The map above shows the main sites of the Dacian wars. The Romans launched their attack from Viminacium and Drobeta, two forts on either side of the Iron Gates. The pass at Tapae protected the way to the Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa, while the gold deposits of the kingdom lay north of the capital. The…

Here is 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 Carpathian Mountains, the area just before the mountains turn south to meet the Danube River; his authority wasn’t uniform throughout the realm, and the farther…

Here are the peoples living around the Black Sea in around 520 BCE, before the Persian Empire begins its Scythian expedition. It’s important to note that the coloured areas showing where the Getae and Scythians are didn’t only have Getic and Scythian tribes. There were other peoples living in those regions as well; the coloured areas are…

This map shows the three most important geographic features of the region we’re discussing: the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube River, and the Black Sea.