[Roman Special Troops]

In time of Traian wars with Dacians,in roman army was created a special group of legionares(especially experianced veterans),equiped with a full body armour and reinforced helmets,who was used in fight every time when dacian fighters equiped with <falx> sword apear.This groups of warriors can be considerated as a "special troops" too.

[Unified Illyria Or Thrace?]

The Thracian is the forgotten nation of antiquity.They was named "barbarians" by greek and romans,but this name was given to all the peoples who was not greek and romans.Of course,many people who knows about Roman empire history hear bout Spartacus,or about Traian wars with Dacians,but is a little nomber who knows much things about Thracians.Even if Herodot,the"father of history",say that Thracians was the most nomerous nation on Earth,after indians,and,if will be united,will cannot be deafeted by anybody,today,just two nation have their roots on Thracian,Romania(north thracians-Geto-dacians)and Albania(Illyrians-south thracians).The first king who succesed to unified a thracian tribe,the Odrisi,was Teres.His succesor was his son,king Sitalkes,and the last one was his Sitalkes nephew,Seuthes the First.After his death,the Odrisi kingdom was split betwen his fallowers.The only powerfull kingdom of Thracians was Geto-Dacia,first totally unified under king Burebista,the first and the bigger of all kings of Thracians,was named.Thracians was probably one of the first nation of Europe,and they influenced many other peoples,even if this is a little know thing(the famous celts druids priests is supose to be influenced by dacians priests,and Flavius Josephus,an antiq roman historian with jews origins say that esenian comunity,the one with "Death Sea"manuscripts, is alike dacians priests <ktistai>-<travellers in clouds>.Some historians say that in 2 millenium BC,we can speake about a Thracian culture.Their gods influenced the greek and roman gods in short time(dont forget that greek migrated from Danube region,and even about romans is theories that they migrated from central Europe,area of Thracians tribes).Thracians(and especially north thracians-hiperboreans)is supose to have as direct ancestors the peoples of <Pelasgians>,the first european developed civilization.The Sabazios thracian god was take it by greeks as Dyonisos,and by romans as Bachus.The Bendis godess(very popular for thracians womens)was take it by greeks as Artemis,and by romans as Diana godess.Everybody who know about antiquity know about Orfeu,who was Thracian,and even Ares,to greeks,Mars from romans,is supose to be take it from thracians(Mars Gradivus),or Apollo(Apollo the Hiperborean,in thracians culture).Unfortunately,the thracian culture was an oral one,not a write one,sow many things about them is know from antiq greek or roman writers,or from archeological discoveries.They was organized in tribal unions,and just the Odrisi kingdoom,the Frigians and the Dacian kingdoom is very know in history(they exist a Ciconi kingdoom,for example,know from Iliada,from Homer).The main organization was military democracy(and this was a problem for realization of a consolidated centralized kingdoom),all the man able to fight was consulted in important problems of union.In Dacia,for example,was a military cult,a secret warriors brotherhood,the Confreria(Brotherhood) of the Young Wolves,who was spread in population mass,but control the main decisions.Antiq writers say about this peoples that have the power to transform himself in wolves,but probably is the ritual of young warriors who dress in wolf and,into a symbolic way,take the power,strenght,resistance and ferocity of this animal.The fight flag simbolise a wolf head,with mouth open,and a cloth snake body,who make a strange sound in the wind.This symbol was take it even by roman cavalry,after Traian wars(and named <draco>),and than use by auxiliar dacian troops from roman army.Even the name of Dacian,gived by romans,come from frigian word <daoi>,who means <wolf>.Most probably this warriors influence the germans <bersekir>warriors,especially after king Burebista campaign in german teritories.The cult of wolf was so strong that the legends sed about Saint Andrew,the first apostol of God Jesus Christ,who come on our area to spread christianism that was leaded by a wolf,who show him the roads,and even today,in our folclor,the night before Saint Andrew celebration day(a national religious celebration)is the night of wolves(who can speak with human voices in this night)and of <strigoi>(peoples who die,or after will die,for some reasons,dont go to the other world,but remain,or come back to this world).This <strigoi>was the inspiration of later <vampires>peoples,in other cultures.Beginning probably with 7 century BC,(but posible before),a new,original religious believe influence the thracians,and especially the Geto-Dacians world.A new god ,Zamolxe,apear.Herodot say about him that some greeks believe that was a slave of Pitagora,but Herodot himself believe that Zamolxe(or Zalmoxis in other variant)live long before Pitagora.This new god replaced probably the older suprem god,Gebeleizis(probably was a priest of this,or change the name with this).And even the others gods was still worshiped,this new god become such important,with chtonian and uranian atributes,that was almost the only god worshiped.Zamolxis teach the people they are imortal,and they not die,but just change their home,and go to another world,where god himself rules,and everybody is happy,especially warriors who die in battle.This is one of the reasons for thracians to be such a brave and fierce warriors.One of thracians-getae tribes of south Danube(Thracia),Crobizi,cry when a child was born,and sorry for them because come in this bad world,and make a party when a people die,and was happy for them,because go into another world,of eternal happy.The Dacians was the only people who make voluntarily human sacrifices.After challenges,the most brave and strongest young warrior was choose the give to Zamolxis the message of peoples.This was the greatest honour for a warrior,and he was very proud to be choose.This warrior was thrown in 3 javelins,and after he die,he meet the god and tell him about the peoples problems.Thracians dont use slavery,like greek and romans,and even the powerfull of their kingdooms,Dacia use slave in service of state,as qualified workers,or slaves of some nobles,who was treated as inferiour members of family.They was very corect peoples,when someone go out from home,left a stick to the gates of house,to visitors know that is not home,and come after,and no one of his village stole from him.Unfortunately for thracians,the fact that they was not united put him in bad situation,first in front of macedonians,(this was though defeateted by north thracians)and than in front of romans.And,in the end,as usual,sorry for my english.

