The Roman conquests of Macedonia in the 2nd century BC led directly to
the extension of their authority over the troublesome tribes of Thrace
to the south of the Danube. But their new neighbor on the other side of
the mighty river, the kingdom of the Dacians, was to pose an increasing
threat to the Roman empire. Inevitably, this eventually provoked Roman
attempts at invasion and conquest. It is a measure of Dacian prowess and
resilience that several tough campaigns were required over more than a
century before their kingdom was added to the Roman Empire. It was one
of the Empire's last major acquisitions (and a short-lived one at
that).
Dr. Michael Schmitz traces Roman involvement in the Danube region from
first contact with the Thracians after the Third Macedonian War in the
2nd century BC to the ultimate conquest of Dacia by Trajan in the early
years of the 2nd Century AD. Like the other volumes in this series, this
book gives a clear narrative of the course of these wars, explaining how
the Roman war machine coped with formidable new foes and the challenges
of unfamiliar terrain and climate. Specially commissioned color plates
bring the main troop types vividly to life in meticulously researched
detail.