Trajan and the Conquest of Dacia Quiz

The Roman Emperor Trajan's first exploits targeted the Dacians, who, in the words of Edward Gibbon "were the most warlike of men." Test your knowledge of Trajan and his war against the men "who dwelt beyond the Danube."

A multiple-choice quiz by Casey02. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Trajan was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside of Italy. Where was he from?

Answer: Spain

Trajan actually spent little time in Rome. Ancient historians lauded his disregard for the luxurious life of the palace, attributing his spartan lifestyle to his foreign roots.

2. Trajan was adopted by what Emperor?

Answer: Nerva

Trajan had already made a name for himself owing to a distinguished military career before he was adopted by Nerva and named Caesar. Nerva's main reason for the adoption was to gain popularity among the troops, and this practice was emulated by his successors, thus ushering in the period of the "Adoptive Emperors."

3. Trajan decided to go to war with the Dacian kingdom (located in present-day Romania) which resulted in two hard-fought wars. In what year did the first war commence?

Answer: 101 AD

Trajan had many motives for launching a campaign against the Dacians. Firstly, the Dacians had been continuously harassing Roman troops across the Danube, despite a tenative peace agreement reached with Domitian. In addition, Trajan needed to secure his flank along the Danube in preparation for a campaign against the Parthian kingdom. He was also interested in Dacia's gold.

4. What year did Trajan's second war against Dacia end?

Answer: 106 AD

The Dacians sued for peace and an accord was struck with Rome. But the agreement fell apart after the Dacians refused to disarm and the second conflict broke out, resulting in the total conquest of Dacia.

5. Who was the king of the Dacians during the wars with Trajan?

Answer: Decebal

Decebal (AD 87-106) succeeded in creating a powerful centralized state, extending his rule to the Danube and the Black Sea. Before the accession of Trajan, he crossed the Danube and led at least two successful raids against the Roman army in Moesia.

6. After the first war, Trajan ordered the construction of a bridge across the Danube. Who was the architect?

Answer: Apollodor of Damascus

The bridge, the remains of which can still be seen in the Romanian city of Turnu Severin, was one of the most remarkable feats of Roman engineering. Roman historian Cassius Dio noted, "As wonderful as Trajan's other constructions are, this one surpasses all others in magnitude."

7. What was the name of the Dacian capital that the Romans sacked at the end of the second war?

Answer: Sarmizegetusa

The second time the Roman army reached the walls of Sarmizegetusa, situated in the Carpathian mountains, the walled fortress was fully conquered. Unfortunately, Trajan's written memoirs of this campaign never survived. But the story of both wars is told in the bas-reliefs on Trajan's column in Rome.

8. What was the fate of the Dacian king?

Answer: He committed suicide

The Dacian king chose to commit suicide rather than fall captive to the Romans. Bas-reliefs on Trajan's column depict Dacian warriors drinking from cups in front of mass graves, which may indicate that many others followed Decebal's lead.

9. What was the most important economic activity in Dacia in the 1st century AD?

Answer: Mining, especially of gold

Trajan filled the coffers of Rome with Dacian gold, which helped finance many public works. Mining in the area of present-day Rosia Montana in the Carpathian Mountains lasted for another 2,000 years and even now foreign companies such as Gabriel Resources of Canada are eager to tap into the area's allegedly rich gold veins.

10. Which emperor ultimately withdrew the Roman troops from Dacia?

Answer: Aurelian

Aurelian (270-275) realized that the province of Dacia was too costly in light of continued barbarian attacks on the empire. Dacia became more and more isolated. As a result the defensive lines of the empire were withdrawn to the Danube under a new political and military strategy.

Source: Author Casey02

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Trajan and the Conquest of Dacia Quiz

The Roman Emperor Trajan's first exploits targeted the Dacians, who, in the words of Edward Gibbon "were the most warlike of men." Test your knowledge of Trajan and his war against the men "who dwelt beyond the Danube."

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