mprehension of the rules of warfare
and was good at putting them in practice, displayed sagacity in advancing,
took the right moment for retreating, was an expert in ambuscades, a
professional warrior, knew how to make good use of a victory and to turn a
defeat to advantage. Hence he showed himself for a long time a worthy
antagonist of the Romans.

I call the people Dacians, just as they name themselves and as the Romans
do; but I am not ignorant that some of the Greeks refer to them as Getae,
whether that is the right term or not. I myself know Getae that live along
the Ister, beyond the Haemus range.

Domitian made an expedition against them, to be sure but did not enter
into real conflict. [Instead, he remained in a city of Moesia, rioting, as
was his wont.] (Not only was he averse to physical labor and timorous in
spirit, but also most profligate and lewd toward women and boys alike).
But he sent others to officer the war and for the most part he got the
worst of it.

[Sidenote: A.D. 87(?)] Decebalus, king of the Dacians, carried on
negotiations with Domitian, promising him peace. Domitian sent against him
Fuscus [Footnote: _Cornelius Fuscus_, pretorian prefect.] with a
large force. On learning of it Decebalus sent an embassy to him anew,
sarcastically proposing to make peace with the emperor in case each of the
Romans should choose to pay two asses as tribute to Decebalus each year;
if they should not choose to do so, he affirmed that he should make war
and afflict them with great ills.

Dio [Lacuna] 67th Book [Lacuna] "When the soldiers making the campaign
with Fuscus asked him to lead them."

[Sidenote: A.D. 90 (a.u. 843)] [Sidenote:--7--] Meantime he conceived a
wish to take measures against the Quadi and the Marcomani because they had
not assisted him against the Dacians. So he entered Pannonia to make war
upon them, and the second set of envoys that they sent in regard to peace
he killed.

[Sidenote:--8--] The same man laid the blame for his defeat, however, upon
his commanders. All the superior plans he claimed for himself, though he
executed none of them, but for the inferior management he blamed others,
even though it was through his orders that some accident had taken place.
Those who succeeded incurred his hatred and those who failed his censure.

Domitian, being defeated by the Marcomani, took to flight and by hastily
sending messages to Decebalus, king of the Dacians, induced him to make a
truc