Dacia Aureliana

Province of the Roman Empire (275-283)

Provincia Dacia
Ἐπαρχία ΔακίαςProvince of the Roman Empire275–283

Dacia Aureliana, together with other Balkan provinces and former Dacia TraianaCapitalSerdicaHistorical eraClassical Antiquity

• Established

275

• Disestablished

283

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Roman Dacia

Dacia Ripensis
Dacia Mediterranea

Today part of

Bulgaria
Serbia

Dacia Aureliana was a province in the eastern half of the Roman Empire established by Roman Emperor Aurelian in the territory of former Moesia Superior after his evacuation of Dacia Traiana beyond the Danube in 271. Between 271/275 and 285, it occupied most of what is today northwestern Bulgaria and eastern Serbia. Its capital was in Serdica (modern Sofia).^[1]^[2]

This province was populated with a part of the former inhabitants of Dacia Traiana. It is written in Eutropius' work: Abridgment of Roman History (9:15):

"He surrounded the city of Rome with stronger walls. He built a temple to the Sun, in which he put a vast quantity of gold and precious stones. The province of Dacia, which Trajan had formed beyond the Danube, he gave up, despairing, after all Illyricum and Moesia had been depopulated, of being able to retain it. The Roman citizens, removed from the towns and lands of Dacia, he settled in the interior of Moesia, calling that Dacia which now divides the two Moesiae, and which is on the right hand of the Danube as it runs to the sea, whereas Dacia was previously on the left."

("Urbem Romam muris firmioribus cinxit. Templum Soli aedificavit, in quo infinitum auri gemmarumque constituit. Provinciam Daciam, quam Traianus ultra Danubium fecerat, intermisit, vastato omni Illyrico et Moesia, desperans eam posse retinere, abductosque Romanos ex urbibus et agris Daciae in media Moesia collocavit appellavitque eam Daciam, quae nunc duas Moesias dividit et est in dextra Danubio in mare fluenti, cum antea fuerit in laeva.") However, scholars have varying opinions regarding the exact data of the depopulation of Dacia. The Emperor Diocletian's tetrarchy reorganization of the empire divided Dacia Aureliana in two provinces, both part of the civil diocese of Moesia(e), under the eastern Caesar (junior emperor), whose 'quarter' became the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum. :

Dacia Mediterranea, with its capital at Serdica
Dacia Ripensis, with its capital at Ratiaria

In the fourth century reform (also splitting Italy in two while separating Egypt from Oriens and Macedonia from Moeasiae as new dioceses), these two “Dacias” along with Dardania, Moesia Prima, and Prevalitana constituted the Civil diocese of Dacia. Scholars have varying opinions regarding the exact date and circumstances of the creation of Dacia Mediterranea as a separate province.^[3]

References

^ Southern 2001, pp. 120–121.
^ Grumeza 2009, p. 221.
^ Mócsy 2014, p. 274.

Sources

Grumeza, Ion (2009). Dacia: Land of Transylvania, Cornerstone of Ancient Eastern Europe. Lanham: Hamilton Books. ISBN 9780761844662.
Mócsy, András (2014) [1974]. Pannonia and Upper Moesia: A History of the Middle Danube Provinces of the Roman Empire. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781317754251.
Southern, Pat (2001). The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781134553815.
Zeiller, Jacques (1918). Les origines chrétiennes dans les provinces danubiennes de l'Empire romain. Paris: E. De Boccard.

External links

Forum Romanum Archived 24 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine

Late Roman and early Byzantine provinces (4th–7th centuries AD)

History
As found in the Notitia Dignitatum. Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the themes until the early 9th century.

History

As found in the Notitia Dignitatum. Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the themes until the early 9th century.

Western Roman Empire (395–476)

Praetorian prefecture
of Gaul

Diocese of Gaul	Alpes Poeninae et Graiae Belgica I Belgica II Germania I Germania II Lugdunensis I Lugdunensis II Lugdunensis III Lugdunensis IV Maxima Sequanorum
Diocese of Vienne¹	Alpes Maritimae Aquitanica I Aquitanica II Narbonensis I Narbonensis II Novempopulania Viennensis
Diocese of Spain	Baetica Balearica Carthaginensis Gallaecia Lusitania Mauretania Tingitana Tarraconensis
Diocese of the Britains	Britannia I Britannia II Flavia Caesariensis Maxima Caesariensis Valentia (?)

