DBA Armies

Dacia was always a source of raids into lands south of the Danube, but became a greater menace under two ambitious kings Burebistas and Decebalus. This list covers armies from the accession of the former until the death of the latter. Roman campaigns against Dacia were initially in response to Dacian aggression. They continued with varied success until Dacia was finally defeated and annexed after two major wars under Trajan in 101-102 AD and 105-106 AD. Even after this, remnant tribes (known as Carpi or Carpodacae) continued to give trouble until around 380 AD. The most distinctive part of the Dacian army were men armed with the falx, a murderous curved blade mounted on a haft and depicted used two- handed by impetuous bare-chested trouser-wearing warriors, who may actually be Bastarnae, a neighbouring people. Light horse and most foot warriors wore trousers and shirts and fought with javelins and an oval shield similar to those of Roman auxilia. Only members of the quite extensive noble class wore caps, the remainder being bare headed. On monuments, only the ruler is depicted in a scale corslet, although scales are often found archaeologically and mail has been found in some horsemen’s graves. Sarmatians cannot be used in addition to a Sarmatian ally. References: Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome P. Barker, Trajan’s Column F. Lepper & S. Frere, Trajan’s Column and the Dacian Wars L. Rossi.