The Dacians: Rome\'s Greatest Enemy?

[Frostwulf]

Back to the subject at hand:

In retrospect of all of Rome's enemies, it seems to me that the Dacians, under Decebalus, were Rome's most potent enemies-especially in Europe.

At a certain time this was true, but not during Domitians reign but rather at the end of his reign.

This is reinforced by the fact that very few of Rome's enemies had the capability to completely dismantle a legion in open battle (the battle ofTeutoberg forest and the attck on the ninth were ambushes).

Just going with the "Germani" you had multiple defeats inflicted upon the Romans by this macro grouping. Starting with the TCA(Teutons,Cimbri,Ambrones), the Sugambri and the Lolian disaster(Romans lost a legion in set battle),the Frisian revolt, and even during Domitians time you have the Marcomanni crushing Domitians army(in the 160's the Marcomanni also killed in a set battle over 20k Roman soldiers), hence the hasty treaty with Decebalus.

During Domitian's Dacian Wars, The Dacians annhialated Legio V Alaude, 2(?) Cohorts of Praetorian Guard, killed the praetorian Prefect, Cornelius Fuscus and the Moseian governor Oppius Sabinus (in a seperate incident).

Both Sabinus and Fuscus were killed by ambush and as for Alaude, they perished in with Fuscus.

The only reason that the Dacians didn't overrun eastern Europe was because V Macedonia(?) won a Pyrric victory against the Dacians, And Domition packed the border with the I and II Audrix.

Where did that come from?

In Addition to this, we know that the Dacians had extremely advanced fortifications, were well armed, more numerous, well led, and highly motivated.

Agreed!

They were also the only enemy that got tribute from the Romans.

I guess this depends on what you consider tribute, as Rome paid off many peoples. But as far as this being of Decebalus doing you need to again look to both the Marcomanni and then to Saturninus for this happening.But here is what happened and why Decebalus received tribute:
1. Domitian moved his troops to war upon the Germans(The Marcomanni were seen more as a threat at this time by the Romans).
2. The Dacians attack across the weakened frontier, they surprise the Romans and kill the governor Sabinus and allot of his soldiers.
3. Fuscus start clearing Moesia of Dacians, then crosses over to Dacia, is overwhelmed(ambushed) and defeated.
4. Tettius Julianus(with around 4 legions) is sent in and defeats the Dacians at Tapae.
5. Domitian loses heavily to the Marcomanni.
6. Saturninus rebels and Domitian is forced into an unfavorable treaty.

And remember, it took ten legions and an unknown number of auxillary cohorts, under the personal direction of Trajan, to take down Dacia's small kingdom.

This number varies from as low as 30,000 to as high as 150,000. Most of the authors mention Dacia as a local threat and not much else. As far as Dacia being a small kingdom, that also is under interpretation. Numbers for available soldiers run from 40,000(Oltean) to 250,000(Strobel,Schmitz and Blanchard).
I have debated both of these subjects with diegis and if need be I can post a link to those posts which do provide professional opinion.