Marcus Crassus Beheaded

[gamavor]

Ah, The Romans! Those pompous self-important, marvelous imitators and tax collectors who have created the most dreadful war machine at the time. Nothing was Roman in Rome! It became distinctly Roman centuries later. At the beginning everything in Rome was Lydian, Greek, Micean, Median, Armenian, Etruscan, Thracian, Persian, etc…

 

We were Romans too for good part of our history. Not the “original” Romans, but still…

They respected us and feared us. They conspired against us we conspired against them. The outcome was that every time we met on the battlefield, the next day there was a Roman protégé on the Armenian throne.

 

They had the upper hand, but not always.

 

 

 

I have an Italian friend with whom we meet from time to time for drinks or just small talk. This time Julio wanted me to help him with a selection of a book, which was intended as a present for his newly concurred heart. As a true Italian male, Julio has numerous girlfriends.

 

We met at Barns and Nobles and after browsing through tons of books dedicated to Rome and Italy I finally found something that best would suit the purpose of the present. A brief introduction to Roman history and culture with the emphasis on history of Art.

 

Julio naturally liked the selection and started reading a passage about the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity and the edict of Milan. The authors claimed that Constantine was the first Christian King.

 

“Julio, - I said, “You know that this is not true, right?”

 

Julio: Yes, I know – he replied. I know that the Armenian King was the first Christian King who converted Armenia a decade earlier, but Constantine was the first Catholic King.

 

Me: There was no Catholic Church at that time. If by Catholic you mean Universal, there was only one church at that time and that was the Universal (catholic) church and the Armenian King was the first Christian king.

 

Evidently annoyed Julio continued: “Yes, but you guys separated from us!”

 

Me: “No, you guys separated from us!”

 

Julio: “But you rejected the council of Chalcedon, refusing to accept the dual nature of Christ.”

 

Me: “We rejected the notion that Jesus suffered from dual personality disorder, not the dual nature of Christ. Plus we were busy fighting with Persians when you were pondering about whether Jesus was Man, God, Man and God, God and Man, Half Man – Half God. God, when he is preaching and Man when he goes to the rest room!”

 

Julio: “Common man, lets get out of here and have couple of beers!”

 

Me: “Granted!”

 

 

 

"In the spring of 53 BC Marcus Licinius Crassus and his son Publius, Caesar's former aid, march into the Parthian territories of northern Mesopotamia, today's Syria. The Parthian envoys laugh at his statement that he will march straight to Seleucia. They say hair will grow on the palms of their hands before Crassus sees Seleucia. Crassus then learns that the Parthians are not what he expected. They have better armor and weapons then the Romans thought. They had always been equated with the Armenians and the Cappadocians. Also the fast moving Parthian cavalry was quite able to attack the Roman winter garrisons and get away clean. Then the king of Armenia, Artabazes (Artavasdes) shows up to aid Crassus in the campaign. He has 6000 cavalry, 2000 more than the Romans. He promises another 10,000 plus 30,000-foot soldiers. Also supplies and a superior northern invasion route in foothills are offered. Crassus coldly says thanks but no thanks. The king then takes all his troops home. This was Crassus biggest mistake."

 

"For it was impossible that so brave and gallant a warrior should be the son of so pitiful a coward as Crassus"

Crassus tried to encourage his men to take revenge on the Parthians by saying:

"This, O my countrymen, is my own peculiar loss, but the fortune and the glory of Rome is safe and untainted so long as you are safe. But if any one be concerned for my loss of the best of sons, let him show it in revenging him upon the enemy. Take away their joy, revenge their cruelty, nor be dismayed at what is past; for whoever tries for great objects must suffer something. Neither did Lucullus overthrow Tigranes without bloodshed, nor Scipio Antiochus; our ancestors lost one thousand ships about Sicily, and how many generals and captains in Italy? no one of which losses hindered them from overthrowing their conquerors; for the State of Rome did not arrive to this height by fortune, but by perseverance and virtue in confronting danger."

Of course no one believed him. The Parthians continued to ride up and shoot their arrows. Night brought an end to the fighting. 4000 men are badly wounded. The hope now for escape seems impossible. The night was very cold. The wounded don't receive any help. Crassus hides out somewhere. Before midnight, Crassus decides to move and go to Carrhae. He sends a message to the city's governor, Coponius, that he's coming. But the man who delivers it, Egnatius, gives the message and leaves with his 300 cavalry towards Zeugma. He is dishonored for leaving Crassus, at this moment anyway. Crassus gets the able bodied men up and marches to Carrhae, in the early hours of June 10. The 4000 wounded men at the Roman camp are slaughtered at sunrise by the Parthians. Also this morning, 4 cohorts are trapped on a hill under the command of Varguntinus. 20 men fight so well that they are allowed to go to Carrhae unharmed. The rest are killed or captured. That day, Surena learned that Crassus and Cassius are at Carrhae. The Arabs who were with the Romans before carry these messages. Cassius wants Crassus to make a deal. The next day on June 11, Surena is approaching Carrhae with his men. That night Crassus decided to break for the Parthian mountains. He has to due this since the Parthians can't fight at night. He has a Greek guide, and Parthian collaborator, named Andromachus, who leads him in circles all night. His lieutenant Octavius and his men, 5000 of them, make it safely to the hills where the Parthian horse cant attack. Crassus is 1 1/2 miles away below the hills called Sinnaca. A disgusted Cassius had abandoned him during the night with his 500 cavalry. He gets back to Syria via Carrhae.

