Burebista

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Dacian Kingdom, during the rule of Burebista, 82 BC

Burebista,^[1] is widely considered to be the greatest king of Dacia. He ruled between 82 BC and 44 BC. He unified the Thracian population from Hercynia (today's Moravia) in the west, to the Bug River in the east, and from the northern Carpathians to Dionysopolis. His capital was called Argedava (or Sargedava) and was located near Costeşti in the Orăştie hills of southwestern Romania.

The spiritual center of the kingdom was called Kogaion (or Kagaion, the holy mountain) by the ancient geographer Strabo. It is believed to have been located somewhere in the Bucegi mountains. According to the historian Jordanes (in his work Getica ^[2]), the greatest priest and adviser of Burebista was Dicineus (Deceneus), who held "almost royal powers" and taught the Dacians the belagines laws, ethics and sciences, including physics and astronomy.

Burebista sided with the inhabitants of the Greek cities on the Western coast of the Black Sea from Apollonia to the Danube Delta (South of the Danube) when they were occupied by Varro Lucullus, the proconsul of the province of Macedonia during the second Mithridatic War (74 BC–72 BC). The Dacians defeated the Roman army of Gaius Antonius Hybrida near Histria. As a result of this battle, the Greek cities of Tomis, Callatis, Dionysopolis and Apollonia agreed to become part of Burebista's kingdom.

Burebista continued his incursion in the region, conquering the Celtic Aliobrix (Cartal, southern Bessarabia, now part of Ukraine), Tyras and Odessos and destroying Olvia.

In 48 BC, Burebista sided with Pompey during his struggle against Julius Caesar in the Roman civil war. After Caesar emerged as victor, he planned on sending legions to punish Burebista, but he was assassinated in the Senate before he could do so, on March 15, 44 BC. Burebista was also assassinated in a court plot later that year.

[edit] Notes

^ The real name of Burebista was lost, but his fame was evoked by the Greek writers under the name of Byrebistas.
^ The Origin And Deeds Of The Goths