Trajan leads an invasion of Dacia to annex the kingdom, and the Dacians fight with everything they have to maintain their independence.

The map below shows the main sites of the war. The Romans launched their attack from Viminacium and Drobeta, two forts on either side of the Iron Gates. The pass at Tapae protected the way to the Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa, while the gold deposits of the kingdom lay north of the capital. The Dacian diversionary attack came at a site called Adamclisi near the Black Sea.