History of Wars Summary 18 - Roman Dacian Wars 8: The Cost of Conquering Dacia

Trajan's conquest of Dacia was the most significant military achievement of his reign and held a crucial position as the Roman Empire's territory approached its zenith. By conquering Dacia, Rome secured a vast region north of the Danube and abundant mineral resources. The immense spoils of war aided Rome's finances, which Trajan used to construct forums, markets, roads, and public buildings. Trajan's Column also commemorated this conquest. However, conquering Dacia did not resolve all of Rome's border issues. Numerous tribes remained to the north, requiring Roman military defense. Subsequent emperors had to bear the costs of this defense. Especially as the empire faced various crises in the 3rd century, the burden of maintaining Dacia grew. Eventually, in the 270s, Emperor Aurelian withdrew Roman troops and administrative bodies from Dacia. Thus, the massive forward base established by Trajan in the north was freed from direct Roman rule after approximately 160 years.