Thermidava is a toponym used by

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

in relation to a settlement in the route of the Roman army during the Dacian campaign (101-106 CE) of Emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

. In the context of Ptolemy's narrative the settlement was located along the Lissus- Naissus route (from present-day northern Albania to present-day eastern Serbia). The only other information about the settlement provided is that when Trajan passed through he was "greeted by friendly

Dacians The Dacians (; ; ) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often considered a subgroup of the Thracians. This area include ...

". Many locations have been proposed and rejected since the 19th century. A reading of the toponym hinted at a compound of Greek ''thermos'' and the Thracian suffix -dava or a toponym derived from Dacian. This led to theories that this was a settlement close to thermal springs and Banja of Peja was proposed as a location, but it has been rejected in modern research. The reference to a -dava settlement within a definitely Illyrian district made its localization within Illyria more unlikely. In contemporary analysis, Ptolemy's account is considered to refer to two different aspects of Trajan's route. ''Thermidava'' is most probably a misreading of ''Theranda'' (located in

Suhareka Suva Reka ( sr-Cyrl, Сува Река) or Suharekë () or Therandë () is a List of cities in Kosovo, town and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality located in the District of Prizren, Prizren district of central-southern Kosovo. According to ...

Prizren Prizren ( sq-definite, Prizreni, ; sr-cyr, Призрен) is the second List of cities and towns in Kosovo, most populous city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and District of Prizren, ...

, both in Kosovo). No pro-Roman Dacians have been recorded in the region, nor is their presence considered likely. Most scholars consider Ptolemy's account to refer to a settlement north of the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

, near the

Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...

area where the interests of the locals aligned with those of the Romans in the Dacian campaign.

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