Interactive history :The second dacian war

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

Interactive history: the Second Dacian War (105-106 AD)

Take up the role of Diurpaneus Decebalus, the dacian king . Will you be able to save the already weakened Dacia ? Will you be able to stop the 200 000 man army of the roman Emperor Trajanus, using little more than 20 000 troops of doubtful loyalties, and a clever dimplomacy ?

Before anything goes, i reccomand for those who whish to participate to search a bit on Wikipedia about it, also read as much as possible about the dacian civilisation (believe me, they where deffinetly NOT like the "dacians" depicted in RTW)... i know this war , its geograpahic settings and its odds are rather unknown to the western audience.

I. THE BREAKUP OF HOSTILITIES...

It is the winter of 105 AD.Decebalus has rejected the roman ultimatum which was asking to him to stop reparing his fortresses and to give all the dacian weapons to the Roman Army.It was pointless to accept... romans where threacherous... they would have attacked anyway.

Howewer, the situation seems farr more worse than the one from the first dacian wars. Some roman troops left over from the previous wars, numbering in the thousands under the command of Cneus Pompeius Longinus ex-guvernor of Moesia Superior and Pannonia, control a number of forts in south-western Dacia at Tibiscum, and also in Getia (*corresponding roughly to southern Romania).The line of the Danube is secured by roman forts on the Moesian side of the river. The most powerfull roman fort (*castrum) is the one from Drobeta, effectively guarding the bridge of Appolodurus, built between 103-150 AD.

The Iazigy from the Pannonian Plain, allies of the Romans, raid often the western fringes of Dacia.They are more than a nuissance, especially whith they raids on Ziridava and Zurobara.

To the east, the Bastarne seem unwiling to join another failed anti-roman coalition. Further, the Roxolani Sarmatians are still recovering after the devastating defeat suffered in the Moesian Diversion of 102.

In his palace from Sarmizegetusa, king Decebalus is thinking about a plan to save Dacia. The future seemed to be sinister... there where rumours that Emperor Trajan was assembling a 200 000 men army from almost all the known world... the famous archers of Palmyra, the dark cavalrymen of Numidia dressed in theyr long valueums having theyr faces covered, the fearless Arabians, the cruel and savage barbarians from the northern forest , all where part of this huge army, together whith the most powerfull fighting units the ancient world has ever seen to this moment - the famous Roman Legions... Dacia must resist... they should not bow again in front of the Roman Empire, oh, never... .Only the fait in Zamolxis... he might save Dacia, he and the bravery of the Comati, the warrior-peasants, the one which worked the fertile fields always armed... the mighty cavalry of the Tarabostes, the invincible and brave Sarmatian mercenary Kataphractoi, the fanatic falxmen...

The high priest Vezina, entered into the hall of the palace:

"Noble Decebalus, the people of Dacia ask you to lead them against the romans... they want to see the earth saturated whith the blood of these murderers"...

"Wasn`t enough roman blood spilled in the narrows of Tapae, where`t the rocks and walls of our fortresses filled whith the dead of the romans... ? How many dacians did meet theyr end.. how many have went in the sky to our lord... "

Suddenly, the gate oppened, and Diegis together whith a young greek slave, entered into the hall:

"My king, whe have received news... spies from Rome report that in the Roman Senate war has been declared against us... we must act quickly, my noble king"

"Than whe should urgenly attack all the roman garrisons whithin Dacia and capture Longinus" "If whe do not kill the romans whithin, how shall whe handle the ones which will come ? Also, the roman garrisons whithin Dacia can be at anytime reinforced by the romans from Moesia, so whe should hurry" said king Decebalus.

"My great king", replied Diegis "my advice is to attack in the first place the the Iazigii.. if whe leave them alone, they will be a thorn in our side, and they will continue raiding our western borders.What if they will attack our rear ?"

"Whe should be wise", said Vezina, "and not to rush attacking whith only a 10 000 men army. Instead, why not wait a couple of months until the spring, and in the same time build up the forces here at Sarmizegetusa... The romans will not attack in the winter. Maybe the Costoboci tribe from the north might join us... maybe even the Sarmatians will decide to join in our side".

SO, IT IS UP TO YOU TO CHOOSE :

1) DO LIKE DECEBALUS THOUGHT, AND ATTACK URGENTLY ALL THE ROMAN GARRISONS FROM DACIA

2) LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF DIEGIS, AND GIVE A DECISIVE BLOW TO ROME`S ALLY, THE IAZIGII

3) LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF VEZINA AND WAIT A COUPLE OF MONTHS WHILE GATHERING MORE TROOPS.

[IrishArmenian]

I would say number 2. Just because it is much harder to focus on two enemies as opposed to just one. Get the IAZIGII out of the piture.

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

II HUNTING THE IAZIGII

After much thinking, King Decebalus listened to the advice of viceroy Diegis. AS soon as possible, the dacian army under the leadership of Decebalus left Sarmizegetusa and went out of the mountain strongholds heading towards the valley of the river Maris. Then, the dacian army turned westwards heading towards Ziridava and Zurobara.

On the road, men from different villages mostly peasants and shepherds joined in the ranks.

After a week and a half of marching , a currier came from the west, saying he has to speak something whith Decebalus.

"My great king" said the rider, "the Iazigii have sorounded Ziridava and are preparing to storm the dava. Unfortunately, the city is protected only by a wooden pallisade and by the bravery of our forces.The enemy number in theyr thousands, mostly cavalrymen, but also many infantry, including troops sent by the roman guvernor of Pannonia to support the Iazigii".

"Then whe shoud urgently relieve the siege", said Decebalus. "Whe should march imediatelly, as fast as possible".

While the dacian army hurried to relieve Ziridava, news came from the local shepherds that the enemy encampment is somewhere nearby, but the data given by the locals turned out to be very controversial.

The next night, not farr away from the besieged ziridava, a fight erupted between the vanguard of the dacian army and some iazigii cavalrymen. There is no clear report about how many iazigii forces are acctually engaged in this fight.

Dacian cavalrymen fighting in the vanguard howewer, seem to have suffered quite some casualties, and need to be either retreated, either reinforced.

