DACIA, a large district of central Europe, bounded on the north by the Carpathians, on the south by the Danube, on the west by the Pathissus (Theiss) and on the east by the Tyras (Dniester), thus corresponding in the main to the modern Rumania and Transylvania. The inhabitants of this district were a Thracian stock, originally called Daot (after the 4th century B.C., AaKoi). The Getae (q.v.) were most akin to them in language and man ners; by the Greeks the Dacians were usually called Getae, by the Romans Daci. Daos and I'ETa (Davus, Geta) were common as names of slaves in Attic comedy and in the adaptations of Plautus and Terence.
The Dacians had attained a considerable degree of civilization when they first became known to the Romans. They believed in the immortality of the soul, and regarded death as merely a change of country. They were divided into two classes—an aristocracy and a proletariat. The first alone had the right to cover their heads and wore a felt hat (pilleus, hence tarabostesei= irtXo46pot. pilleati) ; the second class, who comprised the rank and file of the army, the peasants and artisans, wore their hair long (Koµrlrai, capillati). Their chief occupations were agriculture and cattle breeding; horses were mainly used as draught animals. They also worked the gold and silver mines of Transylvania, and carried on a considerable outside trade, as is shown by the number of foreign coins found in the country.
A kingdom of Dacia was in existence at least as early as the beginning of the 2nd century B.C. under a king Oroles. Conflicts with the Bastarnae and the Romans (112-109, 74), had greatly weakened the resources of the Dacians. Under Burbista (Boere bista), who thoroughly reorganized the army, the limits of the kingdom were extended; indeed the Dacians appeared so formid able that Caesar contemplated an expedition against them, which was prevented by his death. About the same time Burbista was murdered, and the kingdom was divided under separate rulers. One of these was Cotiso, to whom Augustus betrothed his five year-old daughter Julia. The Dacians are often mentioned under Augustus, according to whom they were compelled to recognize the Roman supremacy. But they were by no means subdued, and seized every opportunity of crossing the frozen Danube and ravag ing the province of Moesia. From A.D. 85 to 89 the Dacians were engaged in two wars with the Romans, under Duras and Dece balus. After reverses, the Romans gained the advantage, but were obliged to make peace owing to the defeat of Domitian by the Marcomanni. Decebalus received the crown from Domitian's hands, an apparent acknowledgment of Roman suzerainty. But the Dacians were really left independent, as is shown by the fact that Domitian agreed to purchase immunity from further Dacian inroads by the payment of an annual tribute.
To put an end to this disgraceful arrangement, Trajan resolved to crush the Dacians once and for all. The result of his first cam paign (A.D. 101-102) was the occupation of the Dacian capital Sarmizegethusa, of the second (105-107), the conquest of the whole kingdom and its conversion into a Roman province. It was under a governor of praetorian rank, and the legio xiii. gemina with numerous auxiliaries had its fixed quarters in the province. To make up for the ravages caused by the recent wars colonists were imported to cultivate the land and work the mines, and the old inhabitants gradually returned. Forts were built as a protection against the incursions of the surrounding barbarians, and three great military roads were constructed to unite the chief towns, while a fourth, named after Trajan, traversed the Carpathians and entered Transylvania by the Roteturm pass. The two chief towns were Sarmizegethusa (afterwards Ulpia Traiana) and Apulum (Karlsburg).
In A.D. 12q, under Hadrian, Dacia was divided into Dacia Superior and Inferior, the former comprising Transylvania, the latter Little Walachia, with procurators, both under the same praetorian legate. Marcus Aurelius redivided it into three (tres Daciae), Porolissensis, Apulensis and Maluensis. The tres Daciae had a common capital, Sarmizegethusa, and a common diet, which discussed provincial affairs, formulated complaints and ad justed the incidence of taxation; but in other respects they were independent provinces, each under a procurator, subordinate to a governor of consular rank.
The Roman hold on the country was, however, still precarious. Hadrian contemplated its abandonment and was only deterred by consideration for the safety of the numerous Roman settlers. In A.D. 256 the Goths crossed the Carpathians and drove the Romans from Dacia, with the exception of a few fortified places. Aurelian (A.D. 270-275) withdrew the troops altogether and settled the Roman colonists on the south of the Danube, in Moesia, where he created the province Dacia Aureliani. (See also VLACHS.) BIBLIOGRAPHY.—J. Marquardt, Romische Staatsverwaltung, i. (1881) T. Mommsen, Provinces of Roman Empire, Eng. trans. (1886) ; W. Tomaschek, "Die alien Thraker," in Sitzungsberichte der k. Akad. der Wissenschaften, cxxviii. (Vienna, 1893) ; J. Jung, Fasten der Provinz Dacien (1894) ; C. G. Brandis in Pauly-Wissowa's Realen cyklopadie, iv. pt. 2 (19o1) ; on the boundaries of the Roman province of Dacia, see T. Hodgkin and F. Haverfield in English Historical Review, ii. Ioo, 734.