[Scotland Unconquered]

I think romans dont have a particular interest to conquer Scotland.They cant find there any thing who make money for empire(gold mines,or other rich natural resources),the land dont have a strategic value,and probably romans consider is not too smart to waste time and mens just for a glory to conquer a land who will prouve to be something not usefull.And i think this was the problem with germans teritories too.Romans just want to keep them down,not really to conquer them,because their lands,with many forrests and without many natural resources or even strategic value,was not an atractive prey for empire.And to inspire my self from the previous post,if the Scotland(or german teritories betwen Rhin and Elba) was not Mexico,but California(or Irak,or other area with many resources),i think this teritories will be transformed too in roman provinces.The Roman empire,if will have an interest(especially in his glory age)can defeat any enemies and conquer any areas who prouve whorty.All big wars was started to gain something(gold,valuable lands,natural resources,slaves)and not just for fun.

[The Dacians]

I dont know if i understand corectlly,but i think the primary sources is archeological discoveris(a verry large number).The scenes from Tropaeum Traian,from Adamclisi(south east Romania),the Traian`s column from Rome(even is not on romanian teritory)and stories of many antiq historians who write about that wars.

[Battle Of Cannae]

Yes,is true.The romans loose this battle because of tree things.The command of the army was spread betwen two consuls,Paullus and Varro.They fight in principal moment more with heart then with a cold mind.Hannibal was a military genius.The consul who lead the army in the day of battle, Varro,start the fight with out ask the opinion of Paullus.The roman army have in the right wing cavalry,second line infantry(roman legionares),left wing roman allies cavalry and infantry,and first line aux.troops light armed and soldiers armed with javelins.Hannibal army was disposed like this:Gaulles and hispanic cavalry in front of roman cavalry,the numid cavalry in the other wing,and in the center the hispanic and gaulles infantry,flanked by african infantry.After a fight of light troops ,and then of cavalry troops,roman legionares start the atack in center,and push back the carthagians.They believed that enemy is running and is defeated,and they atack with more fervour.But the line front was stabilised after a time.In the wings front remain stabile,and Hannibal can execute a encirclement maneuver of roman army,who advance to much in his formations,with his africans reserve troops.The romans was totally encircled,even if they haved a bigger army,and must fight in all directions.The battle became an disaster for romans,and a lesson for military strategy,but,unfortunately for Hannibal,he win just a battle,not the war,and the romans will come back agaist Carthagina until they win.