Diegis the viceroy, suggest to engage more forces:

"My great king, the night advantages neither us, neither the enemy. I am sure theyr troops where at least as suprised like ours when they started the battle. I suggest engaging the army in an all-out attack"

Vezina howewer, had a different opinion:

"Wise Decebalus, better listen to the advice of an old man, an old men who fought many battles and have seen many things in his life. Retreat the engaged cavalry, and do not launch an attack against the enemyes. Wait for the sunrise. You know that our god Zamolxis is a lover of light and wisdom, and he hates the deep darkness of the night... "

SO,

1) WILL YOU LISTEN TO DIEGIS AND ENGAGE ALL THE FORCES IN AN ALL OUT ATTACK ?

2) WILL YOU LISTEN TO VEZINA AND RETREAT THE ALREADY ENGAGED VANGUARD, ATTACKING AT THE SUNRISE ?

[AggonyDuck]

I'll choose option:

2) WILL YOU LISTEN TO VEZINA AND RETREAT THE ALREADY ENGAGED VANGUARD, ATTACKING AT THE SUNRISE ?

We have no clue what's out there, so better we pull back and do proper reconnaisance during the morning.

[Rodion Romanovich]

option no. 2, better to be safe

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

III BATTLE OF ZIRIDAVA

Decebalus listened to the advice of Vezina. In the early dusk, dacian scout cavalry went out of the dacian camp to scout the seemingly endless plains of Pannonia...

Very quikly, they returned in the camp whith the news that the camp of the Iazigii is situated not to farr away from the city of Ziridava, at about on hour march. These informations , said the scouts, where confirmed by some local dacians also.

Quickly, Decebalus assembled the army. A decisive bloody strike was necessary against the Iazigii.In front, the dacian Tarabostes cavalry would lead the attack.

Howewer, at sunrise, the dacians where closing in, when the Iazigii horse archers quickly sorrounded the dacian army and launched a storm of arrows.The reliable comatai and the fanatic zamolxianists where of no use here. Diegis, rushed in and ordered the light cavalry to engage the enemyes, which proved to be a good decision. The small and quick dacian horses, raised in the northern mountains by the Costoboci where much faster and reliable then the now-weak horses of the Iazigii, not to forget the dacians light cavalrymen knew well to use theyr curved swords.

The light cavalrymen charged in loose formation towards the iazigii horse archers, and managed to engage and kill many of them in quite a short time. Howewer Zizais, theyr leader and king, signalled the wawering horse archers to retrat back into the camp and sent in the heavy cavalry to cut down the dacian light cavalrymen, which at theyr turn quickly fled the field at the sight of theyr enemyes, in great disorder.Some of them where caught from behind by Iazigii and killed. The nephew of Diegis was among them, but he was lucky enough to escape whith slight injuries.

Diegis , seeing the turn of events, angrily ordered the Roxolani mercenaries and the Zamolxian knights to enter the fight. Payed out of the royal treasury of Dacia, the Roxolanii knew to fight well, and even more, they disliked very much theyr Iazigii kin. The Zamolxian knights howewer, where known for theyr fanaticism. They where a brotherhood of wolfs, knew not to neither death, neither suffering. They where the Sons of Light and where to defeat the armyes of Darkness and its numerous evil spirits, or rather die, like Zamolxis has shown to the Dacians more than 1400 years ago.The reward was not gold, but imortality.There was nothing to be gained on earth... life was just a test, just a passage.The true martirs will earn a place near Zamolxis. The knights where not numerous at all, but whith theyr thick armours and strong lances, where more than a match for any enemy. They charged towards the Iazigii in wedge, pointing whith theyr sharp spears towards the enemy, while having the sun from behind. The flag, the mighty Dracones was raised... Blinded by the sun, shivered by the eerie sound of the Dracones, the Iazigii wawered, and crumbled in front of the Dacians.Once again, the Wolfs have tamed the bane of the Western plains.

Seeing the defeat of his heavy cavalry, Zizais fled the field together whith the roman reinforcements.Altough beeing chased downd by the regrouped dacian light cavalrymen and by the Tarabostes, they where able to escape back into theyr camps, farr in the Pannonian Plain.

It was a victory, but it wasnt decisive. The Iazigii knew how to flee a battle much to well...and their losses where farr from beeing serious.

In the afternoon, all was over, and the dacian army camped just outside Ziridava. The man and women of Ziridava came to aclaim theyr victory, bringing water, wine, bread and salt to the exhausted troops.Music, the beautifull sound of pan flutes, cymbals, horns and the ancient brynka, was to be heard all across the shores of river Marissus.

In the main hall of Ziridava, built out of strong wood, having a richly decorated entrance, Decebalus together whith Vezina stood in silence, when suddenly a young man entered:

"My noble king", said the young man "my name is Preda and i came in the name of the southern man of Getia"

"You have made a long journey, you must be brave, my son , to cross in the winter the mighty Carpathians. What news do you bring to me ?" said Decebalus.

"My king", "Mighty Barsan, the tarabostes from Arcina, sent me her to ask you to attack the roman from Tibiscum, while he will raise an army and clear the roman presence from Alutania and Deserta Getarum. He also says to you, that you should hurry. Cnaeus Pompeius Longinus has requested additional reinforcements from Moesia, and it would be not wise, as Barsan sais, to let any more the romans have a foothold in Dacia even before the arrival of Traian..."

A debate started between Decebalus and Vezina. In the first dacian war, knowing the fact that the dacian army has no chance in open field against the romans, Decebalus abandoned southern Dacia (including Getia, Alutania and Deserta Getarum) to the invading romans. The area was already suffering. Not so long ago, over 150 000 dacian peasants where moved to the south of Danube by the romans in quick action. The rest of them which remained in the area around the first war, where helpless... many of them joined the romans, and showed the road to the moorish-roman captain Lucius Quietus, which marched whith his cavalrymen across the hidden paths of the mountains to strike Sarmizegetusa from behind, to help the main roman armyes. Only the heavy losses incured by the romans at the battle from Tapae and Trophaeum Traiani saved Dacia from an early conquest, altough it plunged her into an uneasy peace, which now was already shattered.

"My old friend, by the name of Zamolxis i would go and clear southern Dacia of the roman plague, but if i remember well, in the first war, the men of Alutania where the first to betray us... how could have found out the romans of Quietus the secret road to Sarmizegetusa ? I would rather launch an attack into Pannonia... slaughter the romans of Aquincum, enslave theyr women and children and touch them whith the hot iron mark of slavery.Let them know our whrath !"

