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The Battle of Tapae (101
101

Events...
) was the decisive battle of the first Dacian War
Dacian Wars

The Dacian Wars were two brief wars between the Roman Empire and Dacia during Emperor Trajan's rule. The conflict was a result of raiding across the Danube by Dacians in 86 AD into the south bank Danube Roman Province of Moesia....
, in which Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor

The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin language titles such as imperator , Augustus , Caesar and princeps were all associated with it....
 Trajan
Trajan

Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan , was a Roman Emperors who reigned from 98 until his death in 117. Born Marcus Ulpius Traianus into a nonpatrician family in the Hispania Baetica province , Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian, serving as a general in the Roman army along the Limes G...
 defeated the Dacian King Decebalus
Decebalus

Decebalus or "The Brave One" was a king of Dacia and is famous for fighting three wars and negotiating two interregnums of peace without being eliminated against the Roman Empire under two emperors....
's army. Other setbacks in the campaign delayed its completion until 102
102

Events...
.

oon as Trajan became Roman emperor
Roman Emperor

The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin language titles such as imperator , Augustus , Caesar and princeps were all associated with it....
, he planned a campaign against Dacia
Dacia

In ancient geography, Dacia was the land of the Dacians. It was named by the ancient Greeks "Getae". Dacia was a large district of East-Central Europe, bounded on the north by the Carpathian Mountains, on the south by the Danube, on the west by the Tisia or Tisza, on the east by the Tyras or Dniester, now in eastern Moldova....
. This campaign resulted in the first Dacian war fought between 101
101

Events...
 and 102
102

Events...
.

The reason used for this campaign was Decebalus' lack of respect for the Romans
Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
, and the fact that he failed to respect the agreements of the peace reached following the First Battle of Tapae
First Battle of Tapae

The two first battles of Tapae where fought in 87 and 88 AD between the Roman army and the Dacians. They were a consequence of Roman Emperor Domitian's campaign to protect the Roman province of Moesia, nearly two decades before the Second Battle of Tapae during the Dacian wars in Trajan's reign....
 from 87/88.

Beside the nine Roman legions that were already stationed on the Danube, Trajan brought two more, Legio X Gemina
Legio X Gemina

Legio decima Gemina , was one of the four legions used by Julius Caesar in 58 BC, for his invasion of Gaul. There are still records of the X Gemina in Vienna in the beginning of the 5th century....
 and Legio XI Claudia
Legio XI Claudia

Legio undecima Claudia was a Roman legion. XI Claudia dates back to the two legions recruited by Julius Caesar to invade Gallia in 58 BC, and it existed at least until early 5th century, guarding lower Danube in Durostorum ....
, and created two new legions, Legio II Traiana Fortis
Legio II Traiana Fortis

Legio secunda Traiana Fortis, , was a Roman legion levied by emperor Trajan in 105, along with Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix, for the campaigns in Dacia....
 and Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix
Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix

Legio trigesima Ulpia Victrix was a Roman legion levied by the Emperor Trajan in 100 for the Dacian Wars. The legion was active until disbandment of the Rhine frontier in the beginning of the 5th century....
.

Roman army
Roman army

The Roman Army was employed by the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, as part of the Roman military. Its most important infantry constituent for much of its history was the Roman legion....
 crossed the Danube at Viminacium
Viminacium

Viminacium was a major city of the Roman Empire province of Moesia , and the capital of Moesia Superior. Viminacium was the base camp of Legio VII Claudia, and hosted for some time the Legio IIII Flavia Felix....
, slowly making its way into Dacia.






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The Battle of Tapae (101
101

Events...
) was the decisive battle of the first Dacian War
Dacian Wars

The Dacian Wars were two brief wars between the Roman Empire and Dacia during Emperor Trajan's rule. The conflict was a result of raiding across the Danube by Dacians in 86 AD into the south bank Danube Roman Province of Moesia....
, in which Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor

The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin language titles such as imperator , Augustus , Caesar and princeps were all associated with it....
 Trajan
Trajan

Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan , was a Roman Emperors who reigned from 98 until his death in 117. Born Marcus Ulpius Traianus into a nonpatrician family in the Hispania Baetica province , Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian, serving as a general in the Roman army along the Limes G...
 defeated the Dacian King Decebalus
Decebalus

Decebalus or "The Brave One" was a king of Dacia and is famous for fighting three wars and negotiating two interregnums of peace without being eliminated against the Roman Empire under two emperors....
's army. Other setbacks in the campaign delayed its completion until 102
102

Events...
.

