Editing Decebalus (section)

== Early life ==
After the death of Great King [[Burebista]], Dacia split into four, then five smaller kingdoms. Nothing is known about Decebalus' youth or background. Decebalus appears to have risen to prominence in the court of the Dacian king [[Duras (Dacian king)|Duras]], who claimed authority over all Dacian territory.  An ancient Dacian pot bearing the words “Decebalus per Scorilo” led to the suggestion that this might mean "Decebalus son of Scorilo". 

[[File:The_Dacian_Kingdom_under_Burebista_Remastered.png|thumb|right|alt=Burebista Dacia|The Dacian kingdom under Burebista]]


According to [[Lucian Boia]] this suggestion was originally a "scholarly joke", but the theory has been considered plausible by several writers.<ref>Lucian Boia, ''History and Myth in Romanian Consciousness'', Central European University Press, Budapest, 2001, p.221</ref> It has been suggested that "Scorilo" may be identical to the "Coryllus" or "Scorillus" identified by [[Jordanes]] as a Dacian king prior to Duras.<ref>Ion Grumeza, ''Dacia: Land of Transylvania, Cornerstone of Ancient Eastern Europe'', University Press of America, 2009, p.72.</ref> Duras may have been Decebalus' uncle, having taken over the throne by [[agnatic primogeniture|agnatic right]] on his brother's death.<ref>Mihai Bărbulescu ''et al'', ''The History of Transylvania: (Until 1541)'', Romanian Cultural Institute, 2005, p.88.</ref>

In 85 AD the Dacian army began minor raids upon the heavily fortified Roman province of [[Moesia]], located south of the [[Danube]]. In 86 King Duras ordered a more vigorous attack south into Moesia. Roman sources refer to the attack being led by "Diurpaneus" (or "Dorpaneus"). Many authors have taken this person to be Duras himself, and refer to him as "Duras-Diurpaneus".<ref>Hildegard Temporini, Wolfgang Haas, ''Politische Geschichte: (Provinzen und Randvölker: Griechischer Balkanraum; Kleinasien)'', Walter de Gruyter, 1979, p.167.</ref><ref>Constantin Olteanu, ''The Romanian armed power concept: a historical approach'', Military Pub. House, 1982, p.39.</ref><ref>''Romania: Pages of History'', Volume 4, AGERPRES Publishing House., 1979, p.75.</ref> Other scholars argue that Duras and Diurpaneus are different individuals, or that Diurpaneus is identical to Decebalus.<ref name="autogenerated49">Ioana A. Oltean, ''Dacia: Landscape, Colonization and Romanization'', Routledge, 2007, p.49-50.</ref> Recent sources take the view that "Diurpaneus" is most likely Decebalus.<ref name="autogenerated49" />

The Dacians defeated and killed [[Gaius Oppius Sabinus|Oppius Sabinus]], the governor of Moesia, forcing Domitian to deploy more troops to the area. [[Marcus Cornelius Nigrinus Curiatius Maternus|Marcus Cornelius Nigrinus]] replaced Sabinus. Domitian took command to deal with the problem himself, arriving with his general, prefect of the Praetorian Guards, [[Cornelius Fuscus]].<ref>Brian W. Jones, ''The Emperor Domitian'', Routledge, 1992, p.138.</ref>
[[File:Internal_map_of_the_Dacian_kingdom_in_the_first_century_AD.png|thumb|alt=Dacia under Decebalus|Internal map of the Dacian kingdom in the first century AD]]