Dacians - Unsettling truths 

 

The province of Dacia

- The province of Dacia existed from 106-2771 AD. It didn't include all the territories inhabited by the Dacians. Crisana, Maramures, Northern and Central Moldova are still inhabited by the free Dacians.
- Trajan stayed in Dacia until 107, to orgaanize the new territory.
- In 108 is founded the capital of the provvince, Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa.
- Other important cities in Dacia were: Apuulum, Napoca, Potaissa, Drobeta, Dierna, Tibiscum.

The continuity of the Dacians

- Some ancient writers affirmed that the Daacian people had been completely destroyed after the two wars. This is not true.
- These are the proofs that in Dacia continnued to exist a numerous local population:
- Most of the ancient historians didn't afffirm that all the Dacians died. For example, Dio Cassius says that a lot of Dacians submitted to the Romans during the wars. Scenes from Trajan's Column show how the Dacians returned to their homes, after the war.
- Inscriptions and written documents mentioon units formed with Dacian soldiers, which are placed all over the empire. 12 such military units are known.
- The Dacian names of the cities are kept dduring the Roman administration (Apulum, Napoca, Drobeta, Dierna, Potaissa). Because of the presence of the local population in the province, at the the new capital is added the name Sarmizegetusa.
- Also, the Dacian names of the rivers are used by the Romans (Maris, Alutus, Samus, Pyretus).
- The archaeological discoveries are the moost important proves for the continuity of the Dacians: settlements and houses, burial places, objects of home use, pottery, tools, all of them of Dacian provenance.

 The free Dacians

- The free Dacians are the inhabitants of MMaramures, Crisana, Moldova, territories that weren't included in the province of Dacia.
- They had kept a permanent contact with thhe Dacians from the province.
- The most important among the free Dacianss were:
a. the Costoboci
b. the Carpi
c. the Great Dacians.
- The free Dacians had a number of raids inn the territories occupied by the Romans. The most significant was that of the Carpi in 245.