuated, including at least one legionary fortress (Inchtuthil) and at least 18 auxiliary forts ( effectively a whole province).
Diegis wrote:-
Quote:Well, from what i read in a military history book from here, roman army who atack Dacia was around 150,000,....this is certainly an exaggeration. Unfortunately, Romanian sources of history should be treated with great caution, as they are often contaminated by bias and outright propaganda under the communist Ceaucescu regime, seeking to 'glorify' Romanian history.
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
