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The Costoboci (Ancient Greek: Κοστοβῶκοι or Coisstobocensis or Koishtobokai ) were a Dacian tribe, which lived in the areas known today as Maramureş and south-western Ukraine.

An inscription found at Rome, attests Pieporis as king of the Dacian tribe of Costoboci. Inscription had been raised by the nephews of Pieporus, and says: "D(is) M(anibus) / Ziai / Tiati Fi(liae) / Dacae uxori / Piepori regis / Coisstobocensis / Natoporus et / Drilgisa aviae / cariss(imae) b(ene) m(erenti) fecer(unt)" ^[1]

His people are obviously the Ptolemy Koistobokoi in Roman Dacia, his residence is the Ptolemy Piroboridava, and his other towns may be the neighbouring Tamasidava, Utidava, Trifulon, a.s.o. ^[1]

Contents 1 Archeology 2 Wars against Romans 2.1 Marcomannic Wars (166– 180 AD) 2.2 Raids in the Roman provinces (170 AD) 2.3 Conflict with Hasdingi(172 AD) 3 References

[edit] Archeology

Archeologically speaking, they are identified with the Lipiţa culture. When the Roman emperor Trajan conquered Dacia in 106, the Costoboci remained among the free Dacian tribes (unconquered by the Romans).

In western Ukraine Costoboci settlements of Lipiţa culture were found in Ukrainian villages of Verkhnya Lypytsya hence name Lipita culture), Maydan Holohirskyy, Remezivtsi, Voronyaky, Bolotnya, Zelenyy Hay, Lysychnyky etc. - all in south-western part of Ternopilska oblast, south eastern area of Lvivska oblast and northern area of Ivano-Frankivska oblast of western Ukraine. Archeologists believe that they moved in Upper Dniester area of current western Ukraine from the slopes of the Carpathian mountains along the rivers, left hand tributaries of northern Dniester, as Zolota Lypa River. Here they used to burn their dead probably believing in purifyig power of fire and in afterlife - setting private belongings of the deaseased in holders with their ashes, as it was found in many Dacian settlements in western Ukraine. Their presence here disappears in the early 3rd century. It is believed that they moved back south to heartland Dacia.

[edit] Wars against Romans

[edit] Marcomannic Wars (166– 180 AD)

The Koistobokoi fought against Rome in the Marcomannic Wars, according to Julius Capitolinus, Bell. Marcom. ch. XXII ^[1]

[edit] Raids in the Roman provinces (170 AD)

From their positions in the north, the Costoboci often raided the Roman province of Dacia, in conjunction with rebellions of the local Dacians.

One of these raids (conducted probably by their "king" Pieporus), during the reign of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius reached as far as Attica, severely affecting the provinces of Moesia, Scythia Minor and Macedonia.The Costoboci crossed the Danube and drove south into Greece (170 AD)^{[2] [3]}

[edit] Conflict with Hasdingi(172 AD)

We are informed by Dio Cassius that the Hasdings — a branch of the Vandals — invaded the country of the independent Koistobokoi about 172 A. D. He relates LXXII, 3, that a flock of 18,000 independent Dacians were about 180 A. D. received in Roman Dacia. The place-names Piroboridava and Tamasidava through their forms betray a relatively late origin, as no other names on -dava are compounded with so long words^[1]

[edit] References