The Dacians: Rome\'s Greatest Enemy?

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Razvan,

[So when we talk about Goths we can say that a large part of them was indeed Getae/Dacians, even if we can't equate Goths=Getae 100%

Well, it has always been my position that the Goths were a mixed bunch that probably formed up when the reached the edge of the Roman empire.

I can agree that the Dacians belonged to the 'Getae', but I have also always opposed the use of the name 'Getae' for any group, because:
a) it's not specific enough a description for a single group 9similarly you can't discuss 'the Germans' when discussing 1st c. BC Chatti and 5th c. AD Vandals - too many differences).
b) it's a name that was not used specific enough in our primary sources. Similarly, when Goths are named 'Scythians' we also do not suppose that there are real connections between these two groups, and there are many, many similar examples.

At least I can take you up on this, that Goths are not Dacians, but Dacians are a part of the Goths! How large a part we can discuss, as long as such a discussion does not rest on claims that 'the Gothic language is a forgery'(as recently claimed on this forum).