Battle of Tapae

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Tapae was the site of two battles in the wars between the Dacians and the expanding Roman Empire under the emperors Domitian (81–96) and Trajan (98–117).

Tapae and the Dacian heartland

The mainland of Dacia was accessible to the Romans via two routes ( Jordanes , Getica 12.74): The western main access ran via Tapae, which included the bottleneck of the Bistra Valley with the Iron Gate Pass at its eastern end. The southern access was via Boutae, the Red Tower Pass (the breakthrough of the Alutus / Olt through the Southern Carpathians). Other approaches not mentioned by Jordanes were the middle Mureş valley and the volcano pass. Defenders who holed up in these passes were difficult to defeat. In the year 86 or 87, under Cornelius Fuscus, there was a catastrophic Roman defeat at the Red Tower Pass and in other cases, after successful breakthroughs, the Roman forces were no longer sufficient for larger campaigns in the Dacian heartland.

The Roman province of Dacia until Trajan's death. Tapae (not shown) is located between Tibiscum and the later Colonia Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa .

Battles of Tapae

  • In the year 88 the governor of Moesia superior (Upper Moesia ), Tettius Julianus , received from Domitian the order to subdue the empire of the Dacian prince Decebalus with the center around Sarmizegetusa (Regia) . Four legions and numerous auxiliary associations were called up for the campaign . The chosen route should lead from Viminatium first north to the Banat Mountains and from there in an easterly direction to the Bistra Valley and thus via Tapae to Sarmizegetusa. Decebalus faced the Romans at Tapae, but lost the battle. Domitian accepted three Imperial acclamations in the second half of the year. This indicates that Tettius Julianus was able to achieve further successes in the Dacian heartland after his victory at Tapae. However, the campaign was broken off either because of the late season or the exhaustion of the Roman troops without Sarmizegetusa having been captured. At this time, however, Domitian still rejected Decebalus' requests for peace. However, after the Romans were involved in additional disputes with the Marcomanni and Quadi in the following year , Domitian was forced to make a peace agreement. This included that Decebalus assumed the status of a vassal king, but was paid for with money, weapons and the transfer of civil and military technology.
  • In 101 Trajan opened his first Dacian war with a total of 7 legions as well as numerous auxiliary associations and vexillations . It was planned that part of this army would advance through the Mureş Valley into the Dacian heartland and another would threaten the volcano pass. The Untermösischen troops were ready to attack the Dacian settlement area in the southern Carpathians along the Olt. The main force around Trajan, which should still have comprised around 45,000 men, was to advance on the same route as Tettius Julianus from Viminatium via Tapae to Sarmizegetusa. Again Decebalus faced the Romans at Tapae, which was to remain the only field battle in this part of the campaign. When another Dacian defeat loomed, Decebalus withdrew his troops in an orderly manner. The Romans then advanced over the Iron Gate Pass and set up a large camp there (on the site of the later Colonia Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa). The capture of Sarmizegetusa was not to succeed in this campaign either, because at the same time other Dacian associations and the Roxolans allied with them attacked the Roman province of Moesia. This meant that Trajan could no longer think of further conquests this year.

Outcome of the Dacian Wars

Although Decebalus' maneuver to open a second front in Moesia was very clever, he could no longer drive the Romans from his heartland. After a compromise peace had been concluded with the Romans in 102, his reduced empire was to last a good four years until it finally perished in the 2nd Dacian War of Trajan in 106 and became the province of Dacia (106-271) in the Roman Empire was integrated.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 95.
  2. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 218.
  3. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, pp. 92–93.
  4. ^ A b Karl Christ: History of the Roman Empire. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 2002, p. 272.
  5. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, pp. 95–96.
  6. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, pp. 259-260.
  7. ↑ Karl Christ: History of the Roman Empire. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 2002, p. 273.
  8. ^ A b Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 96.
  9. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 220.
  10. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, pp. 218-219.
  11. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 224.
  12. ^ A b Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 250.
  13. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 247.
  14. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, p. 259.
  15. ^ Karl Strobel: Emperor Trajan An epoch of world history . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2010, pp. 275ff.

Coordinates: 45 ° 30 '  N , 22 ° 43'  E