Did Rome truly storm the Dacian capital, or did the defenders burn it themselves?
In 106, the Roman Empire launched a decisive campaign to dismantle the Dacian kingdom. While Trajan’s forces eventually leveled the capital of Sarmizegetusa, historians still debate the final moments of the siege. Did the Romans fight their way in, or did the fleeing Dacians destroy their own city first?
The conflict, known as Trajan's Second Dacian War, was triggered by King Decebalus’s failure to adhere to peace terms established after the initial war of 101-102. Emperor Trajan sought to permanently eliminate the Dacian threat, mobilizing a massive military machine. The Roman approach was a masterclass in strategic coordination, with three distinct columns converging on the capital. One force utilized a bridge designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, while others advanced through the Jiu valley and eastern Muntenia, systematically dismantling defensive strongholds along their path.
The Roman military presence included specialized units like the II Adiutrix and IV Flavia Felix legions. As they tightened their grip, they employed advanced siege tactics, including the construction of a circumvallatio wall to encircle the city and the use of heavy siege weaponry. Despite an initial failed assault, the Romans eventually forced a surrender by cutting off the capital’s water supply. Once the city fell, the invaders set it ablaze and razed the sacred enclosure to the ground, leaving the IV Flavia Felix to guard the remains.
The primary historical evidence for these events remains Trajan's Column, a monument that serves as both a record and a point of contention. Because the visual narrative is subject to interpretation, scholars remain divided on whether the city was taken through direct combat or if the Dacians, outnumbered and desperate, incinerated their own capital while retreating. While the destruction of the city is undisputed, the exact nature of its final hours remains one of the enduring mysteries of Roman imperial history.
Source: Battle of Sarmizegetusa
