Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Often referred to as 'Europe's great survivor', this melting pot of Romanians, Hungarians,
Germans and Roma has been constantly invaded and occupied throughout its existence.
The name 'Romania' didn't refer to Wallachia or Moldavia until 1859 and, in fact,
Transylvania remained part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until 1918 - even 'Dracula'
(Vlad Ţepeş) was actually a Magyar (Hungarian) - so what is 'Romania'? Understanding
its ancient past and the surrounding empires and countries who influenced it is probably the
best way to get a grip on this fascinating enigma.
Roman Dacia
Ancient Romania was inhabited by Thracian tribes. From the 7th century BC the Greeks
established trading colonies along the Black Sea at Callatis (Mangalia), Tomis (Constanţa)
and Histria. In the 1st century BC, a strong Dacian state was established by King Burebista
to counter the Roman threat. The last Dacian king, Decebal (r AD 87-106), consolidated
this state but was unable to stave off attacks led by the Roman emperor Trajan between AD
101 and 102, and Dacia became a province of the Roman Empire.
The slave-owning Romans mixed with the conquered tribes to form a Daco-Roman
people who spoke Latin. The reflected glory of Rome was short-lived when, after increas-
ing Goth attacks in AD 271, Emperor Aurelian (r 270-75) decided to withdraw the Roman
legions south of the Danube, meaning Rome governed here for fewer than 175 years. Ro-
manised peasants remained in Dacia and mixed with the locals; hence the Roman heritage
of contemporary Romanians. To this day, machismo-driven Romanian men are fiercely
proud of this short yet formative chapter in their country's history.
Medieval Principalities
Waves of migrating peoples, including the Goths, Huns, Avars, Slavs, Bulgars and Mag-
yars, swept across this territory from the 4th to the 10th centuries, each one leaving its
mark on the local culture, language and gene pool. By the 10th century, a fragmented feud-
al system ruled by a military class appeared. From then on the Magyars expanded into
Transylvania, and by the 13th century it had become an autonomous principality under the
Hungarian crown. Following devastating Tartar raids on Transylvania in 1241 and 1242,
King Bela IV of Hungary persuaded German Saxons to settle in Transylvania with free