Praetorian prefecture
of Italy

Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy	Apulia et Calabria Campania Corsica Lucania et Bruttii Picenum Suburbicarium Samnium Sardinia Sicilia Tuscia et Umbria Valeria
Diocese of Annonarian Italy	Alpes Cottiae Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium Liguria et Aemilia Raetia I Raetia II Venetia et Histria
Diocese of Africa²	Africa proconsularis (Zeugitana) Byzacena Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Sitifensis Numidia (divided as Cirtensis and Militiana during the Tetrarchy) Tripolitania (Roman province)

Eastern Roman Empire (395–c. 640)

Praetorian prefecture
of Illyricum

Diocese of Pannonia³	Dalmatia Noricum mediterraneum Noricum ripense Pannonia I Pannonia II Savia Valeria ripensis
Diocese of Dacia	Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Ripensis Dardania Moesia I Praevalitana
Diocese of Macedonia	Achaea Creta Epirus Nova Epirus Vetus Macedonia Prima Macedonia II Salutaris Thessalia

Praetorian prefecture
of the East

Diocese of Thrace⁵	Europa Haemimontus Moesia II⁴ Rhodope Scythia⁴ Thracia
Diocese of Asia⁵	Asia Caria⁴ Hellespontus Islands⁴ Lycaonia (370) Lycia Lydia Pamphylia Pisidia Phrygia Pacatiana Phrygia Salutaris
Diocese of Pontus⁵	Armenia I⁵ Armenia II⁵ Armenia Maior⁵ Armenian Satrapies⁵ Armenia III (536) Armenia IV (536) Bithynia Cappadocia I⁵ Cappadocia II⁵ Galatia I⁵ Galatia II Salutaris⁵ Helenopontus⁵ Honorias⁵ Paphlagonia⁵ Pontus Polemoniacus⁵
Diocese of the East⁵	Arabia Cilicia I Cilicia II Cyprus⁴ Euphratensis Isauria Mesopotamia Osroene Palaestina I Palaestina II Palaestina III Salutaris Phoenice I Phoenice II Libanensis Syria I Syria II Salutaris Theodorias (528)
Diocese of Egypt⁵	Aegyptus I Aegyptus II Arcadia Augustamnica I Augustamnica II Libya Superior Libya Inferior Thebais Superior Thebais Inferior

Other territories
Taurica Quaestura exercitus (536) Spania (552)

¹ Later the Septem Provinciae
² Re-established after reconquest by the Eastern Empire in 534 as the separate Prefecture of Africa
³ Later the Diocese of Illyricum
⁴ Placed under the Quaestura exercitus in 536
⁵ Affected (i.e. boundaries modified, abolished or renamed) by Justinian I's administrative reorganization in 534–536

Dacia

Tribes (List)

Kings

Coson Cothelas Dromichaetes Moskon Oroles Rhemaxos Rubobostes Zalmodegicus
Dacian nucleus in Transylvania¹	Burebista (82/61–44 BC) Deceneus (44 BC–???) Comosicus (9 BC(?)–30s AD) Scorilo (c. 30s–70 AD) Duras (c. 69–87 AD) Decebalus (87–106 AD)
Dacian kingdom of Banat and Oltenia¹	Cotiso (c. 40–c. 9 BC)
Dacian kingdom of Dobruja¹	Dapyx (1st-century BC) Rholes Zyraxes
Dacian kingdom of Wallachia and southern Moldavia and Transylvania¹	Dicomes

Culture and
civilization

Artifacts

Coinage
Art, jewellery, treasures, tools
- bracelets
Clothing

Language

Religion

Deities	Bendis Deceneus Derzelas Dionysus Gebeleizis Kotys Pleistoros Sabazios Semele Seirenes Silenus Zalmoxis
Dacian Draco Kogaionon

Settlements and
Fortresses

Sarmizegetusa
Argidava
Buridava
Cumidava
Piroboridava
Sucidava
Davae
Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains
Murus Dacicus

Foreign
relations

Warfare

Wars with the
Roman Empire

Domitian	First Battle of Tapae
Trajan	First War Second Battle of Tapae Battle of Adamclisi Second War Battle of Sarmizegetusa

Roman Dacia / Free Dacians

Dacia Traiana Moesia Scythia Minor Dacia Aureliana Diocese of Dacia Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Ripensis Trajan Bridge Column Towns and cities Castra
Limes	Alutanus Moesiae Porolissensis Sarmatiae (Devil's Dykes) Transalutanus Trajan's Wall Brazda lui Novac
Culture	Daco-Roman Thraco-Roman Eastern Romance substratum