Category: Narrative episode
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1.11 The allure of Rome
The diverse society of the Dacian provinces flourishes during the reign of Antoninus Pius as colonists from across the empire bring their local beliefs to the region and blend them with Roman ones. Meanwhile, the identity of the Dacians living inside the empire begins to change in relation to their ancestors as well as to…
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1.10 The silenced masses
Hadrian’s defense of Dacia is followed by fifty years of peace and growth, but the prosperity of the region is founded on the labour of tens of thousands of enslaved people. Transcript Hello and welcome to A history of Romania. Season 1, Episode 10: The silenced masses In the previous chapter of our story, Hadrian…
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1.09 Eagle and falx
The peoples beyond the frontier threaten to overrun the provinces of Dacia and Moesia Inferior, and the new Roman emperor must race to the Danube to secure the region. This is what Roman domains looked liked north of the Danube in 124 CE after the reorganization of the region. The empire relinquished the territory it…
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1.08 A piece of the Earth for all
Having dismantled the Dacian kingdom, Trajan creates a new province out of its territory and encourages colonists from across the empire to make the land their own. Here is what the Carpathian region looked like in 109 CE following Trajan’s expansion of the empire and the founding of the first Roman city north of the…
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1.07 A fight for survival
Trajan leads an invasion of Dacia to annex the kingdom, and the Dacians fight with everything they have to maintain their independence. The map below shows the main sites of the war. The Romans launched their attack from Viminacium and Drobeta, two forts on either side of the Iron Gates. The pass at Tapae protected…
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1.06 Decebal
War erupts between the Dacians and Romans, and after a series of setbacks, the Dacians elect a new king to lead them to victory. Transcript Hello and welcome to A history of Romania. Season 1, Episode 6: Decebal Last episode, we explored Dacian civilization and the economic and cultural exchanges it had with the Roman…
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1.05 The people of the mountains
The Dacians prosper and develop a vibrant civilization centred around their capital of Sarmizegetusa. Transcript Hello and welcome to A history of Romania. Season 1, Episode 5: The people of the mountains The previous episode left the Dacian people divided. Burebista had forged the most formidable kingdom in Europe outside of the Roman empire, but…
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1.04 Burebista
Burebista unites the Dacian tribes and forges the most powerful kingdom in Europe, leading to both collaboration and conflict with the Roman Republic. The map below shows Buresbista’s kingdom as well as the extent of Roman expansion in the region in 44 BCE. Keep in mind that the centre of Burebista’s power was in the southwestern…
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1.03 A wintry land
A skilled Getic ruler named Dromichaetes fends off Greek invasions during the chaotic period following the collapse of Alexander the Great’s empire. Transcript Hello and welcome to A history of Romania. Season 1, Episode 3: A wintry land We left the story in the early 4th century BCE in the Odrysian kingdom. As you know, the…
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1.02 Ships on the horizon
The Greeks arrive on the shores of the Black Sea and found colonies to trade with the Getae. War soon comes to the region, however, as the Persian Empire marches an army right through the territory of the Getae on its way to battling the Scythians. The map below shows the peoples living around the…