Page:Political History of Parthia.pdf/147

Rh contact with the small garrisons in the cities, and descend upon the rich villas and suburbs of Antioch. Cassius shut himself up in the heavily walled portion of the city, where he remained until the Parthians had departed. Probably their withdrawal was occasioned by the completion of their plundering of the city lands rather than by any action of the Roman troops, as Cicero himself is free to say.

The Parthian troops next moved onward to Antigonea (unidentified), where they attempted unsuccessfully to cut down the forests, which hampered their cavalry. Meanwhile Cassius had ventured forth to worry the wings and had undoubtedly reduced both the numbers and the morale of the enemy forces. He employed Parthian tactics when he set an ambush along the road which they were traveling from Antigonea, feigned a retreat with a small body of men, and then turned to surround the disorganized pursuers with his entire force. In the struggle which followed Osaces was mortally wounded; he died a few days later. This victory Cassius reported to the Senate in a dispatch dated October 7, 51 Short-