[The Dacians]

As i say in my previous post,sorry for my english .About the machines who ask Onasander,i believe is posible to be one of this two:-<falces murales>,or <terebrae>.<Falces murales>was a siege machine,a sort of giant sickle or scythe.This schyte is pushed with force and enter betwen two stone blocks of wall and break it.The second,<terebrae>,is a special drill use to perforate the wall.But i am not quite sure.

[The Dacians]

First,sory for my english,i am a Romanian guy(probably i do best with latin).The north Thracians have gived two names,by antiq writers,Getae(Geti),by greek writers,and Daciae(Daci),by romans writers.First historical write info. about Getae people was gived by Herodot.He say that the only people who opose to Darius the First,persian king(who start a campagne against Scyth tribes in 513/514 BC,with 700 000 fighters and 600 ships,probably an exagerate nombers),was Getae tribes.Arrian,a greek historian,tell about a one day campagne of Alexander the Great,in north of danube,against same Getae.The leader of Thracia province of Macedonia,Zopyrion,try,in 326/325 BC,to conquer greek cities from Black Sea,and made a connection with Alexander army on Caucasus Mounts.Because he pass over Getae teritory,his army(30 000 fighters,almost his Alexander army)was destroyed,somwhere,in Getian fields,and Zopyrion was killed.Acording with Pausanias,another greek historian,in 300/299 BC,an army of Lysimach,the macedonian king of Thracia,leaded by his son Agatocle was defeatead by Getae king Dromihete,and Agatocle take it in prison.Was released couple years after,but his father,Lisimach,try,in 292 BC,to conquer himself the Dromihete kingdom,with an army a 100 000 warriors(probably an exagerate nombers by historians).He was defeted too,and forced to sign a peace and give his daugther as wife to Getae king.In far east,one of the Getae tribes,Masagetae,defeat and kill Cirus the 2-nd(the Great),a persian king.One of the two most important Geto-dacian kings was Burebista(82-44 BC),who realise the unification of all geto-dacian tribes,and became <the first and the most important of all Thracians kings>.Dio Cassius say that in his time,dacian society was spread in two classes,tarabostes-the nobles,and comati,the common people.the slaves was in property of state,and a little nomber in property of nobles,but treated like inferior members of family,not like in greek and roman world.The famous Strabon historian say that Burebista was able to rise,under his <draco>flags(a metalic wolf head continued with a cloth snake body)200 000 fighters.In 60 BC Burebista start a campagn against celts tribes from central Europe,who threat the west dacian borders.The campagne was a succes,and celts was almost exterminated(the survivors retreat in today Helvetia,acording with Caesar,in <De bello Gallico>.The west border of Dacia was push until today Slovacia and Germany.Iordanes(a Goth historian who claim that Getae was the ancestors of Goths)say that Geto-dacians,on the great priest Deceneu advice,atack and burn the lands of Germans(especialy the Francs tribe lands).The romans hope of a Dacians advance and a long fight with Germans tribes,but Burebista turn in south,in Macedonia and Illirya,and in 55 BC,in east and conquer the greek cities on the Black Sea,and heavily defeat the Sarmatians and Bastarne tribes(archeological discoveries prouve that in some regions they almost end to exist .His kingdom was now from north of Black Sea until today Germany,and from today Poland in north until to Haemus Mounts(today Balkans)in south.Burebista try to help Pompei against Caesar,but Pompei,forced by aristocrats from his camp,start the batlle from Pharsalus,before the dacian help arrive,and was defeated.Caesar plan a revenge,and build,in Macedonia an army to 16 legions and arround 10 000 cavalryman.He have a fantastic plan,to atack and conquer Parthia,and than,from