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Rh secure reinforcements. When Labienus learned of the proscriptions which had followed the Battle of Philippi, he cast his lot with the Parthians. Under the joint command of Labienus and Pacorus the Parthian army crossed the Euphrates in the spring of 40 and invaded Syria. An attack on Apamea failed; but the small garrisons in the country round about were easily won over to their side, since they had served with Brutus and Cassius. Saxa, the governor, was defeated in a pitched battle through the superior numbers and ability of the Parthian cavalry, and his brother, his quaestor, lost most of his men through desertion to Labienus. This was brought about by means of pamphlets wrapped around arrows and shot into the Roman camp. At last Saxa fled in the dead of night to Antioch, but he lost most of his men as a result. Labienus took Apamea without resistance.

To cope with this new situation Labienus and Pacorus divided their forces, the Roman turning northward after Saxa, the Parthian southward into Syria and Palestine. Saxa was forced to abandon Antioch and fled into Cilicia, where he was seized and put to death. Labienus then continued into Asia Minor in a most successful campaign, during which he took almost all the cities of the mainland. Zeno of Laodicea