The Dacians: Rome\'s Greatest Enemy?

[diegis]

where is the column dedicated to the germans, or gauls, or british? Yeah, they didnt even bother.

Actually the column dedicated to the Germans is just up the road: ;-)

Column of Marcus Aurelius

For the Gauls, you'd have to go to Gaul:

Arch of Arausio

As for the Britons, there was originally an arch at Richborough, but it was later turned into a lighthouse! They were more of a nuisance than a threat though...

Back in Rome, there's a monument in the Forum to victory over the Parthians:

Arch of Severus

And another nearby, to the conquest of the Jews:

Arch of Titus

Plus of course one to the defeat of some other Romans!:

Arch of Constantine

If Trajan had survived his Parthian campaign, he would very likely have built a monument to commemorate it more spectacular even that the Dacian war column.

However, those who invaded Parthia/Persia seldom returned... :neutral:

The fact is the Trajan Column was the first and the biggest and most impressive of such Columns, the others are smaller ones inspired by this. But the Column isnt the only monument, Trajan made a huge Forum, with lots of Dacian statues (I think there are at least 100 known until now, they are spread in various places and museums, and 8 of them was put by Constantine on his Arch). Interesting, none of those statues depict Dacians as prisoner, like chained, fall on the ground or dying

Then Romans celebrated the victory for 123 days, which is an enormous period. There was 10,000 gladiators fighting (not only Dacians of course) and over 11,000 animals in arenas and at Colliseum.

Such celebration of a victory was unheard before and after