"Decebalus" , said Vezina calmly "threachery was and will be in our nation. Zamolxis dislikes it, and he will strike the threacherous whith his divine tunders,throwing them deep into the depths of the earth.... Let Zamolxis judge them. And , my noble king, may i remind you that in the first war the royal army of Dacia did not fought a single battle to defend those regions... that the dacians of Alutania and Deserta Getarum payed the worst price, theyr fields where destroyed by the romans, and theyr houses burned ? Forget about pillaging Pannonia when the enemyes are so deep into the country, my king... and turn back to help our brothers to clear our land...help them this time.. never let enemyes behind you ! "

SO, here are the choices:

1) LISTEN TO VEZINA AND GO INTO THE SOUTHERN DACIA, TO CLEAR THE ROMAN GARRISONS

2) GO TO ATTACK THE POORLY DEFENDED PANNONIA AND PILLAGE AQUINCUM

[CountArach]

1) LISTEN TO VEZINA AND GO INTO THE SOUTHERN DACIA, TO CLEAR THE ROMAN GARRISONS

This will likely encourage a response from the Romans. If we can take out their more experienced troops in the region, we have freedom to pillage and gather warriors for a time. Also any Roman Allies in the area may come over to our side after a show of power.

In the time it takes to Pillage Aquincum a counter-attack can be gathered by the Romans.

[Rodion Romanovich]

2, better to hit them where they're the weakest. During the last war the romans assembled their army near where the Danube bridge is and that's where they're likely to assemble troops again in case of a new offensive, so there could be quite difficult resistance there if they've already begun assembling an invasion army. While cutting off the bridge crossings by taking the fort at the bridge would be a good way of delaying a roman crossing, it would also mean huge dacian casualties to do so, if at all the operation would be successful (doubtful, if the romans have already begun assembling a force just south of the river). Hitting them in Pannonia however could be a useful way of diverting their attention and pressure them in their preparations of an offensive from the bridge. Perhaps it would also be something of a propaganda victory and would make more allies among enemies of Rome join the dacian forces. Pillaging Aquincum freely could for example be a tempting offer for many possible future allies. For the Danube bridge region it could be better to just send a small recon patrol operation.

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

IV TIBISCUM (January 106)

News have reached to the dacians that Trajan is already in souther Ilirycum, gathering a huge army from all across the empire. Howewer, he will not start the attack until the late spring as his troops are still assembling.

Meanwhile, Decebalus and the dacian army had marched all across the south-western Dacia, towards the roman castrum of Tibiscum. Outside Drobeta which was guarding the bridge, Tibiscum was the strongest roman castrum in Dacia , defended by Cnaeus Pompeius Longinus and an unknown number of roman auxiliaries.

The Dacian Army reached the confluence of the river Bistra and Tibiscus. The mountains where quite farr away, some 5-6 kilometers at least, whith theyr tall peaks covered in deep fog. There where rumours that the romans have installed some watch towers on theyr tops, to see in time any enemy advancement, howewer nobody in the army of Decebalus actually knew that much. The local dacians, living in some scattered villages up the valley of Tibiscus, and up on the valley of Bistra towards Agnaviae never heard of such towers installed by romans, they where unable to give any clear indications about them, which made Decebalus think that those towers where actually manned by local dacians who switched sides...

Howewer, what Decebalus did knew well, was the location of Tibiscum. It was a few more kilometers up the river Bistra, located on a very small hill. It had walls made out of stone, in good roman fashion and two dithces. It had no known vulnerabilities, not a single weak point.The dacians did not brought whith them theyr siege equipments. The catapults, the ballistae and the onagers where left in the fortresses from the Surianu mountains around Sarmizegetusa.. transporting them in winter would mean lot, and lot of work, and they where valuable goods, as most of the man who manned them and knew how to put them into good use, where transfugees from the Roman Empire.

In a dark night, some dacian soldiers whent outside the camp to search for some fress water, but never returned. The next day, search teams have been made to recover them... finally, they have been found dead , throwed in a small ravine. Some of them had theyr bodies desfigurated, while others had theyr head cut off.

When Decebalus learned about this, he cursed the romans and theyr kin. Angrily, he gathered all the army, and ordered them to go into the woods, cut down some trees and make ladders and a primitive ram in order to assault the castrum. A general asault on the fort will be made this day, in the evening !

Diegis, looked upon him and said:

"My king, it is not the custom of romans to desfigurate the bodies of the dead. Maybe those unfortunate soldiers where cought in the darkness of the night by some thiefs, or by some threacherous man, among our own. Why rush and attack now the romans ?"

"Decebalus my king", said Vezina " Diegis is right. Whe do not know the ones who commited that outrage...Howewer, whe should wait for another month until we manage to bring here some decent siege equipments from Sarmizegetusa... catapults, fierce ballistaes, and many more. Any attacks whith rams and ladders against such a castrum would mean a waste of precious man, my king ! A useless waste ! "

"But why not let the man have theyr revenge ? Why you, Diegis and Vezina, do not trust the courage of the Dacians ? Aren`t we the sons of Zamolxis, aren`t whethe Wolfs.... you speaked of religion many times Vezina, you are a priest, but you seem to not understand. You put your trust in siege equipments not in our God ! " shouted Decebalus.

"My king" , smiled Diegis " your wise judgements are beeing darkened by these unfortunate events... please, for the sake of my age, listen to my words. Vezina our priest is right, but waiting for siege equipments now, in the winter means alot of wasted time. Time in which the romans will fortify theyr possitions even more . Also, an atack against the fort would mean wasted lifes... why not trick Longinus to come in diplomatic visit whith some of his best man.. and capture him !Zamolxis is good... he knews we are living harsh times... he will forgive us !

"No Diegis", said Vezina, " this would enrage Traian even more, and if we start acting in a threacherous manner, what makes us better than the romans , or the other nations? Better we wait ! "

"Waiting means wasting time" replyed Diegis in a more silenced manner.


So, here are the choices:

1) DO AS DECEBALUS WHISHES, AND ASSAULT THE FORT WHITH THE AVAILABLE MATERIALS.

2) DO AS DIEGIS WANTS, AND TRICK CNEUS POMPEIUS LONGINUS TO COME TO THE DACIAN CAMP IN A DIPLOMATIC VISIT IN ORDER TO THREACHEROUSLY CAPTURE HIM.

3) FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF VEZINA AND WAIT ANOTHER 3 WEEKS OR MAYBE A MONTH TO RECEIVE SOME PROPER SIEGE EQUIPMENT.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

i'd say 1) or if possible speak to Cneus Pompeius Longinus, offer that he surrender and that he and his family leave but the rest of the town belong to us...

this early in the campaign we can't appear treacherous to the romans or they might never again offer to parley when it is more favourable to us... and if we wait too long then the roman army could be assembled and ready... we need to deal with our closer enemies fast so that we can (hopefully) deal with the main roman attack later without there being any other disruptions

GMM

[Gurkhal]

I agree that 1. is probably the "best" alternative. Although I really just see many different bad ones. When deciding whenever to waste time or soliders I do honestly belive that time is the more precious at the moment. Thus lets attack and finish them off before they can entrench themselves even further. Perhaps (although highly unlikly) we may find something of use in the fort. Or else a boost to morale (although a losse of it if we fail).

Hopefully the number of Roman lapdogs inside the fort won't be to high. It's all in Zamolxis' hands...

[Rodion Romanovich]

I also think no. 1 will be the best idea. Time is crucial if we are to attack a fort so close to where other romans could be assembling. Waiting any longer would mean certain defeat, kidnapping Longinus would probably not achieve too much. So assaulting quickly before nearby romans can react seems like the only suitable alternative. It's interesting to reason about what the decapitated soldiers mean. Are the romans trying to make us lose discipline and attack in rage to fight a battle we can't win and take crucial losses, or a method of scaring us from attacking, because they in reality have a very small force inside the fort and expect to lose if attacked? I think the latter is more likely, because 200,000 romans wouldn't have enough reason to fear a 30,000 man large dacian force at Sarmizegetusa to think it necessary to try and get a crucial engagement here. Rather, I think it means they're too weak to withstand a proper assault launched quickly enough to not give time for romans nearby to come to their aid. And if we win here, we have the advantage of perhaps being able to block the Drobeta Danube crossing, which would be extremely good for delaying the romans, seeing as it's their best path for sending supplies to a roman army in dacian lands.

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

V SIEGE OF TIBISCUM (January 106)

Listening to the advice of Decebalus, the dacians went into the nearby forests, cut down large trees, and made ladders to climb the walls of the roman fort. Even a ram has been made, covered whith thick anymal skin, howewer it was just a simple wooden ram, it would need lots of eforts to break the roman gate.

The evening closed in, and the dacian army headed towards the roman fort, marching under the mighty banner of the Dracones. From the distance, the dacians could see the romans, which already have signalled the alarm. On all the nearby hills and mountains, fires have been lighted up, sending huge columns of black smoke into the air.

The Dacians, alligned themselfes in battle against the fort, stood and prayed to Zamolxis for victory... may the blade of Heron the knight struck down the
roman infidels !

In theyr turn, the romans mocked them, and started shouting to the dacians bad words and insults in latin, a language that most of the dacians already understood. The roman troops seem to be not very numerous, composed of about 3 to 400 legionaries, and more auxiliary troops of archers, mostly from Palmyra, some Ubians taken from the shores of the Rhine, and some Slingers brought from Iberia and the Balearic Islands.

The assault started in all directions against the fort.The dacians , despising death, went whith theyr ladders against the wall, despite the rain of missiles unsleashed by the romans. Meanwhile, the ram closed slowly to the roman gate, under a hail of flaming arrows.

"The ladders are at the walls", shouted the dacian tarabostes ! The brave dacian man, covering theyr head whith shields, started climbing them, howewer many did fell, either struck by the romans, either screaming burned by the hot water pured down by the desperate romans.

Angrily, Decebalus cried to its troops:
"The one who takes this walls for me shall know its part from the Treasure of Sarmizegetusa !"

Hearing this, a brave dacian man named Bicilis Singidavensis, because he was from Singidava, took up its sword and shield, and climbed the ladders, followed by many more dacians whishing to have the promised gold.

Carefully, Bicilis avoided the roman missiles, and managed to climb the wall, followed by many more dacians. Battle erupted now on the walls of the roman castrum, while the ram finally managed to break the gate. Hundereds of dacians poured in.

Suddenly, the romans dropped theyr weapons, and Cnaeus Pompeius Longinus cried out in latin:
"Whe shall surrender"

In the general noise, the dacians and the romans continued their fighings for a moment, but when they saw Cnaeus whith his sword put down, they all stopped the fighting.

Diegis, acompanied by two dacians tarabostes , entered in the camp , saw cnaeus and said to him:
"Will the mighty roman eagle surrender that easyly to the dacian wolf?"
"The cubs may surrender, but what about the wolf when the great eagle shall come to strike his nest and avenge his cubs?" answered boldly Longinus

Diegis did not answer.

A few moments later, Decebalus came in the fort... "Let us decide now the fate of the prisoniers and the fate of Longinus !"

1) Kill everybody
a) just kill them
b) behead them and send theyr head to Trajan
c) send some man whith theyr bodyes to Drobeta, and impale them in order for the romans to be horiffied.

2) Kill only the roman prisoniers and spare Longinus:
a) just kill them
b) behead them and send theyr heads to Trajan
c) send some man whith theyr bodyes to Drobeta, and impale them in order for the romans to be horiffied.

3) Kill only Longinus and spare the roman prisoniers:
a) just kill him
b) behead him and send his head to Trajan
c) send some man whith his body to Drobeta, and impale him in order for the romans to be horiffied.

IV) Dont kill any of the prisoniers, bring them to the camp and decide better upon theyr fate at the meeting of the tarabostes, the dacian nobles.

P.S: more and more complicated decisions will come in the next turns... plan carefully...

[GiantMonkeyMan]

hmm...
are any of the auxillaries slightly disloyal to Rome? would any of them join us without later betraying us?

anyway i think that we should kill the legionaires definately, keep Longinus prisoner for barter later, and if possible recruit the auxillaries for our own cause, if not kill them as well. so basically 2a. Sending a few heads or disfigured bodies is not going to scare off a 200,000 strong army, if anything it would anger them further to commit such atrocities to our own troops in the future.

[Gurkhal]

I think that IV is the way to go. We shouldn't provoce the Romans into retaliation actions by send heads of implaing their comrades, their retaliation would also most likly to be directed towards civilians and future captured Dacians so I don't think they'd make any rash moves like that. Thus we shouldn't kill anybody, not yet. They did surrender fairly easily, so a bit of "over-mercy" might be in place to hopefully encourage future Romans to surrender quickly in a hopeless position rather than fight to the end.