 

It is now morning on June 12, 53 BC. The Parthians are approaching Crassus. Octavius and his officers go loyally to help him. The regular soldiers eventually follow him. The 5000 Romans drive the Parthians from the hill. They declare:

 

"that no arrow in Parthia should ever touch their general, so long as there was a man of them left alive to protect him"

The Parthians realize that they can't get the Romans. Surena decides to make peace. He frees some Roman prisoners and rides towards the Roman position. He drops his bow and offers peace. The soldiers are ecstatic with joy. But Crassus won't deal. All day he tries to convince his men to wait for night fall to escape further into the mountains. When his own troops threaten his life he gives in. He goes of to meet the Parthians alone. His commanders Octavius and Petronius leave him. when the Parthian Surena rode up to Crassus he mocked him by saying:

"How is this, then? A Roman commander is on foot, whilst I and my train are mounted."

He offers that Crassus ride on a Parthian horse with a gold bit, to the Euphrates to sign a treaty with the King of Parthia. He is then practically thrown into the saddle. Octavius runs back up the hill and grabs the reigns of the horse. He kills a Parthian and then is stabbed in the back. Petronius also runs up and is struck down but taken alive. Crassus, probably still on the horse, is killed by a Parthian named Pomaxathres. His head and probably his hands are cut off. Of the other men who were there, few escaped. The rest who didn't surrender then were hunted down over the next few days and killed.

 

In all 20,000 Roman soldiers were killed, 12,000 taken alive, and another 10-12,000 escape back to Syria. It was Rome's worst defeat since the battle of Cannae in 216 BC. Crassus' head was taken to the Parthian King Hyrodes. It was used in a Greek stage play called "Bacchae of Euripides". Surena was soon killed by Hyrodes since he was now too successful. This eliminated Parthia's immediate threat. Roman plans in Parthia stopped."

[shaunt]

It would've have been great if the Romans could've consolidated their power over Armenia and Armenians. Romans + Armenians could've have done major damage in the Orient.

[Artaxias]

Brilliant thread!!!

[Accelerated]

...the Roman legions had an inherent difficulty when facing armies comprised of strong cavalry components. Even at Cannae, once the Roman cavalry had been defeated and driven from the flanks the legions fate was sealed. Fortunately, most of their barbarian neighbors werent too keen on fielding cavalry and Persia/Parthia was its own enemy. Despite this the Romans never succeeded in subjugating the entire east simply because they didnt have an answer to mounted archers. In fact, there wouldnt be an answer until the advert of gunpowder.

[Ludwig9]

You forgot to mention that the Armenians had been Christian for 300+ years, before being declared the national religion and any council, while the Romans were killing the Christians left and right. Edited April 13, 2005 by Ludwig9

[Vanetsi]

Gamavor, when will they learn?

[Dave]

It would've have been great if the Romans could've consolidated their power over Armenia and Armenians. Romans + Armenians could've have done major damage in the Orient.

 

Unfortunately, they didn't trust us. Artavazd tried some help (including the famous Armenian Cataphracts), however, Crassus refused. He even said that after taking Parthia/Persia, he will conquer Armenia to ''punish'' Ardavazd. He didn't attack Parthia from the Armenian mountains. Instead, he marched through the desert... He got what he deserved.

 

http://rtw.heavengames.com/history/battles...tle_of_carrhae/

[Takoush]

Unfortunately, they didn't trust us. Artavazd tried some help (including the famous Armenian Cataphracts), however, Crassus refused. He even said that after taking Parthia/Persia, he will conquer Armenia to ''punish'' Ardavazd. He didn't attack Parthia from the Armenian mountains. Instead, he marched through the desert... He got what he deserved.

 

http://rtw.heavengames.com/history/battles...tle_of_carrhae/

It was a good link to read. Crassus instead of believing our King Artavazd, he believed in the Nabatean Chief, Ariamines and Ariamines betrayed him as he led Crassus through the deserts. Crassus thought that Artavazd of Armenia was trying to betray him. All wrong. Crassus made a fatal mistake. Ultimately for himself then also Armenia could've been in a better position and stronger against the Persions and ultimately against the Orient as well. Too bad for him and also for us too.

Edited October 15, 2005 by Anahid Takouhi