[139] The Dacians had become organized and strong in the latter years of the Roman republic. Cf. Justin. XXXII, 3; Jordanis, _Get._, XI, 67; Strabo, XVI, 2, 39; VII, 3, 5; 11; Suet. _Aug._, 44. Julius Cæsar was about to proceed against them when he died. Cf. Suet. _Jul._, 44; _Aug._, 8; App. _B. C._, II, 110; III, 25, 37; _Illyr._, 13; Vell., II. 59; Livy, _Epit._, CXVII. In 719 Augustus began his Illyrican campaign by occupying Segesta on the Save, whence he threatened the Dacians and Bastarnæ. Cf. App. _Illyr._, 22, 23. Antony is responsible for the statement that Augustus sought to secure the goodwill of Cotiso, king of the Getæ (Dacians), by giving him his daughter and by himself marrying a daughter of Cotiso. Cf. Suetonius, _Aug._, 63. Cotiso refused the alliance and joined the party of Antony. Cf. Dio, L, 6; LI, 22. Antony’s story as to the proposed marriages is hardly credible, and may have been invented by him to offset his own alliance with Cleopatra. During the struggle between Antony and Octavian, an invasion of the Dacians was the constant dread of Italy. Cf. Vergil, _Georg._, II, 497; Hor. _Sat._, II, 6, 53; _Carm._, III, 6, 13. When Antony was overthrown M. Crassus undertook the suppression of the Dacians, and triumphed, July 4, 727. Cf. Dio, LI, 23; Tab. Triumph. But Dacian incursions were still frequent. Dio records one in 738, cf. LIV, 20; and one in 744, cf. LIV, 36. Probably it was in this latter incursion that the defeat here alluded to was met by them. Finally an army was sent against them under Lentulus, in 759. Cf. Dio, LV, 30; Strabo, VII, 12 and 13; Suet. _Aug._, 21; Florus, IV, 12, 19, 20; Tac. _Ann._, IV, 44. [140] Cf. Suet. _Aug._, 21; Flor. IV, 12, 62; _Oros._, VI, 21, 19, says that deputies of Indians and Scythians came to Augustus at Tarracona in 728 or 729; Dio, LIV, 9, that deputies from India came to him at Samos in 734. Strabo gives the name of the Indian king as Porus. Cf. XV., 1, 4 and 73. Cf. also Ver. _Georg._, II, 170; _Aen._, VI, 794; VIII, 705; Hor. _Carm._, I, 12, 56; _Carm. Saec._, 55, 56; _Carm._, IV, 14, 41. [141] For a general statement, cf. Suetonius, _Aug._ 21. For the Scythians, cf. Note 140 , above. For the Bastarnæ, cf. Livy, _Ep._ CXXXIV; Dio, LI, 23, 24. For the Sarmatæ, cf. Flor. l. c.; Strabo, II, 5, 30; Tac. _Ann._, VI, 33; Pliny, _Hist. Nat._, II, 108, 246; VI, 7, 19; VI, 5, 16; VI, 13, 40. Vergil refers to them as Gelones. Cf. _Aen._, VIII, 725. Cf. also Hor. _Carm._, II, 9; III, 8, 23. For the Albani and Iberi, cf. Dio, XLIX, 24. For the Medes, cf. c. 27 and notes.