Having a few hundred Roman prisioners, including legioneries as well as a Roman nobleman might also be a fine prize to show to our nobles and possibly allies against the Romans. And as I said: we can always kill the prisoners later if such should be necissery.

[Rodion Romanovich]

I also think IV is the best. The romans know how to use propaganda, and unnecessary cruelty benefits them more than us at this stage. Not killing them would also give us more options in the future, we can always kill them later. But killing should be avoided, because those who surrender must be rewarded, if we want romans in the future to be likely to surrender. What should be done now is probably to send the prisoners to some appropriate place in Sarmizegetusa where they can be held, but have guards who are ready to kill them at the slightest sign of any enemy approaching to try and free them. As for the roman auxiliaries, offer them a chance to join our side with good wage and free right to pillage any roman soldiers they kill or any roman city they raid if they join the dacian forces. For those who refuse, keep them prisoners under the same conditions as the roman legionaries - kill them if the romans advance too far and threaten to be able to free them. If possible in the future we should find a way to play on the card that the romans let the auxilia do all the dirty work while the legions are staying back, like at the battle of Tapae, but I see no such possibility at present.

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

SOME HISTORICALL INFO (take it like commercials in a TV show )

A little history !

I tried to make the story as plausible as it is possible. I am very curious about its outcome. Up to this moment, believe it or not, things happened in the same way as in real history : The dacians stormed the iazigii, but did not attacked panonia. The differences start in the story of Longinus. Altough Tibiscum was assaulted and taken, Longinus was captured trough threachery.

In the story, it is still winter. Many interesting things will come until the late spring, as i will insert and adapt to the story some really interesting plots from the history. Trajanus did not attack only but in the late spring. The reasons are obvious... to avoid snow, and bad weather which probably made him withrdraw in the first war, when he was just at the gates of Sarmizegetusa.

The ruins of Sarmizegetusa, altough very little known to the world,are in the list of the World Heritage by UNESCO. The city was located at around 1000-1200 meters above sea level, deep in the mountains of Sureanu, together whith many more other fortresses. Sarmizegetusa was more of a religious center, whith a unique calendar and a temple complex. The fortress Sarmizegetusa, altough defended by solide walls, it was not ment to be a military settlement, as it was not that strong compared to the neighbouring fortresses. In an around it, lived aproximately 25-50 000 people, in terasses, across the mountains. You can ask yourselfs how this man made a living at such a high altitude where snow is around 6 months/year... they did manage to make a living theyr, carving those terasses in the hillsides. They could practice agriculture, or growing out sheeps (traditional practice).A complex system of canalization (hundred of kilometers of clay pipes), brought fresh water to the theyr houses and the settlements.Some of them still work (i visited the area this summer).

Historically, the romans advanced on 5 columns , whith ~200 000 men. The major column attacked at Drobeta, went to Ad Mehadiam, Tibiscum, Agnaviae, Tapae, then straight to Sarmizegetusa. The other columns crossed the Danube at 4 different points, using pontoon bridges or boats, following other directions, invading the centre of Dacia (Transilvania), trough all the known passes of the Carpathians.

The dacian fortresses , built whith the assistance of greek and roman engineers, where very strong, as they where located on the hilltops, but had one major flaw : they lacked water ! In rainy months, this was not much of a problem as they had water collecting system, but in the summer months it prooved to be critical. This, the threachery and the might of Trajanus led to the demise of the Dacian state in august 106, when the last pockets of resistance where whiped out, and king Decebalus commited suicide to avoide beeing captured by the romans alive and humiliated.

In 106, the independence of Dacia ended, forever. It was a terrible blow from which the dacians never recovered. A new chapter started in the dacian history which would radically change the dacian culture: the romanization.

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

THE FATE OF LONGINUS 106 , early January


The night fell upon the lands of Dacia, dark, cold, and sad. The hills darkened theyr faces, and melted into the night, while the sun went to its sleep in an seemingly endless sea of fire.
"The skyes are full of heavenly lights ", said Vezina."Windy days shall come... "

His hearth was sad... more than one thousand of the best dacian warriors where taken out of the combat, either lost theyr lives, either fell badly injured in the siege. The injured ones, whispered theyr wounds to the darkness, will the dead ones, put on large funerary piers made of wood, awaited the moment of rise into the heavens.

"This night there will be lights in the forest, lights in the plains... " said an old woman from a nearby village.

Despised, the roman prisoniers where taken like cattle, in the centre of the dacian camp, well guarded. Some looked forward, whith bravery, defying theyr fate... these where the legionaires, 47 in theyr numbers.The rest of them, aproximately 250 where auxiliaries, a few ubians but mainly palmyrans.The dacians knew them well, as travelers from Middle East often came to theyr lands, mostly for trade .40 years before, one of those travellers caming from the south started spreading a new religion in Scythia Minor, and got in the attention of king Scorilo and the priesthood of Sarmizegetusa and Kogaion, howewer no action was taken against these man who turned away from the path of rightousness. Howewer as the romans hated them, especially Trajan, they where welcomed into Dacia, often given key posts.

"Maybe these auxiliaries will join our cause... and tell us more about the plans of the romans... or maybe we could get more from the roman legionaires", thought Decebalus.

The Ubians, few in numbers, looked boldly to the dacians. They where indeed brave man, taken from the forests of Germania. The dacians despised them and looked at them whith disrespect, but not once the Germans and Dacians fought together for a common cause.

"Gold", whispered one of them in latin.

The dacians heard and laughed of him.

"All of them just want the gold, our gold... but let them take it.For a price, of course.They should join us... as few as they are , but they should join us. They knem much about the roman troops".

"What about the orientals, my noble king Decebalus" said Diegis.

"Same offer. If they are wise, they will accept".

The palmyrans started debating in theyr own tongue about something. Finally, the one who seemed obviously the leader of the group, came in front:

"Decebalus, great king of Dacia, and supreme ruler. Give us something of value, something precious... oh yer, maybe gold, and whe will fight for you, in our way, but we ask that after the war is over and you defeat the army of Trajan, by the name and will of Iaghribol, whe should want to go into our land"

"You will return to your land then, pagan.But you shall fight for me before."

"I feel threachery in the voice of this men, my noble king", whispered Vezina.

"I sometimes do feel threachery even in the voices of my friends, wise one".

The legionaries stood brave. They knew what kind of ill fate could awayt them...They tought of nothing more than a hopefully quick and painless death

"What about Longinus and the legionaries, my king" , asked Diegis.

