Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Battle of The Titans
In July 2012 President Băsescu was accused by newly installed Prime Minister Victor
Ponta of breaching the constitution - among his assertions Ponta accused him of pressur-
ing prosecutors in legal cases, and using his reach with the secret service - and parliament
voted to suspend him. Băsescu in turn accused Ponta of engineering a coup d'état. The at-
tempt to oust him might have failed, but the upshot of this bitter spat has had toxic ripples
that are still being felt at the time of research.
TIMELINE
650 BC
Dacians are first recorded in the area of present-day Transylvania from their trade with
Greeks, who established colonies at Callatis, Tomis (now Constanţa) and Histria.
AD 106
Dacia becomes a Roman province for 175 years, until Goth attacks (AD 271) force
Emperor Aurelian to withdraw Roman legions south of the Danube.
896
Magyars settle in the Carpathian Basin integrating Transylvania into Hungary.
AD 1000
Byzantine, Slavic, Hungarian and Oriental records first mention the existence of Ro-
manians under the name of Vlachs.
1241
After the Mongols invade Transylvania, King Bela IV of Hungary offers free land to
entice German Saxons to Transylvania, fortifying defence.
14th century
Prince Basarab I creates the first Romanian principality - Wallachia. The region is
known as Ţara Românească (Romanian Land).
