''Dava'' (
Latinate plural ''davae'') was a
Geto-Dacian name for a city, town or fortress. Generally, the name indicated a tribal center or an important settlement, usually fortified. Some of the Dacian settlements and the fortresses employed the
Murus Dacicus traditional construction technique.
Most of these towns are attested by
Ptolemy, and therefore date from at least the 1st century CE.
The "''dava''" towns can be found as south as
Sandanski and
Plovdiv
Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
.
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
specified that the Daci are the Getae. The
Dacians
The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consid ...
,
Getae
The Getae ( ) or Gets ( ; grc, Γέται, singular ) were a Thracian-related tribe that once inhabited the regions to either side of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria and southern Romania. Both the singular form ''Get'' an ...
and their kings were always considered as
Thracians by the ancients (
Dio Cassius
Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
,
Trogus Pompeius,
Appian,
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
,
Herodotus and
Pliny the Elder), and were both said to speak the same
Thracian language.
Etymology
Many city names of the Dacians were composed of an initial
lexical element (often the tribe name) affixed to ''-dava'', ''-daua'', ''-deva'', ''-deba'', ''-daba'' or ''-dova'' (<
PIE
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts ( pecan pie), brown sugar ( sugar pie), swe ...
br>
''*dʰeh₁-'' "to set, place"). Therefore, ''dava'' 'town' derived from the reconstructed proto-Indo-European *dhewa 'settlement'. A pre-Indo-European origin for the Dacian term is also suggested, e.g., see comparison with
Kartvelian Kartvelian may refer to:
* Anything coming from or related to Georgia (country)
* Kartvelian languages
* Kartvelian alphabet, see Georgian alphabet
* Kartvelian studies
* Georgians
{{disambig
Language and nationality disambiguation pages ...
*daba, 'town, village'.
List of ''davae''
Below is a list of Dacian towns which include various forms of ''dava'' in their name:
*
Acidava (''Acidaua''), a fortress town close to the
Danube. Located in today's
Enoșești, Olt County, Romania
*
Aedava
Aedava (also known as Aedeva, Aedabe, Aedeba, Aedadeba) was a Dacian settlement located south of the Danube in Moesia (present-day northern Bulgaria). In his ''De Aedificiis'', the 6th century AD historian Procopius placed Aedava on the Danubian ...
(''Aedeva'', ''Aedabe'', ''Aedeba'' or ''Aedadeba''), placed by
Procopius on the
Danubian
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
road between
Augustae and
Variana, in
Moesia
Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alban ...
(the present Northern
Bulgaria)
*
Aiadava (''Aiadaba'' or ''Aeadaba'', gr, Αἰάδαβα), was a locality in the
Remesiana region, present
Bela Palanka,
Serbia.
*
Argedava (''Argedauon'', ''Sargedava'', ''Sargedauon'', ''Zargedava'', ''Zargedauon'', grc, Αργεδαυον, Σαργεδαυον), mentioned in the
Decree of Dionysopolis The Decree of Dionysopolis was written around 48 BC by the citizens of Dionysopolis (today's Balchik, on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria) to Akornion, who traveled far away in a diplomatic mission to meet somebody's farther in ''Argedauon''. The d ...
, potentially the ''dava'' discovered at
Popești, a district in the town of
Mihăilești,
Giurgiu County
Giurgiu () is a county (''județ'') of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Giurgiu.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 265,494 and the population density was .
* Romanians – over 96%
* Roman ...
,
Romania and maybe
Burebista's court/capital
*
Argidava
Argidava (''Argidaua'', ''Arcidava'', ''Arcidaua'', ''Argedava'', ''Argedauon'', ''Argedabon'', ''Sargedava'', ''Sargedauon'', ''Zargedava'', ''Zargedauon'', grc, Ἀργίδαυα, Αργεδαυον, Αργεδαβον, Σαργεδαυον) ...
(''Argidaua'', ''Arcidava'', ''Arcidaua'', ''Argedava'', ''Argedauon'', ''Sargedava'', ''Sargedauon'', ''Zargedava'', ''Zargedauon'', grc, Ἀργίδαυα, Αργεδαυον, Σαργεδαυον), potentially
Burebista's court/capital, located in today's
Vărădia,
Caraș-Severin County,
Romania
*
Bregedaba
Bregedava (''Bregedaba'', grc, Βρεγεδάβα) was a Dacian town.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/H ...
*
Buricodava
*
Buridava or
Burridava
Buridava (''Burridava'') was a Dacian town. situated in Dacia, later Dacia Apulensis, now Romania, on the banks of the river Aluta, now Olt.
Ancient sources
Ptolemy's Geographia
Tabula Peutingeriana
Etymology
The name is Geto- ...
