The Dacians - Ancient Rome Live

The Dacians were a Thracian people that lived in modern-day Romania. They came in conflict with Rome as it expanded, but wars never reached their climax until Trajan (98-117 CE) declared war on Dacia in 102 CE. After Trajan won the wars, he introduced a steady, constant image of the conquered foe throughout his imperial monuments, including Trajan's Column, forum, arch, basilica. A number of these Dacians, with skull-cap Phyrgian cap. pants, boots, and unkempt beard (often depicted with colored marbles like pavonazzetto and bigio morato), were also reused as symbolic decorations in later monuments, most particularly on Constantine''s Arch by the Colosseum.