"Longinus.... the tarabostes will decide his fate ! The gathering of the nobles, like it always was, from the times of Dromihetes ! The same for the roman legionaries"

IMPORTANT


THE FIRST 3 MEMBERS WHO WILL POST WILL BE THE "TARABOSTES" , AND THEY WILL CHOOSE THE FATE OF LONGINUS AND THE FATE OF THE ROMAN LEGIONARIES. UPON THEYR OPINIONS AND ADVICE, THE DECISION WILL BE TAKEN ! ONLY THE FIRST 3 POSTS WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

First of all, I would like to say that we can't allow these roman soldiers to live. While they live we must use vital troops to guard them. I suggest that we test the loyalties of our new allies by telling them to execute the Roman Legionnaires. Also the Roman Leader, Longinus, should be kept alive for bargaining perhaps for some of our own nobels if any are under Roman control. Firstly we need information from him and I doubt that the legionairres will know anything but the roman leader will so interrogation will be required.

[CountArach]

First of all, I would like to say that we can't allow these roman soldiers to live. While they live we must use vital troops to guard them. I suggest that we test the loyalties of our new allies by telling them to execute the Roman Legionnaires. Also the Roman Leader, Longinus, should be kept alive for bargaining perhaps for some of our own nobels if any are under Roman control. Firstly we need information from him and I doubt that the legionairres will know anything but the roman leader will so interrogation will be required.

This certainly sounds like the best course of action. Get the new men to do it with their swords. Let the new guys do it for us!

Longinus should be put ot the question, then executed when we are about to enter a battle with the Romans. His entrails should then be put on a anner so that our men will become inspired.

YEs I am somewhat sick... What?

[Gurkhal]

I disagree with the two posts before me on the Romans. There are only 47 Romans, with Longius 48. Guarding them would not in any near way have a real impact upon our army's capability for fighting. Nor would the frontline soliders be needed. I think that the local city watch is enough to keep them under controll. While the Romans probably don't care to much about their pay-swords the legioneries might have worth to them. To have the turn-coats slay their former comrades would not be an act of loyalty, not with 19 000 Dacian warriors around them. It would merly be an act of intelligence and survival instincts, an act which they have already past by accepting to go into our service. We can kill them anytime we wish, however once killed, we can never use them for anything.

As for Longius, we didn't kill him and provoced the Romans at the fort simply to do it here. While he should be interrigated to allow us information into what the Romans have planned, we shouldn't do anything rash like kill him or submitt him to severe torture...yet. Nor should the Romans be provoced into an esculating spiral of violence, which we will suffer far more from than our enemies. Like GiantMonkeyMan I think that the Roman should be kept alive for potential bargin in the future, something which will make us have to abandon the thought of permanent injury to his person.

Longinus should be put ot the question, then executed when we are about to enter a battle with the Romans. His entrails should then be put on a anner so that our men will become inspired.

Or more like it the Romans will be inspired to a "no prisoners or mercy" mentality. We should not provoce the Romans. Nor give them free ammunition for their propaganda.

Our new reinforcements should be handeld like this, divide them up into small groups, say 50 at maximum and mix these groups along the Dacian troops. When divided through our army they won't have the oppertunity to turn upon us in force so to switch the balance of a battle. Insteed, with being divided throughout the army they'll be slain in a matter of minutes if they should try to betray us.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

but... what would we need the legionnaires for anyway? none of them would have a clue what the roman's plans are, and when facing an army of 200,000 we are going to need all the troops we can get, even if they are just town militia

and you could probably tell if someone kills another person willingly or not, even something simple as slight hesitation could been seen... say if they kill the romans with ease and without stopping then they are obviously commited, but if they pause and think about it, maybe even close their eyes while taking the swing, you'll know they aren't committed to the cause

[Gurkhal]

I differ from your view on three main points.

1. Against a Roman army of 200 000, we will have to avoid to fight them at all if possible. Face to face in a pitched battle we will be massacered. In any sort of battle, town milita will be even less than sword-fodder against the Romans. If they would even survive long enough to run away I would be suprised.

2. How the previous Roman mercineries acts against their comrades can be seen in many ways. If they just kills their former comrads just like that; people they must likly know personal to some degree then they obviously don't really care about anyone save for themselves. What keeps them from switching sides again when turns of events seems to change and cut our throats in similer fashion? Also they didn't turn to us because they belived in our cause, they turned because they belive in the holyness of the golden coin.

3. Even if we don't need the legioneries for anything at the moment, we have nothing to gain from them being dead. A massacre of prisoners will only provoce the Romans towards similer actions and give them material for their propaganda against us. Also these Romans surrendered to us, we want Romans in the future to rather surrender than figh to the end. So to reward those that give up and spare us from further casulties is generally a good principle.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

but how will the romans even know if the legionnaires are dead? i'll answer for you: they won't! they'll get news back that 'the dacians have sacked the town, longinus is presumed captured' and that is all
so even if these auxillaries do only care for themselves, they'll care about the gold that they can recieve. the romans probably won't accept them back considering that they already have 200,000 troops and might consider the auxillaries to have betrayed them...
while we still have time we should be training up men giving them techniques against roman soldiers which our veterans can shown them... gathering our troops is a necessity and town militia can be shown how to be better than that

but basically.... 2 against 1! (joke)

GMM

[Gurkhal]

but how will the romans even know if the legionnaires are dead? i'll answer for you: they won't! they'll get news back that 'the dacians have sacked the town, longinus is presumed captured' and that is all

The Romans can tell from either the corpses, from some Roman patroll who witnessed the event from afar or more likly from their spies in our cities who will report this to their employers. Also the Romans might consider re-use their turn-coats since they might give them an advantage, as well as weakening our position. Or the auxillaries will just make it for the hills if they feel in to much danger while the Romans cuts us to pieces.

