Some remarks on the depopulation of Dacia during the reign of Trajan and the reliability of written sources

Volume 5, Issue 4, August 2021     |     PP. 266-276      |     PDF (192 K)    |     Pub. Date: July 28, 2021
DOI: 10.54647/sociology84608    61 Downloads     5180 Views  

Author(s)

Mateusz Żmudziński, Institut of Archaeology, University of Wrocław, Poland

Abstract
Some remarks on the depopulation of Dacia during the reign of Trajan and the reliability of written sources.
At the end of the fourth century C.E. Eutropius wrote that during the Dacian wars, under the reign of Trajan, Dacia had been completely depopulated. The article confronts his opinion with archaeological sources. They show that the ancient author drew a much simplified picture of the phenomena. The Dacians clashed the tribal elite and tens of thousands were killed and captured. Thousands of people were displaced. In some places there were emptiness settlements. Fortresses and sanctuaries were abandoned forever. However, this does not mean the complete disappearance of the native population. Dacians lived in the villages. Only some of them made careers and left behind written sources. Archaeological sources, however, indicate the massive presence of them as farmers and hired workers.

Keywords
Depopulation, Dacia, Trajan, Eutropius, Archaeology

Cite this paper
Mateusz Żmudziński, Some remarks on the depopulation of Dacia during the reign of Trajan and the reliability of written sources , SCIREA Journal of Sociology. Volume 5, Issue 4, August 2021 | PP. 266-276. 10.54647/sociology84608

