Two Dacian soldiers in Numidia during the reign of Septmius Severus

Abstract

Most of the inscriptions that mention soldiers with Dacian origin that served in the garrisons of the North African provinces were recruited in the first half of the 2nd century. Two of them, however, are attested in inscriptions that, despite the difficulties to restore and date the texts, most probably were set sometime at during the reign of Septimius Severus. Originating from Sarmizegetusa and Napoca, the two soldiers were contemporaries with an intense military and political activity in both Numidia and Africa Proconsularis. In this paper we try to show the historical circumstances of their military careers and, more precisely, to present the actions that the Roman army operated during those years. We would be able to better understand, in this way, what was the political and military environment in North Africa when these two soldiers were active and in what kind of events they witnessed or participated in.