Also, insteed of trying to have our men spend time training raw recruits who will anyway never be equall to the Romans in numbers, quality or equipment I do belive that to use the time untill the Roman launch their invasion more productive will be of greater use. The training can be left to the traininers who do train people for a living. Anyway, town milita arn't to be employed in the field, loss of life for no gain. Or more like it, mouths that eat and drink without arms to fight. Insteed better quality troops, mercinieres and allies from people who are traditional enemies to the Romans should be focused rather that pure masses of sword-fodder.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

i was just using the town watch as an example that they could be doing other things rather than stand around guarding a bunch of romans who will never be of any use to us...
and if we kill 'em in the town how are they going to tell whether they died in battle or not? and even if they did find out would it really do us so much harm? i know that the roman leaders may be more viscious, but the normal roman soldiers will probably be thinking 'these blood thirsty dacians, slaughtering their prisoners like cattle'... i know i'd be scared

but i think that we both made our points and i think that we should wait for Rex to write up what happens next (hint hint)

GMM

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

THE CHOICE , TIBISCUM 106 AD

The fires where burning, and the nobleman gathered in the centre of the dacian camp. Nearby, gathered like cattle , despied and hated, stood the roman legionaries. They knew that death awaited them.

Dressed in long valueums, wearing on theyr head the dacian pointed cap, the tarabostes started debating in the old manner about the fate of the prisoniers. Decebalus looked at them... rich man they were indeed, lords of the numerous Davas from Dacia, whith beautifull wifes all dressed in expensive clothes and adorned whith many golden jewelryes. Could he trust these man ? In the first war, some switched sides and joined the romans.

Finaly, a decision was taken, altough not all of the men agreed.The roman legionaries where going to dye by the hand of the roman auxiliaries who joined the dacian cause !

Decebalus laughed:
"They will knew the taste of roman blood even before the true battles will start !"

The auxiliaries where called in.The men of Palmyra, carelesly took out theyr curved swords out...while the Ubians looked to the romans whith great satisfaction.

The slaughter was short, and cinic. The dead romans fell, and imediately they where taken away and incinerated on a funerary pire.

Longinus watched all the scenes, and smiled.

"You will escape death, for now", said Decebalus.

"I knew" answered Longinus.

"But you will have to tell me many things if you want to keep this privilege. I can be cruel"

"You can kill me, either way you will loose"

"What about those fires, Longinus, those fires from the mountain tops... just before the attack"

"They mean you will have to surrender to the power of Rome, as some roman army group, numbering around ~50 000 lead by one of Rome`s best generals just crossed the Danube at Drobeta and heads towards Tibiscum, to take over the south-western Dacia. We want to spend the rest of the winter in your lands"

"I already knew this" , lied Decebalus. He replyed whith a lie, to some words he believed to be nothing more than empty threats. Trajan never campaigned in winter, nor the romans... at least not in Dacia !And the scouts reported as farr as this moment, no major roman movement in the area.

"It is never too late to surender. Consider that i am giving you an unique oportunity"

"I shall not do this"

"Do you serve your personal glory or your nation? You now the romans never loose. Even if we loose and you win, whe will came back and fight again, and eventually we will win ! "

"I do not serve mylself, Longinus.I serve my nation and my god" , answered Decebalus.

"Then, surrender to the might of Rome! Put down all the weapons. That is what he is asking. Trajan can can sometimes be mercifull whith the prisoniers."

"You stood in our lands for 4 years... you had Dacian subjects in Moesia. But still, it seems you do not understand our ways"

"Your ways are as the ways of any mortal... "

"No, you are mistaken. We are not mortals.. Guards ! Take him out !"

The hearth of Decebal darkened. He went to Vezina and Diegis :

"Longinus had filled my hearth whith lies and deceapt.. howewer, whe should make a decision now".

Crucial decisions follow now, both military and politicall. In this case, only the first reply will be taken into account.

I MILITARY DECISIONS:

1. Go and attack the roman fort of Drobeta:
a) Use the ancient road which goes trough Ad Mehadiam, the most easy way of acces.
b) Use a secret way trough the mountains, very dangerous in winter, but more stealthy.Surprise the romans.

2. Wait in Tibiscum while sending more scouts towards Drobeta to get more reports upon roman movement.


3. Retreat towards Sarmizegetusa to regroup and consolidate the main fortresses :
a) Leave a small garrison at Tibiscum.
b) Do not leave any soldiers behind.

II POLITICALL DECISIONS:

1. Send an emisary to Trajan to see if there is any posibility of negociating a decent peace:
a) Offer to the emisary an certain amount of gold to give to Trajan
b) Do not offer bribery, it is usseles

2. Send an emisary to the Parthian king Pacorus, whith numerous gifts, in order to persuade him to attack the romans in Mesopotamia, thus distracting their efforts in Dacia.
a) Send him trough the shortest way, trough Asia Minor. It will need 2 months to reach its destination, but he will go trough roman controlled land, and he might be intercepted by the roman counterspyes and executed.
b) Send him trough the barren lands of Scythia and Sarmatia , a much safer way. Howewer, he will need more than 4 months to reach its destination, and by the time he reaches the parthian court, the war in Dacia might be already lost.

[CountArach]

MILITARY
OKay well I believe that in a head to head pitched battle we will lose to the Romans, so I will say 1b. THis will ensure that we can get the jump on them, catch them with thei guard down and ensure that we fight on our terms. Also our men's morale will be heightened by our willingness to fight.

POLITICAL
I think that 2a will supplement the first choice the best. While we get into position to ambush them, this time can be used. We need to hit the Romans now, before they can bring up more men and supplies. One man will stand a good chance of getting through the Roman defences.

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

From this moment I will change a bit the storyline and divide the story into 2 separate plots. One of the plots will follow the dacian emmisary , Callidromus, in his road towards the Parthian king, while the second plot will follow king Decebalus and the Dacian Army. Also, due to the fact that the situation of the Dacian Kingdom at this moment is criticall, i will try to give when it is possible total freedom of choices to the member who will post.

Historically speaking, the Dacians had strong diplomatic relations whith the Parthians, and indeed sent a delegation to the Parthian king, howewer they where at one certain point intercepted by the Romans... ...

THE CROSSING OF CALIDROMUS (january 106 AD)

Calidromus was riding for more than two days trough the deep snows of southern Dacia.Together whith him, where his slave and bodyguard Susagus, seconded by Dada, a wise man who knew many foreign languages and customes.

They where not very farr now from the outskirts of Drobeta. Drobeta was by any means, a large roman fort, sorrounded by many houses in which the native dacians lived. Many roman troops were guarding the entrances, numerous patrols where everywhere ,the entire area looked like a huge roman military camp. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of romans where spread all around the place.

To the south , across the Danube, large and magnificent, lyed the great bridge of Appolodorus... it was truly a wonder, a wonder to amaze both the romans and the dacians ! Below the bridge was the Danube, cold as ice and very deep, flowing slowly trough the misty landscape. Sometimes, large packs of ice collided whith the pilons of the bridge, cracking out in many smaller glass-like pieces, taken away swiftly by the threacherous currents, twisted and broken in an endless dance of death by the wawes of the mighty river.

