Editing Bastarnae (section)

==== Allies of Getan high king Burebista (62 BC) ====
[[File:Scythia Minor map.jpg|thumb|right|Map of [[Scythia Minor (Dobruja)|Scythia Minor]] (Dobruja), showing the Greek coastal cities of Histria, Tomis, Callatis and Dionysopolis (Istria, Constanța, Mangalia and Balchik)]]
[[File:HistriaCoins.jpg|thumb|right|Coin issued by the Greek coastal city of [[Histria (Sinoe)|Histria]] (Sinoe)]]
The Bastarnae first came into direct conflict with Rome as a result of expansion into the lower Danube region by the [[proconsuls]] (governors) of Macedonia in 75–72 BC. [[Gaius Scribonius Curio (consul 76 BC)|Gaius Scribonius Curio]] (proconsul 75–73 BC) campaigned successfully against the Dardani and the [[Moesi]], becoming the first Roman general to reach the Danube with his army.<ref>Smith's Dictionary: ''Curio''</ref> His successor, [[Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus|Marcus Licinius Lucullus]] (brother of the famous [[Lucullus|Lucius Lucullus]]), campaigned against the Thracian [[Bessi]] tribe and the Moesi, ravaging the whole of [[Moesia]], the region between the Haemus ([[Balkan]]) mountain range and the Danube. In 72 BC, his troops occupied the Greek coastal cities of [[Scythia Minor (Dobruja)|Scythia Minor]] (modern [[Dobruja]] region, Romania/Bulgaria),{{refn|group=Note|name=cnotec|The main ones were: [[Histria (Sinoe)]], [[Constanța|Tomis]], [[Callatis]], [[Sozopol|Apollonia]] (Istria, Constanţa, Mangalia, Sozopol)<ref>Strabo VII.6.1</ref>}} which had sided with Rome's [[Hellenistic]] arch-enemy, King [[Mithridates VI]] of [[Pontus (region)|Pontus]], in the [[Third Mithridatic War]] (73–63 BC).<ref>Smith's Dictionary: ''Lucullus''</ref>

The presence of Roman forces in the Danube Delta was seen as a major threat by all the neighbouring transdanubian peoples: the Peucini Bastarnae, the Sarmatians and, most importantly, by [[Burebista]] (ruled 82–44 BC), king of the [[Getae]]. The Getae occupied the region today called [[Wallachia]] as well as Scythia Minor and were either a [[Dacian language|Dacian]]- or [[Thracian language|Thracian]]- speaking people.{{refn|group=Note|name=cnoted|There is controversy about whether the [[Getae]] were Dacian or Thracian speakers and whether those two languages were similar. Strabo claims that the Getae were [[Thracians]].<ref>Strabo VII.3.2</ref> He adds that the [[Dacians]] spoke the same language as the Getae.<ref>Strabo VII.3.13</ref> This gave rise to the hypothesis that Thracian and Dacian were essentially the same language (the [[Daco-Thracian]] theory). But the modern linguist [[Vladimir I. Georgiev|Vladimir Georgiev]] disputes that Dacian and Thracian were closely related for various reasons, especially that Dacian and Moesian town names commonly end with the suffix -DAVA, while towns in [[Thrace]] proper generally end in -PARA. According to Georgiev, the language spoken by the Getae should be classified as "Daco-Moesian" and regarded as quite distinct from Thracian.<ref>Vladimir Georgiev (Gheorghiev), ''Raporturile dintre limbile dacă, tracă şi frigiană'', "Studii Clasice" Journal, II, 1960, 39–58.</ref> Support for the Daco-Moesian theory can be found in Dio, who confirms that the Moesians and Getae on the south bank of the Danube were Dacians.<ref>Dio LI.22.6–7</ref> But the scant evidence available for these two extinct languages does not permit any firm conclusions. For the dividing-line between the two placename forms, see the following map (lower map, scroll down): [http://members.tripod.com/~Groznijat/thrac/thrac_map.html members.tripod.com]}} Burebista had unified the Getae tribes into a single kingdom, for which the Greek cities were vital trade outlets. In addition, he had established his hegemony over neighbouring Sarmatian and Bastarnae tribes. At its peak, the Getae kingdom reportedly was able to muster 200,000 warriors. Burebista led his transdanubian coalition in a struggle against Roman encroachment, conducting many raids against Roman allies in [[Moesia]] and Thrace, penetrating as far as Macedonia and [[Illyria]].<ref>Strabo VII.3.11–12</ref>

The coalition's main chance came in 62 BC, when the Greek cities rebelled against Roman rule. In 61 BC, the notoriously oppressive and militarily incompetent proconsul of Macedonia, [[Gaius Antonius Hybrida|Gaius Antonius]], nicknamed ''Hybrida'' ("The Monster"), an uncle of the famous [[Mark Antony]], led an army against the Greek cities. As his army approached [[Histria (Sinoe)|Histria]], Antonius detached his entire mounted force from the marching column and led it away on a lengthy excursion, leaving his infantry without cavalry cover, a tactic he had already used with disastrous results against the Dardani.<ref>Dio XXXVIII.10.2</ref> Dio implies that he did so out of cowardice, in order to avoid the imminent clash with the opposition, but it is more likely that he was pursuing a large enemy cavalry force, probably [[Sarmatians]]. A Bastarnae host, which had crossed the Danube to assist the Histrians, promptly attacked, surrounded and massacred the Roman infantry, capturing several of their ''[[vexillum|vexilla]]'' (military standards).<ref>Dio XXXVIII.10.3 and LI.26.5</ref> This battle resulted in the collapse of the Roman position on the lower Danube. Burebista apparently annexed the Greek cities (55–48 BC).<ref>Crişan (1978) 118</ref> At the same time, the subjugated "allied" tribes of Moesia and Thrace evidently repudiated their treaties with Rome, as they had to be reconquered by [[Augustus]] in 29–8 BC (see below).

In 44 BC, Roman [[dictator perpetuus|dictator-for-life]] [[Julius Caesar]] planned to lead a major campaign to crush Burebista and his allies once and for all, but he was assassinated before it could start.<ref>Strabo VII.3.5</ref> However, the campaign was made redundant by Burebista's overthrow and death in the same year, after which his Getae empire fragmented into four, later five, independent petty kingdoms. These were militarily far weaker, as Strabo assessed their combined military potential at just 40,000 armed men, and were often involved in internecine warfare.<ref>Strabo VII.3.11</ref><ref>Dio LI.26.1</ref> The [[Geto-Dacians]] did not again become a threat to Roman hegemony in the lower Danube until the rise of [[Decebalus|Decebal]] 130 years later (86 AD).