Dacian War history help - Leg XXX Ulpia and II Trajana

**gamerdude873** · 01-10-2009, 08:22

For the life of me i just can't seem to find any definite info on when these two legions were actually raised. I've browsed just about everywhere, and while I have the general time frame, I can't get a good date. Some sources say 100, others 105. Some say that XXX Ulpia fought at Second Battle of Tapae, while others say that this couldn't have been because it was founded for the Second Dacian war, not the first. Could anyone give me a hand, or point me in the right direction on where to find this sort of stuff, or better yet, an accurate description of the Dacian wars? The internet just really isn't helping...

**julius_caesar_the_first** · 01-10-2009, 13:49

Dacia became a roman province after 106, when the last Dacian - Roman war ended so I don't think a legion could be raised before that.

Hope this helped.

**legatus** · 01-10-2009, 16:16

Hi
In the book 'Trajan, Optimus Princeps' by Julian Bennet, he writes:

'Trajan raised two new legions in 102/4, one of them, the 'legio II Traiana'

'the 'II Traiana fortis' and 'XXX Ulpia Victrix'. They were formed around the nuclei of experienced men transferred from existing legions'.

Hope this helps.

**gamerdude873** · 01-10-2009, 20:53

'Trajan raised two new legions in 102/4, one of them, the 'legio II Traiana'

So does this also mean that we're just not sure 100% when either legio was raised, but only possible dates? Or did you mean that those are the dates respectively?

**legatus** · 01-11-2009, 10:11

Hi

Bennet writes that the dates are reasonably accurate, he just means that the legions were assembled, equiped and supplied with auxillary support from the end of 102 to the start of 104.

A period minimum of 14 months, may have been longer! A period of time that does not seem unreasonable in order to raise 2 legions. If you wished you could probably pin it to 103, for the year of the major founding and organisation of the forces.