, today's
Ocnele Mari
Ocnele Mari is a town located in Vâlcea County, Oltenia, Romania. The town administers eight villages: Buda, Cosota, Făcăi, Gura Suhașului, Lunca, Ocnița, Slătioarele, and Țeica.
The town is situated in the central part of the county, at ...
, Romania
*
Buteridava
Buteridava was a Dacian town.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black ...
*
Capidava
Capidava (''Kapidaua'', ''Cappidava'', ''Capidapa'', ''Calidava'', ''Calidaua'') was an important Geto-Dacian center on the right bank of the Danube. After the Roman conquest, it became a civil and military center, as part of the province of ...
or
Kapidaua
Capidava (''Kapidaua'', ''Cappidava'', ''Capidapa'', ''Calidava'', ''Calidaua'') was an important Geto-Dacian center on the right bank of the Danube. After the Roman conquest, it became a civil and military center, as part of the province of ...
, a fortress town on the southern side of the lower
Danube
*
Carsidava
Carsidava ( grc, Καρσίδαυα) was a Dacian town. Recent research placed Carsidava near Soroca town in MoldovaVasile Itaiuc, Descoperirea fortificatiei antice Carsidava la marginea orasului Soroca. International Conference "Cultural research" ...
or
Karsidaua
*
Cumidava
Cumidava (also Comidava, Komidava, grc, Κομίδαυα) was originally a Dacian settlement, and later a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Râşnov (15 km from Braşov) in Romania.
Etymology
After the Roman conquest ...
,
Comidava
Cumidava (also Comidava, Komidava, grc, Κομίδαυα) was originally a Dacian settlement, and later a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Râşnov (15 km from Braşov) in Romania.
Etymology
After the Roman conquest ...
or
Komidaua, ancient
Râșnov, Romania
*
Dausdava
Dausdava ( grc, Δαούσδαυα) was a Dacian town in Moesia between the Danube and the Balkan Mountains, in the region between Nicopolis (modern Nikopol, Bulgaria) and Abritus (modern Razgrad).
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient ...
,
Dausadava or
Dausdavua, "The shrine of wolves", a fortress town close to the
Danube
*
Desudaba
Desudaba (''Desudava''?) was a Thracian town in the tribal district of Maedica, in ancient Macedonia. It was located 75 M.P. from Almana, on the Axius, where the mercenaries of the Gauls who had been summoned by Perseus of Macedon in the camp ...
*
Docidava
Docidava (''Dokidava'', ''Dakidawa''?, grc, Δοκίδαυα) was a Dacian town in north-western Roman Dacia.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as D ...
or
Dokidaua
*
Gildova
Gildava (''Gildoba'', ''Gildova'', grc, Γιλδαβα) was a Dacian town.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fe ...
or
Gildoba
Gildava (''Gildoba'', ''Gildova'', grc, Γιλδαβα) was a Dacian town.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fe ...
, located alongside the
Vistula river
*
Giridava
Giridava (''Giridaua'', ''Geridava'') was a Dacian town, situated in Moesia, modern northern Bulgaria.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its ...
*
Itadeba
Itadava (''Itadeva'', ''Itadeba'', grc, Ἰταδεβά) was a Dacian town, in the territory of the fortress with unknown name near Burgaraca.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
...
or
Itadava
Itadava (''Itadeva'', ''Itadeba'', grc, Ἰταδεβά) was a Dacian town, in the territory of the fortress with unknown name near Burgaraca.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) ...
, in north eastern
North Macedonia
*
Jidava
Jidava was a fort in the Roman province of Dacia.
Since 1969, the site has been administered by the Argeș County Museum.''Enciclopedia Argeșului și Muscelului'' site, p. 123
Gallery
File:Jidava - Plan.svg, The plan of the castrum
File:Castru ...
, near
Câmpulung Muscel, Romania
*
Jidova
*
Klepidaua
*
Kuimedaba
*
Marcodava or
Markodaua
*
Murideba
Murideva (''Murideba'', grc, Μουριδεβά) was a Dacian town in Scythia Minor, not far from Zaldapa.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia ...
*
Nentinava or
Netindaua
Nentidava (''Netindava'', ''Nentidaua'', ''Netindaua'' grc, Νεντίδαυα, Νετίνδαυα) was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Rom ...
, ancient
Slobozia, Romania
*
Nentivava, ancient
Oltenița, Romania
*
Patridava or
Patridaua
*
Pelendava
Pelendava (''Pelendoua'', ''Potulatensioi'', ''Polonda'' ) was a Dacian town.
Ancient sources
Ptolemy's Geographia
Tabula Peutingeriana
Etymology
History
Dacian town
Roman times
Archaeology
See also
* Daci ...
or
Pelendova, ancient
Craiova
Craiova (, also , ), is Romania's 6th Cities in Romania, largest city and capital of Dolj County, and situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximatel ...
