Third Battle of Tapae

Battle between the Roman Empire and the Dacians (101)

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Third Battle of Tapae

Part of the Dacian Wars

Battle scene. The Dacians (on the left) are attacking Trajan's men.
| Date| September 101

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Location|

Transylvania, Romania

45°30′20.160″N 22°43′28.920″E﻿ / ﻿45.50560000°N 22.72470000°E﻿ / 45.50560000; 22.72470000
Result|  Roman victory
Belligerents
Dacia|  Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Decebalus|  Trajan
Strength
Unknown for the battle. (possibly 20,000–30,000)|

Total:9–11 legions (70,000–80,000 (including auxiliaries)[1]

7 professional legions, 2–4 mixed legions[citation needed]
Casualties and losses
unknown|  unknown

class=notpageimage|

Location within Romania

Show map of Romania

Third Battle of Tapae (Europe without the extreme north)

Show map of Europe without the extreme north

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Domitian's and Trajan's Dacian Wars

* Domitian's Dacian War
* Third Battle of Tapae
* Adamclisi
* Sarmizegetusa

The Third Battle of Tapae (101) was the decisive battle of the first of Trajan's Dacian Wars, in which the Roman Emperor defeated the Dacian King Decebalus's army. Other setbacks in the campaign delayed its completion until 102. The battle is most likely the battle-scene depicted on Plate 22 of Trajan's column.

It followed the earlier battles at the same place during Domitian's Dacian War.

## Background

[edit]

As soon as Trajan became Roman emperor, he planned a campaign against Dacia. This campaign resulted in the first Dacian war fought between 101 and 102.

The reason used for this campaign was Decebalus' lack of respect for the Romans, and the fact that he failed to respect the agreements of the peace reached following the Domitian's Wars from 87/88.[citation needed]

Beside the nine Roman legions that were already stationed on the Danube frontier, Trajan brought two more, Legio X Gemina and Legio XI Claudia, and created two new legions, Legio II Traiana Fortis and Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix.[2]

## The battle

[edit]

The Roman army had crossed the Danube at Viminacium, slowly making its way into Dacia. Just like in 87/88, the battle took place at Tapae where Trajan engaged in a fierce battle with the bulk of his army. The clash, as illustrated on Trajan's Column,[3] was favourable to the Romans but at the cost of great bloodshed.[4] A storm broke out and the Dacians believing it a sign from the gods, decided to withdraw. It was not decisive since Decebalus was able to establish himself within his forts in the area of Orăștie, ready to block access to the capital Sarmizegetusa Regia.

## Aftermath

[edit]

Because the winter was near, Trajan decided to wait until spring to continue his offensive on Sarmizegetusa. Decebalus took advantage of the new situation, and in the winter of 101 to 102, he attacked the Roman province of Moesia, a major clash taking place at the Battle of Adamclisi.

## See also

[edit]

* List of Roman battles
* Trajan's Dacian Wars
* Dacian warfare

## References

[edit]

1. ^ UNRV History: Dacian Wars, Retrieved November 29, 2015.
2. ^ Dio, Roman History, 55.24.4
3. ^ Filippo Coarelli, La Colonna Traiana, Roma, 1999, ISBN 88-86359-34-9. tavv. 22-25 (XVIII-XX/XXIV-XXV) pp. 66-69.
4. ^ Cassius Dio, Storia romana, LVIII, 8, 2

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dacian and Dacians.

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Dacia

Tribes (List)|

* Aedi
* Albocenses
* Anartes
* Apuli
* Biephi
* Bessi/Bessoi
* Burs (Dacia)
* Carpi
* Ciaginsi
* Clariae
* Costoboci
* Crobidae
* Daci
* Getae
* Moesi
* Peukini
* Piephigi
* Potulatenses
* Predasenses
* Rhadacenses
* Saldenses
* Scaugdae
* Senses
* Suci
* Terizi
* Teurisci
* Trixae
* Tyragetae
* Troglodytae

Kings|

* Coson
* Cothelas
* Dromichaetes
* Moskon
* Oroles
* Rhemaxos
* Rubobostes
* Zalmodegicus

Dacian nucleus in Transylvania1|

* Burebista (82/61–44 BC)
* Deceneus (44 BC–???)
* Comosicus (9 BC(?)–30s AD)
* Scorilo (c. 30s–70 AD)
* Duras (c. 69–87 AD)
* Decebalus (87–106 AD)

Dacian kingdom of Banat and Oltenia1|

* Cotiso (c. 40–c. 9 BC)

Dacian kingdom of Dobruja1|

* Dapyx (1st-century BC)
* Rholes
* Zyraxes

Dacian kingdom of Wallachia and
southern Moldavia and Transylvania1|

* Dicomes

Culture and
civilization

| Artifacts|

* Coinage
* Art, jewellery, treasures, tools
* bracelets
* Clothing

|

Language|

* Belagines
* Words of possible Dacian origin
* Dacian plant names
* Dacian names
* Dacian script
* Sinaia lead plates
* Daco-Thracian
* Thracian language
* Thraco-Illyrian

Religion|

| Deities|

* Bendis
* Deceneus
* Derzelas
* Dionysus
* Gebeleizis
* Kotys
* Pleistoros
* Sabazios
* Semele
* Seirenes
* Silenus
* Zalmoxis

|

* Dacian Draco
* Kogaionon

Settlements and
Fortresses

* Sarmizegetusa
* Argidava
* Buridava
* Cumidava
* Piroboridava
* Sucidava
* Davae
* Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains
* Murus Dacicus

Foreign
relations

* Greeks
* Celts
* Germanic tribes
* Romans

Warfare

* Falx
* Sica
* Thracian warfare

Wars with the
Roman Empire

| Domitian|

* First Battle of Tapae

|

Trajan|

* First War
* Second Battle of Tapae
* Battle of Adamclisi
* Second War
* Battle of Sarmizegetusa

Roman Dacia / Free Dacians|

* Dacia Traiana
* Moesia
* Scythia Minor
* Dacia Aureliana
* Diocese of Dacia
* Dacia Mediterranea
* Dacia Ripensis
* Trajan
* Bridge
* Column
* Towns and cities
* Castra

Limes|

* Alutanus
* Moesiae
* Porolissensis
* Sarmatiae (Devil's Dykes)
* Transalutanus
* Trajan's Wall
* Brazda lui Novac

Culture|

* Daco-Roman
* Thraco-Roman
* Eastern Romance substratum

Research|

* Archaeology
* sites in Romania
* Books
* Dacianism
* Dacology
* Thracology

* Category
* Commons
* WikiProject
* 1 Dacian kingdoms succeeding Burebista's state and preceding Decebalus' state

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