Caucasus Mounts to arrive in north of Black Sea and atack Dacia from surprise,from east.Unfortunately from both leaders,both was assasinated by rebels arisocrats,almost in the same time,Caesar in senat,and Burebista short time after,to a haunt.Dacian kingdom was spread in 4 and than in 5 parts.But,same Iordanes say,in winter of 85/86 AC,when king in Dacia was Duras,a dacian army pass over frozen Danube and atack roman province of Moesia(a very unusual season for war,in that time).The army,leaded very probably by the future king Decebal,the nephew of Duras,destroy the roman garnisons,and killed even the roman leader of province,Oppius Sabinus.As revenge,emperor Domitian start a campagn against Dacians,now re united under King Decebal.In 87 AC Cornelius Fuscus,the <prefect pretorium>,with an army of 5-6 legions and numerous aux. units,atack Dacia,but is atract into an ambush and killed.His army was desroyed.Domitian dont give up,and next year send general Tettius Iulianus to atack.In battle of Tapae(today <iron gates of Transilvania>)romans have a local succes,but they cant to advance, and Domitian is forced to sign a humiliate peace.he was forced to pay money to his <clientelar> king Decebal,and send instructors and engineers for his army and fortification sistem.This reason,and the fact the Dacia was one of the most rich country in that time,was the reason for emperor Traian to start a new war,in 101-102,continued with a new one in 105-106.He have succes just in part,and conquer the south,the south east,the sothwest and the center of Dacia,after a bloody and fierce war,even if have the most important roman army(150 000 fighters,15-20 legions and many aux. troops,alae and cohortes).On Traian column from Rome,and to Monument from Adamclisi(south east Romania,where was another great and bloody fight)was only picture and sculpture who represent roman legionares wounded,tortured or killed by enemies,in all Roman history.It is say that into a battle of Tapae(another one),Traian himself was forced to tore his clothes,to make bandages from his soldiers,because was a such a big number,that usual bandages was not enough.After Traian conquer the Sarmisegetuza,capital of Dacia,the eroic king Decebal comited suicide,to avoid to be captured.After just 165 years,after many revolts of ocupied dacians and invasions of free Dacians(especialy Costoboci and Carpi tribes,the last give the name for Carpatian mounts),alone,or sometimes in alliance with Goths,in 271,emperor Aurelian retreat the Roman administration from north of Danube,and Dacia become again free in all the teritory(even if dont have anymore a well know king,and must to fight against migrators people or even other roman tentatives of conquer,especialy from Eastern Roman Empire).Many antiq writers consider the Geto-Dacians one of the most important and warrior people of antiq times(especialy because of their religious belives in one principal god ,Zamolxis ,who teach them they are imortal,and the most good way to die and go to <Another World>,a world of eternal happy and freedom,is to die in battle).Ovidius,the exiled roman poet,say:<Getae who believe in Mars>and Getae was <the most true representation of Mars-Verissima Martis imago>.Vergilius,the greatest roman poet,sed<the old Mars Gradivus,who defend the Getic fields>.Emperor Iulianus(331-363AC),the nephew of Constantin the Great,say:<The Getae people was much warrior people than any other humans that lived anytime,and this not just because of strenght of their bodies,but too becouse was convicted to be like this by the honored Zamolxis.They believ they not die,but just change their home>.Vegetius sed<it is well know that allways Dacians was warriors in such way,that is say that the histories about god Mars himself was born to them>.And Herodot,the "father of history",sed about Geto-dacians<the most braves and rights from all Thracians>.