Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/896

Rh 878 CRASSUS. the gold, than he seized, not only 2000 talents in money, which Pompey had left untouched, but everything else that he thought worth cariying away, to the value of 8000 talents more. Orodes (Arsaces XIV.), the king of Parthia, was himself engaged with part of his army, in an invasion of Armenia, but he despatched Surenas, the most illustrious of his nobles and a young ac- complished general, into Mesopotamia with the rest of his forces, to hold Crassus in check. Be- fore proceeding to hostilities, he sent ambassadors to Crassus to say that if the Roman general made war by the authority of the senate, the war could only terminate by the destruction of one or other of the parties, but if at the prompting of his owni desire, the king would take compassion on his safety. Crassus replied that he would give his answer at Seleuceia. " Sooner," said the ambas- sador, Vagises, "shall hair grow on the palm of this hand, than thy eyes behold Seleuceia." Ar- tavasdes, the king of Armenia, requested Crassus to join him in Armenia, in order that they might oppose Orodes with their united forces ; he pointed out to the Roman general that Armenia being a rough mountainous countrj', the cavalry, of which the Parthian army was almost wholly composed, would there be useless, and he promised to take care that in Annenia the Roman army should be supplied with all necessaries. In Mesopotamia, on the other hand, the Romans would be exposed to extreme danger on their march through sandy deserts, where they would be unable to procure water and provisions. Crassus, however, deter- mined to march throiigh Mesopotamia, and engaged Artavasdes to supply him with auxiliary troops ; but the king never sent the promised forces, excus- ing himself on the ground that they Avere necessary for his own defence against Orodes. Crassus, in pursuing the imprudent course which he determined upon, was misled by a crafty Ara- bian chieftain, called by Plutarch, Ariamnes.* This Arab had formerly served under Pompey, and was well known to many in the array of Crassus, for which reason he was selected by Surenas to betray the Romans. He offered him- self as a guide to conduct them by the shortest way to the enemy. He told the Roman general, that the Parthians durst not stand before him ; that unless he made haste, they would escape from him, and rob him of the fruits of victory. Cas- sius, the legate, suspected Ariamnes of treachery, and warned Crassus, instead of following him, to retire to the mountains ; but Crassus, deceived by his fair words and fooled by his flattery, was led by him to the open plains of Mesopotamia. Ari- amnes, having accomplished his object, seized a frivolous pretext, and rode off to inform Surenas that the Roman army was delivered into his hands, and Crassus soon learned from his scouts, that the Parthians were advancing. The conduct of • From the Roman ignorance of oriental lan- guages, there is a great variation among historians in the oriental names that occur in the expedition of Crassus. Thus, this chieftain is called by Dion Cassius, Augarus or Abgarus, and by the compiler of the Historia Komanorum Parthica., attributed to Appian, he is called Acbarus. Florus (iii. 11. § 7) names him Mazaras. Again, the Armenian king is called by Dion Cassius (xl. 1 6) Artabazes. CRASSUS. Crassus in this emergency was maiked by irreso- lution. He first drew up his infantry in line, and placed his cavalry at the wings — an arrangement which would have obviated the murderous success of the Parthian archers, and would have prevented the troops from being outflanked by the Pai-thian horse ; but he then altered his mind, and formed the infantry in a solid square flanked by squadrons of cavalry. To his son he gave one wing, to Cas- sius the other, and placed himself in the centre. In the battle that ensued, the Parthians exhibited their usual tactics, advancing with terrific shouts and the noise of kettle-drums. They worried the densely marshalled Romans with showers of arrows and javelins, every one of which struck its man. Crassus was disheartened at finding that there was no chance of their missiles being exhausted, as a number of camels were laden with a large supply. By feigned retreats, during which they continued to discharge their arrows, they led the Romans into disadvantageous positions ; then they suddenly rallied and charged, while the enemy was in dis- order and blinded by dust. For the details of the engagement, which was dis- tinguished by errors and misfortunes and unavailing bravery, we must refer to the account of Plutarch. Crassus lost his son in the battle, and endeavoured to encourage the soldiers under a calamity which, he said, concerned him alone. He talked to them of honour and their country, but the faint and lan- guid shout with which they responded to his harangue, attested their dejection. When night came on the Parthians retired, it being contrary to their custom to pass the night near an enemy, be- cause they never fortified their camps, and be- cause their horses and arrows could be of little use in the dark. In this miserable state of affairs, Octavius and Cassius found Crassus lying upon the ground, as if he were stunned and senseless. They held a council of war, and determined to re- treat at once, leaving the wounded on the field. Crassus, with such of the troops as had strength to march, retired to Carrhae (the Haran of Scrip- ture), and, on the following morning, the Parthians entered the Roman camp, and massacred the sick and wounded, to the number of 4000. They then pursued and overtook four cohorts, which had lost their way in the dark, and put all but twenty men to the sword. Surenas, having ascertained that Crassus and the principal officers of the Roman array were shut up in Carrhae, and fearing that they might altogether es- cape, again had recourse to stratagem and treacherj'. Crassus was induced to take a guide, Andromachus, who acted as a traitor, and led the army into dan- gerous defiles. Having escaped from this snare, he was forced by the mutinous threats of the troops, though his eyes were open to the inevitable result, to accept a perfidious invitation from Sure- nas, who offered a pacific interview, and held out hopes that the Romans would be allowed to retire without molestation. At the interview, a horse, with rich trappings, was led out as a present from the king to Crassus, who was forcibly placed upon the saddle. Octavius, seeing plainly that it was the object of the Parthians to take Cras- sus alive, seized the horse by the, bridle. A scuffle ensued, and Crassus fell by some un- known hand. Whether he was despatched by an enemy, or by some friend who desired to save him from the disgrace of becoming a prisoner, is unccr-
 * old age, and allow him to withdraw his troops in