What if Julius Caesar invaded the kingdom of Dacia under Burebista

Strabon also claimed that the Dacians could muster 200,000 warriors ( probably a major exaggeration) as well as Scythian and Thracian allies, making any planned conquest no pushover. And, as we have already seen, Burebista was a shrewd and experienced commander.

Don't be so quick to dismiss an approximate 200,000 host. If they drew predominately career warriors, yes the numbers would be smaller, but even part-timers or past-age veterans could boost it around those numbers, give or take 10-20,000...
 
Is it to be assumed then that for purposes of discussion here that Caesar's assassination is more or less immutable?


Probably, unless he dies of some other cause first. Either that or a personality transplant. He rode roughshod over a lot of important men's sensibilities, in a way that Augustus was careful not to.
 
So then, let us suppose that Caesar decided to fight the Dacians instead of Gaul, could he win? Does this enable Gaul to survive ( or more likely, delay conquest.)


How long a delay are we talking about?

After Dacia missed out on being conquered by Caesar, it was about 150 years before Trajan did the job. If Gaul lasts that long, by the 2C is it still Gaul or has it been overrun by Germanic tribes. Could we get a Teutoburg on the Loire?
 
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