The first battle of
Tapae were fought in 87 between the Roman army and the
Dacians. They were a consequence of
Roman Emperor Domitian's campaign to protect the
Roman province of
Moesia, nearly two decades before the
regional conquest during the
Dacian Wars in
Trajan's reign.
Background
In
86, the
Dacian king Duras ordered his troops to attack the
Roman province of
Moesia on the southern course of the
Danube river.
After this attack, the
Roman emperor Domitian personally arrived in
Moesia, reorganized the province into
Moesia Inferior and
Moesia Superior, and planned a future attack into
Dacia.
The battle of 87
Domitian, started a strong offensive against
Dacia in 87, ordering General
Cornelius Fuscus to attack. Therefore, in the summer of 87, Fuscus along with five or six legions crossed the Danube.
They encountered the Dacian army at Tapae, where the Romans were ambushed, suffering a great defeat. Almost all of the soldiers from
Legio V Alaudae were killed, the Dacians captured their flags and war machines, and general Cornelius Fuscus himself was killed in battle.
After this victory, the Dacian king Diurpaneus received the name of
Decebalus, meaning as strong (or brave) as ten men.
The battle of 88
The Roman offensive continued the following year, with general Tettius Iulianus now in command. The Roman army entered Dacia following the same route Cornelius Fuscus had in the previous year.The battle took place mainly in the same area, at Tapae, but this time the outcome...
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