References

[ 1 ] Babar A. V., Rape as a Continuing Weapon of Psychological Warfare, Suppression & Subjugation, The International Journal of Indian Psychology 3,2,8, 80- 97.
[ 2 ] Bejan A. Contribuţii la istoria şi arheologia Banatului în mileniul I.d. Hr. Şi începtul feudalismului, Timiṣoara.
[ 3 ] Bravo B/ Wipszycka E.: Historiografia antyczna, In: B. Bravo/ A. Krzyżanowska/ A Kunisz/ J. Trynkowski/ E. Wipszycka (eds.), Vademecum historyka starożytnej Grecji i Rzymu, vol. 1, (Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe) 39-126.
[ 4 ] Ciechanowicz J. Rzym. Ludzie i budowle. (Warszawa: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy).
[ 5 ] Criṣan V. Dacii din estul Transilvaniei, Covasna.
[ 6 ] Daicociu C., La Transylvanie dans l’Antiquité, Bucharest.
[ 7 ] Daicoviciu, C., Dacia capta. (Zur Frage der Eroberung und ursprünglichen Organisation Dakiens) in: Dacica. Studii şi articole privid istoria veche a pămîntului Romȃnesc, Cluj,. 561-571.
[ 8 ] Daicoviciu, H., Dacia de la Burebista la cucerirerea romană, Cluj.
[ 9 ] Dana D. , Dacians in the provinces of the Roman Empire. An overview /in:/ Nemeti S./ Dana D. (eds.) The Dacians in the Roman Empire. Provicional Constructions, (Cluj-Napoca: Mega Publishing House), 161-262.
[ 10 ] Denşuṣianu N., Dacia Preistorcă, Bucharest.
[ 11 ] Dumitraṣcu S.,: Dacia Apuseană, Oradea.
[ 12 ] Eck, W. (ed.), Prosopographie und Sozialgeschichte, Kolloquium (Köln: Vienna: Böhlau).
[ 13 ] Elis L. 1998: „Terra deserta”: population, politics, and the [de]colonisation of Dacia, World Archaeology 30, 2, 220-237.
[ 14 ] Gheorghiu G.,: Dacii pe cursul mijlociu al. Mureṣului, Cluj-Napoca.
[ 15 ] Gindele R., Die Enwicklung der kaiserzeitlichen Siedlungen im Barbaricum im nordwestlichen Gebiet Rumӓniens, Satu Mare.
[ 16 ] Giurescu C.C./Giurescu D.C: Geschichte der Rumӓnen, Bucharest
[ 17 ] Glodariu, I.: Aşezari dacice şi daco-romane la Slimnic. Contribuţii la continuitea dacilor în Dacia romană, Bucharest.
[ 18 ] Glodariu, I.: Aşezărlile Dacice şi politica de urbanizare Romana, Apulum, Arheologie- Istorie – Etnografie 24, 133-137.
[ 19 ] Gudea N.,/ Lobüscher T., Dacia. Eine römische Provinz zwischen Karpaten un Schwarzem Meer, Mainz am Rhein.
[ 20 ] Hanson W.S. and Haynes I.P (eds,) Roman Dacia : the making of a provincial society, The Journal of Roman Archaeology Supplementary Series 56, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
[ 21 ] Hica I., Aşezarea daco-romană de la Stupini(jud.(jud. Bistriţa Năsăud) In: D. Protase, D. Brudaşku (eds.). Napoca 1880 de ani. De la începtul vieţi urbane, Cluj-Napoca, 25-61.
[ 22 ] Mrozewicz, L., Arystokracja municypalna w rzymskich prowincjach nad Renem i Dunajem w okresie wczesnego cesarstwa (Poznań: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu).
[ 23 ] Nemeti S./ Dana D. (eds.) The Dacians in the Roman Empire. Provicional Constructions, (Cluj-Napoca: Mega Publishing House)
[ 24 ] Okólski M/ Fihel A..Demografia. Współczesne zjawiska i teorie (Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar).
[ 25 ] Oltean I., Rural settlement in Roman Dacia: some considerations, In: W.S. Hanson and I.P. Hayes (eds.), Roman Dacia. The making of a provincial society, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Supplementary Series nr 56, Portsmouth, Rhode Island 2004, 143-164.
[ 26 ] Oltean I.A., Dacia. Landscape, Colonisation and Romanisation, (London and New York: Routledge).
[ 27 ] Pflaum, H.-. and Duval, N. (eds), L'onomastique latine: Actes du Colloque international sur l'onomastique latine organisé à Paris du 13 au 15 octobre 1975, 353-363. (Paris: Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique).
[ 28 ] Piso I.,: Die sozioale und ethnische Zusammensetzung der Bevölkerung in Sarmizegetusa und Apulum. In: Eck, W. (ed.), Prosopographie und Sozialgeschichte, Kolloquium Köln, 315-337. Vienna: Böhlau.
[ 29 ] Poll R., Lynn Nottage’s Theatre of Genocide: Ruined, Rape, and Afropessimism Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, 35, 1, Fall 2020, 81-105
[ 30 ] Pop H. Descoperirile din epoca romană de la Șimeleul Silvanei, in: Șimelul Silvanei, Monografie arhaeologică, I, Istoricul Cercetrilor, Cluj-Napocă 2006, 97-113.
[ 31 ] Protase D., Der Forschungsstand zur der bodenständigen Bevölkerung im römischen Dazien (2-3.Jh), in: Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt (ANRW) II. 6, (Bonn: De Gruyter) 990-1015.
[ 32 ] Protase D., Autohtonii în Dacia 1. Dacia Romana, Bucharest.
[ 33 ] D. Protase/ D. Brudaşku (eds.). Napoca 1880 de ani. De la începtul vieţi urbane, Cluj-Napoca.
[ 34 ] Ruscu D. Provincia Dacia în istoriografia antică, Cluj-Napoca.
[ 35 ] Ruscu D., The supposed extermination of the Dacians: the literary tradition, In: Hanson W.S. and Haynes I.P. (eds) Roman Dacia : the making of a provincial society, The Journal of Roman Archaeology Supplementary Series 56, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 75-78.
[ 36 ] Russu I.I., L'onomastique de la Dacie Romaine. In: Pflaum, H.-. and Duval, N. (eds), L'onomastique latine: Actes du Colloque international sur l'onomastique latine organisé à Paris du 13 au 15 octobre 1975, 353-363. Paris: Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
[ 37 ] Russu I.I., Etnogeneza românilor. Fondul autohton traco-dacic şi componenta latino-romanică, Bucureşti.
[ 38 ] Stefan A.S., Les guerres Daciques de Domitien et Trajan. Architecture militaire, topographie, images et histoire (Collection de L’ École française de Rome 355.
[ 39 ] Szabo C., Sanctuaries in Roman Dacia. Matreiality and Religious Experience. (Oxford: Archeopress Roman Archaeology).
[ 40 ] Wanner R. Forts, fields and towns: Communities in Northwest Transylvania from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. Thesis submitted for degree of Doctor of Philosophy
[ 41 ] at the University of Leicester. (Tufts University) School of Archaeology and Ancient History
[ 42 ] University of Leicester February 2010. http: 1/AppData/Local/Temp/2010WannerRWPhD[1].pdf (Access: 16.05.2021.)
[ 43 ] Wheeler, E. L. 2010: Rome’s Dacian Wars: Domitian, Trajan, and Strategy on the Danube” Journal of Military History 74 (October 2010): 1185–1227.
[ 44 ] Ancient sources: Eutropius. Breviarium. Trans. H.W. Bird. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1993.