"How should we get trough the roman guards, my noble master ? ", asked Susagus.

There was not a single way to pass over to the other side on the bridge whithout beeing stoped by roman patrols at least once. Pretending to be merchants ? Merchants for what ,in times of war ? To the east, crossing the river whith a boat would be an posibility, howewer going east would mean traversing trough Drobeta and eventually encountering roman forces and patrols, all vigilant to capture any spies which would attempt entering the Roman Empire. Howewer, Calidromus knew that further west , lightly guarded by the romans, where the mighty gorges of the Danube, the nigtmare of any ancient sailor. Full of hidden cliffs and threacherous currents, they where indeed the Sydereya Pilai, the Iron Gates of Dacia , now even more dangerous due to the large floating ice packs! Crossing the Iron Gates in this period of year, would be totally unwise.


IMPORTANT

THE FIRST 3 MEMBERS WHO WILL POST ABOUT THE "JOURNEY OF CALLIDROMUS" PLOT WILL "BE" CALIDROMUS, SUSAGUS AND DADA (in no specific order) ,AND THEY WILL CHOOSE THE PATH TO BE TAKEN. UPON THEYR OPINIONS AND ADVICE, THE DECISION WILL BE TAKEN ! ONLY THE FIRST 3 POSTS WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.



THE HIDDEN MARCH TOWARDS DROBETA (January 106)

The dacian army left Tibiscum heading towards Drobeta. Howewer, the road taken was not the main road, but a road trough the mountains.

Local guides were taken to show the road... the first day, was a true march in a deep valley, sorounded by dark forests. It was cold... soon, some of the horses fell ill.

Local witches where asked to heal them. They came, ignited great fires and said words of prayer to the spirits to take away the sickness from the horses, but in vain. The horses where slaughtered by the soldiers, and theyr bodies burned.

The second day, the dacians continued to follow the path, and went up climbing on a secondary valley to the ridges... they climbed for hours trough the forests, but they where not tired, they where the nation of the mountains, and the mountains where theyr brothers and protectors in times of evil.

Howewer, again some horses fell ill and died, and many more where lost on the tracks... they simply fall down the cliffs, only to be found dead in cold ,dark valleys, lying whith their legs broken, tears of blood in the white imensity of snowy mountains.

The third day, howewer, the army faced better odd, despite the fact that most of the horses where either ill or already dead. The mountains of South-western Dacia, where strange... in their tops, they had large plateaus, whith no forrest due to the strong winds and high altitude, and one could walk trough these large plateaus tens of kilometers... In summer, these plateaus where used as points of observations, and the shepherds lived on them. They gathered in certain moments in such places to celebrate the rise and fall of the Sun, the mighty servant of Zamolxis and the lover of Bendis, the Pale Moon.

"Not farr from here, is one of the holy mountains", said Vezina ."And at the footsteps of the mountain, in most ancient times Herakles fought whith the serpant women, the Echidna... these are sacred lands to the romans, also, and they will fight well to capture them !"

The news that one of the Holy Mountains was nearby, somewhat rised the morale of the dacian army, which was seriosly dwindling. The cavalrymen especially, where now of little use... even the elite soldiers, the brave and fanatical Zamolxian knights where discouraged, and just walked silently in the terrible cold, without whispering a single word.

During the march, one of the Palmyran auxiliaries simply dissapeared. Altough the dacians watched overthem all the time, he dissapeared in a night.As during the night snow had fallen, his tracks where covered... Rumours started spreading in the dacian army. The rest of the auxiliaries where questioned, but no specific answer could be get from them. They knew nothing. If the one man went away, he probably went away on his own.

The march continued, but whith more caution. The dacians indeed, using an ancient patwhay used by the shephards, where on the mountains above the narrow valley of Tsierna, guarded by a small roman outpost named Castrum Tsiernensis. Nearby, was a place whith hot water springs ,caming out of deep caves, named by the romans Herculanum. The waters, as the legends said, where to cure all the ilness from the hearth and body of a man. Not farr from Herculanum, some kilometers away where the roman forces, guarding Drobeta and the nearby areas.

Decebalus looked towards the valley... capturing the probably ill defended Castrum Tsiernensis would be quite an easy task , but taking Drobeta would be very hard to accomplish, especially since the romans will call for reinforcements from Moesia Superior.

Should the dacians deploy in the valley and attempt luring the romans into an unwise attack ? Or should they go to assault Drobeta, or retreat to Tibiscum, or Sarmizegetusa ?

IMPORTANT

THE FIRST 3 MEMBERS WHO WILL POST In THE "ARMY OF DECEBALUS" PLOT WILL "BE" DECEBALUS, DIEGIS AND VEZINA (in no specific order) ,AND THEY WILL CHOOSE THE PATH TO BE TAKEN. UPON THEYR OPINIONS AND ADVICE, THE DECISION WILL BE TAKEN ! ONLY THE FIRST 3 POSTS WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

[Gurkhal]

THE CROSSING OF CALIDROMUS (january 106 AD)

I think that Calldromus should try his luck and cross the bridge openly. When stopped and asked by the Roman patrolls they may pretend to be pro-Roman refugees, possibly former merchents or minor nobility, fleeing from the bloodthirsty Dacian mobs, the gifts to the Parthians can be explained away as the valubles they managed to save before their house(s) were burned and their families butchered. When considering the Roman mentality and that the grunts probably have been fed some propaganda about the Dacian barbarism this should pass as truth to their ears, and in any case wouldn’t sound to unbelivible. Their resons for travelling south can be said that they have friends or relatives in, say Illyrium or Macedonia where they hope they can be given quarter.

This is a chance of course, but better than to act strange and become even more suspected or take the chances with the river.

THE HIDDEN MARCH TOWARDS DROBETA (January 106)

I say we attack Drobeta. We have come to fight and with the mountain route we have hopefully manage to suprise our enemy somewhat. To wait would be prefeerible to the Romans as they can then bring up more troops and make it impossible for us to take them on piece by piece. Also the I can't see any reson for the Romans to come out of the fort insteed of just sitting around untill stronger friends arrives. Retreating will most certainly be a severe blow to the morale, especially with the drop of it from the march over the mountains. We have come to take Drobeta, therefor let us take Drobeta.