Battle of Adamclisi (Moesian Counter-offensive)(102)
Exact site. The pin marks a documented battlefield location rather than a broad area.
Tropaeum Traiani monument site, 1.5km north of Adamclisi village
Coordinate source: Pleiades Stoa pleiades.stoa.org/places/406510719 + mapcarta.com
Background
After the victory of Third Battle of Tapae, Emperor Trajan decided to wait until spring to continue his offensive on Sarmizegetusa, the capital of Dacia. The Dacian king Decebalus benefited from this, and made out a plan along with the neighboring allied tribes of the Roxolans and Bastarnae, to attack south of the Danube, in the Roman province of Moesia, in an attempt to force the Romans to leave their positions in the mountains near Sarmizegetusa.
Campaign: First Dacian War (101–102 AD)
Forces Engaged
The Battle
Decebal launched a bold diversionary counter-invasion into Roman Lower Moesia, allied with the Roxolani Sarmatians and Bastarnae Germans, hoping to cut Trajan's supply lines. Trajan rushed south via the Danube fleet. In a brutal battle of attrition on the Dobrudja plains, the coalition was crushed. Roman losses were unusually heavy (~3,800 dead), commemorated by the Tropaeum Traiani monument.
The Battle of Adamclisi was a major clash during the Dacian Wars, fought in the winter of 101 to 102 between the Roman Empire and the Dacians near Adamclisi, in modern Romania.
Casualties & Outcome
Romans: ~3,800 dead (mass graves at Adamclisi); coalition: ~12,000 dead and captured
Roman Empire achieved victory over Dacia / Roxolani / Bastarnae.
After the battle, Trajan advanced to Sarmizegetusa, Decebalus requesting a truce. Trajan agreed to the peace offerings. This time the peace was favorable to the Roman Empire: Decebalus must yield the territories occupied by the Roman army, and he must give back to the Romans all the weapons and war machines received after 89, when the Romans under Domitian were forced to pay an annual gift to the Dacians. Decebalus was obliged to reconsider his foreign policies, and “to have friends and enemies the friends and enemies of the Roman Empire”, as described by Dio Cassius. After the conquest of Dacia following the 105–106 war, Trajan built the Tropaeum Traiani at Adamclisi in 109, in memory of the battle. On the Tropaeum Traiani monument was a frieze comprising 54 metopes.
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
A decisive Roman victory that eliminated Dacian offensive power south of the Danube and forced Decebal to sue for peace in 102 AD. The Tropaeum Traiani monument still stands today at Adamclisi.
On the Tropaeum Traiani monument was a frieze comprising 54 metopes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Battle of Adamclisi (Moesian Counter-offensive)?
- The Battle of Adamclisi (Moesian Counter-offensive) took place in 102. Winter 101–102 AD.
- What was the outcome of the Battle of Adamclisi (Moesian Counter-offensive)?
- The Roman Empire were victorious against the Dacia / Roxolani / Bastarnae.
- What was the significance of the Battle of Adamclisi (Moesian Counter-offensive)?
- A decisive Roman victory that eliminated Dacian offensive power south of the Danube and forced Decebal to sue for peace in 102 AD. The Tropaeum Traiani monument still stands today at Adamclisi.