, Romania
*
Perburidava
Perburidava was a Dacian town.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Bl ...
*
Petrodava or
Petrodaua located in
Piatra Neamţ
*
Piroboridava
Piroboridava ( grc, Πιροβορίδαυα) was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy, and archaeologically identified at Poiana, Galați, Romania. Second part name of the city Dacian dava shows significance of the tribal city.
See also
* D ...
or
Piroboridaua
*
Pulpudeva
Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the ...
, originally named ''Eumolpias'' by the Dacians.
Philip II of Macedon conquered the area in 342–341 BC and renamed the city ''Philippoupolis'' ( el, Φιλιππούπολις), of which the later Dacian name for the city, ''Pulpu-deva'', is a reconstructed translation. Today's city of
Plovdiv
Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
in Bulgaria.
*
Quemedava
Quemedava was an ancient Dacian city in Dardania mentioned by Procopius.Ethnic continuity in the Carpatho-Danubian area by Elemér Illyés,1988,,p. 223
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Illyria
* List of ancient cities in Thr ...
, mentioned by Procopius in Dardania
[Ethnic continuity in the Carpatho-Danubian area by Elemér Illyés,1988,,page 223]
*
Ramidava
Ramidava ( grc, Ραμίδαυα) was a Dacian town.
See also
* Dava (Dacian), Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
References
Ancient
*
Modern
*
Further reading
Dacian tow ...
or
Rhamidaua
*
Recidava
Recidava (''Recidiva'', ''Racidiva'') was a Dacian town.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danu ...
*
Rusidava or
Rusidava
*
Sacidava or
Sacidaba
*
Sagadava
SacidavaThe Sacidava Stronghold http://patrimoniuldobrogean.ro/en/the-sacidava-fortress/ was an ancient Getic settlement on the Danube, between Durostorum and Axiopolis, located near the modern village of Izvoarele, in Romania.
The ancient ...
*
Sandava
''Sandava'' is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Francis Walker in 1863.
Species
*''Sandava micrastigma'' (Kaye, 1901) Trinidad
*''Sandava scitisignata
''Sandava scitisignata'', the fungi snout, is a moth of t ...
*
Sangidaua
*
Scaidava
Scaidava ( grc, Σκεδεβά) was a Dacian town between Iatrus and Trimammium ( Ablanovo).
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; o ...
or
Skedeba
*
Setidava or
Setidaua, mentioned by Ptolemy as a thriving settlement
*
Singidava
''Singidava'' is a genus of moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximatel ...
or
Singidaua
*
Sucidava,
Suvidava or
Sukidaua located in
Corabia
Corabia () is a small Danube port located in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania, which used to be part of the now-dissolved Romanați County before World War II. Across the Danube from Corabia lies the Bulgarian village of Gigen.
History
Beneath Co ...
, Olt County, Romania
*
Susudava, mentioned by Ptolemy as a thriving settlement
*
Sykidaba
*
Tamasidava
Tamasidava ( grc, Ταμασίδαυα) was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
* Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, ' ...
or
Tamasidaua
*
Thermidava Thermidava is a toponym used by Ptolemy in relation to a settlement in the route of the Roman army during the Dacian campaign (101-106 CE) of Emperor Trajan. In the context of Ptolemy's narrative the settlement was located along the Lissus- Naissus ...
, placed by Ptolemy on the
Lissus Lissus or Lissos ( el, Λίσσος) could be:
* Lissus (Crete), an ancient Greek city in Crete
* Lissos (Illyria), an ancient city in Illyria, the present day city of Lezhë in Albania
* Lissus, a river in Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη ...
-
Naissus route. The toponym is most probably a misreading of a settlement which most scholars in contemporary research locate near present-day
Banat, Serbia.
*
Utidava or
Utidaua
*
Zargidava
Zargidava ( grc, Ζαργίδαυα) was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
See also
* Dacian davae
* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
* Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, ...
or
Zargidaua
*
Ziridava or
Ziridaua
Ziridava (''Ziridaua'', grc, italic=yes, Ζιρίδαυα) was a Dacian town located between Apulon and Tibiscum, mentioned by Ptolemy in the area of the Dacian tribe of Biephi (today's Romania, Banat region).
Ancient sources Ptolemy's '' ...
*
Zisnedeva,
Zisnudeva or
Zisnudeba, located in Dacian
Moesia
Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alban ...
*
Zucidaua
*
Zisnudeba
*
Zusidava
See also
*
List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
*
Dacian language
*
Dacia
*
Polis
*
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film
* ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film
* ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film
* Deva (2007 Telugu film)
* ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film
* Deva ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Dacian Davae in Enciclopedia Dacica(Romanian)
(Romanian)
(Romanian, partially English)
{{Dacia topics
Dacian towns
Dacian language