#8069 Dacians

Dated: February 17, 2004

Dacia occupied much of the territory of modern Romania and parts of the surrounding Balkans. By the first century AD the Dacians had developed a powerful kingdom north of the lower Danube, with fortified settlements, skilled metalworkers and an army capable of challenging Rome along one of its most important frontiers. Their best-known ruler was Decebalus, who united much of Dacia and repeatedly fought the Roman Empire.

Box front

The first major confrontation came during the reign of the Emperor Domitian. Dacian forces crossed the Danube and defeated a Roman army in AD 86, leading to several years of difficult fighting. Rome eventually agreed to a peace with Decebalus in AD 89, but the arrangement left Dacia independent and increasingly strong. When Trajan became emperor, he decided to settle the question permanently.

Line drawing

Trajan invaded Dacia in AD 101. Roman armies crossed the Danube, fought their way through the mountain passes and defeated the Dacians at Tapae. After further campaigning, Decebalus accepted peace in AD 102, but both sides soon prepared for renewed war. In AD 105 Trajan invaded again, this time determined to destroy the Dacian kingdom. The Romans captured the Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa in AD 106, and Decebalus committed suicide rather than be captured. Much of Dacia was then incorporated into the Roman Empire as a new province.

Test sprue

The Dacian wars became some of the most celebrated victories of Trajan's reign. Their events are famously depicted on Trajan's Column in Rome, whose reliefs provide much of our visual evidence for Dacian soldiers, clothing, weapons and standards. Dacian warriors generally wore long-sleeved tunics and trousers, often with cloaks and soft caps, while the wealthier nobility could possess helmets and armour. Most ordinary warriors appear to have fought without armour.

Dacian armies used spears, javelins, bows and swords, but their most famous weapon was the falx. This distinctive curved blade had its cutting edge on the inside of the curve and could be used with considerable force. The larger two-handed version was particularly feared by the Romans and may have contributed to the increased use of reinforced helmets and additional arm protection during the Dacian campaigns.

Another characteristic Dacian symbol was the Draco standard. It consisted of a metal animal head, usually represented as a dragon or wolf-like creature, attached to a long fabric body. When carried into the wind, the cloth inflated like a windsock and streamed behind the standard bearer. The Draco later became familiar within the Roman army itself, particularly among cavalry units.

This set contains 48 figures in eight poses. The warriors are armed with spears, javelins, swords and falxes, and one figure carries the distinctive Dacian Draco standard. Most wear the tunics, trousers, cloaks and caps associated with ordinary Dacian warriors, while the lack of armour makes them particularly suitable for representing the mass of infantry rather than the better-equipped aristocratic elite. The oval shields with central bosses also reflect the equipment shown in surviving representations of Dacian troops.

The figures can be used for the wars of Domitian in the AD 80s as well as Trajan's two great Dacian campaigns of AD 101-102 and 105-106. They are natural opponents for our Imperial Roman infantry and auxiliary sets, allowing battles ranging from skirmishes along the Danube frontier to the Roman invasions of Dacia and the final fighting around Sarmizegetusa.