Background

As soon as Trajan became Roman emperor
Roman Emperor

The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin language titles such as imperator , Augustus , Caesar and princeps were all associated with it....
, he planned a campaign against Dacia
Dacia

In ancient geography, Dacia was the land of the Dacians. It was named by the ancient Greeks "Getae". Dacia was a large district of East-Central Europe, bounded on the north by the Carpathian Mountains, on the south by the Danube, on the west by the Tisia or Tisza, on the east by the Tyras or Dniester, now in eastern Moldova....
. This campaign resulted in the first Dacian war fought between 101
101

Events...
 and 102
102

Events...
.

The reason used for this campaign was Decebalus' lack of respect for the Romans
Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
, and the fact that he failed to respect the agreements of the peace reached following the First Battle of Tapae
First Battle of Tapae

The two first battles of Tapae where fought in 87 and 88 AD between the Roman army and the Dacians. They were a consequence of Roman Emperor Domitian's campaign to protect the Roman province of Moesia, nearly two decades before the Second Battle of Tapae during the Dacian wars in Trajan's reign....
 from 87/88.

Beside the nine Roman legions that were already stationed on the Danube, Trajan brought two more, Legio X Gemina
Legio X Gemina

Legio decima Gemina , was one of the four legions used by Julius Caesar in 58 BC, for his invasion of Gaul. There are still records of the X Gemina in Vienna in the beginning of the 5th century....
 and Legio XI Claudia
Legio XI Claudia

Legio undecima Claudia was a Roman legion. XI Claudia dates back to the two legions recruited by Julius Caesar to invade Gallia in 58 BC, and it existed at least until early 5th century, guarding lower Danube in Durostorum ....
, and created two new legions, Legio II Traiana Fortis
Legio II Traiana Fortis

Legio secunda Traiana Fortis, , was a Roman legion levied by emperor Trajan in 105, along with Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix, for the campaigns in Dacia....
 and Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix
Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix

Legio trigesima Ulpia Victrix was a Roman legion levied by the Emperor Trajan in 100 for the Dacian Wars. The legion was active until disbandment of the Rhine frontier in the beginning of the 5th century....
.

The battle

The Roman army
Roman army

The Roman Army was employed by the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, as part of the Roman military. Its most important infantry constituent for much of its history was the Roman legion....
 crossed the Danube at Viminacium
Viminacium

Viminacium was a major city of the Roman Empire province of Moesia , and the capital of Moesia Superior. Viminacium was the base camp of Legio VII Claudia, and hosted for some time the Legio IIII Flavia Felix....
, slowly making its way into Dacia. Just like in 87/88, the battle took place at Tapae. The Dacians resisted the Roman offensive, but as a storm broke out, the Dacians believing it is a sign from the gods, decided to withdraw.

Aftermath

Because the winter was near, Trajan decided to wait until spring to continue his offensive on Sarmizegetusa
Sarmizegetusa

Sarmizegetusa was the most important Dacian military, religious and political centre. Erected on top of a crag 1,200 metres high, the fortress was the core of the strategic defensive system in the Orastie Mountains , comprising six citadels....
. Decebalus took advantage of the new situation, and in the winter of 101
101

Events...
 to 102
102

Events...
, he attacked the Roman province
Roman province

In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of the Italia ....
 of Moesia
Moesia

Moesia was an ancient region and Roman province situated in the areas of modern Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania along the south bank of the Danube River....
, a major clash taking place at the Battle of Adamclisi
Battle of Adamclisi

The Battle of Adamclisi was a major battle in the Dacian Wars, fought in the winter of 101 to 102 between the Roman Empire and the Dacians near Adamclisi, in modern Romania....
.

See also

  • List of Roman battles
    List of Roman battles

    The following is a list of Roman Battles fought by the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, and sometimes the Byzantine Empire, organized by date....
  • Dacian war


External links