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The Decebalus Treasure is a legendary story written by Dio Cassius concerning events said to have happened in the Roman world in the second century AD.
The story
During the Second Dacian War many nobles were caught and some surrounded, among them was one named Biklis, who showed the place were the treasure was hidden.
Dacian bracelet in Cluj Museum
"The treasures of Decebalus were also discovered, though hidden beneath the river Sargetia, which ran past his palace. With the help of some captives Decebalus had diverted the course of the river, made an excavation in its bed, and into the cavity had thrown a large amount of silver and gold and other objects of great value that could stand a certain amount of moisture; then p389he had heaped stones over them and piled on earth, afterwards bringing the river back into his course. 5 He also had caused the same captives to deposit his robes and other articles of a like nature in caves, and after accomplishing this had made away with them to prevent them from disclosing anything. But Bicilis, a companion of his who knew what had been done, was seized and gave information about these things." [1]
Decebalus used Roman prisoners to deviate the course of the Sargetias river and buried the treasure. He buried "so much silver and gold and some other artefacts who can survive moisture", after that the river was returned to its original course. The rest was of the treasure was deposited in surrounding caves, and the Roman prisoners were slaughtered.[2]
Sources
A Byzantine historian compiling Getica written by T. Statilius Crito Trajan's medic wrote that the Decebal Treasure had 5,000,000 lbs (2.2 tonnes) of gold and 10,000,000 lbs (4.5 tonnes) of silver. Some modern historians, such as Julian Bennett believe that this is copy error. Still if the real treasure was one-tenth those figures, its value is still the equivalent of 160 million denarii.
Trajan did not recover the gold [3]. Between 1540 and 1759 in Sarmisegetusa 700 kg of gold was recovered, much more was discovered in the 19th century. [4] Jérôme Carcopino has estimated the treasure at 165,500 kg of gold and 331,000 kg of silver.
References
See also
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