654 PARI 
lour, till all his men were killed, except twenty, who 
made their way fword in hand, and got fafe to Carrhae: 
but Vargunteius himfelf loft his life. 
In the mean time Surenas, not knowing whether 
Craflus and Caffius had retired to Carrhae, or chofen a 
different route; in order to be informed of the truth, 
and take his meafures accordingly, difpatched a meffen- 
ger, who fpoke the Roman language, to the city of Car¬ 
rhae, enjoining him to approach the walls, and acquaint 
Craffus himfelf, or Caffius, that the Parthian general was 
inclined to enter into a treaty with them, and demanded 
a conference. Both Craffus and Caffius fpoke from the 
walls with the meffenger; and, accepting the propofal 
with great joy, defired that the time and place for an in¬ 
terview might be immediately agreed upon. The mef¬ 
fenger withdrew, promifing to return quickly with an 
anfwer from Surenas : but that general no fooner under- 
flood that Craflus and Caffius were in Carrhae, than he 
marched thither with his whole army ; and, having in¬ 
verted the place, acquainted the Romans, that if they ex¬ 
pected any favourable terms, they muft deliver up Craf¬ 
fus and Caffius to him in chains. Hereupon a council of 
the chief officers being fummoned, it was thought ex¬ 
pedient to retire from Carrhae that very night, and feek 
for another afylum. It was of the utmoft importance that 
none of the inhabitants of Carrhae fliould be acquainted 
with their defign till the time of its execution ; but Craf¬ 
fus, whofe whole condufl evidently fhow's that he was 
blinded, as Dio Caffius obferves, by fome divinity, im¬ 
parted the whole matter in confidence to one Androma- 
chus, choofing him for his guide, and relying injudi- 
cioufly on the fidelity of a man whom he fcarcely knew. 
Andromachus immediately acquainted Surenas with the 
defign of the Romans; promifing at the fame time, “ as 
the Parthians did not engage in the night,” to manage 
matters fo, that they fliould not get out of his reach be¬ 
fore daybreak. Purfuant to his promife, he led them 
through many windings and turnings, till he brought 
them into deep marfliy grounds, where the infantry were 
up to the knees in mire. Then Caffius, fufpefting that 
their guide had led them into thofe bogs with no good 
defign, refufed to follow him any longer; and, returning 
to Carrhae, took his route towards Syria, which he reached 
with 500 liorfe. Oftavius, with 5000 men under his 
command, being conducted by trurty guides, gained the 
mountains called by Plutarch and Appian Sinnaci, and 
there intrenched himfelf before break of day. 
As for Craffus, he was ftill entangled in the marfhes, 
when Surenas, at the rifing of the fun, overtook him, 
and inverted him with his cavalry. The proconful had 
with him four cohorts, and a final! body of liorfe; and 
with thefe he gained, in fpite of all oppofition, the fum- 
mit of another hill within twelve furlongs of Odtavius ; 
who, feeing the danger that threatened his general, flew 
to his affiftance, firft with a fmall number of his men, but 
was foon followed by all the reft, who, being afliamed of 
their cowardice, quitted their port, though very fafe, 
and, charging the Parthians with great fury, difengaged 
Craffus, and obliged the enemy to abandon the hill. 
Upon the retreat of the Parthians, the Romans formed 
themfelves into a hollow fquare ; and, placing Craffus in 
the middle, made a kind of rampart round him with their 
bucklers, refolutely protefting, that none of the enemy’s 
arrows fliould touch their general’s body, till they were 
all killed fighting in his defence. Surenas, loth to let fo 
fine a prey efcape, furrounded the hill, as if he defigned to 
make a new attack : but, finding his Parthians very back¬ 
ward, and not doubting but the Romans, when night 
came on, would purfue their march, and get out of his 
reach, he had recourfe again to artifice ; and declared be¬ 
fore fome prifoners, whom he foon after fet at liberty, 
that lie was inclined to treat with the proconful of a 
peace; and that it was better to come to a reconciliation 
with Rome, than to fow the feeds of an eternal war, by 
ftiedding the blood of one of her generals. 
H I A. 
Agreeably to this declaration, Surenas, as foon as the 
prifoners were releafed, advanced towards the hill where 
the Romans were ported, attended only by fome of his 
officers, and, with his bow unbent, and open arms, in¬ 
vited Craffus to an interview. So fudden a change feem- 
ed very fufpicious to the proconful; who therefore de¬ 
clined the interview, till he was forced, by his own 
foldiers, to intruft his life with an enemy whofe treachery 
they had all experienced ; for the legionaries, flocking 
round him, not only abufed him in an outrageous man¬ 
ner, but even menaced him if he did not accept of the 
propofals made him by the Parthian general. Seeing, 
therefore, that his troops were ready to mutiny, he be¬ 
gan to advance, without arms or guards, towards the 
enemy, after having called the gods and his officers to 
witnefs the violence his troops offered him ; and entreat¬ 
ed all who were prefent, but efpecially Oflavius and 
Petronius, two of the chief commanders, for the honour 
of Rome their common mother, not to mention, after 
his death, the fhameful behaviour of the Roman legion¬ 
aries. Oftavius and Petronius could not refolve to let 
him go alone ; but attended him down the hill, as did 
likewife fome legionaries, keeping at a diftance. Craffus 
was met at the foot of the hill by two Greeks, who, dif- 
mounting from their liorfes, faluted him with great re- 
fpedl; and defired him, in the Greek tongue, to fend 
fome of his attendants, who might fatisfy him that Sure¬ 
nas, and thofe who were with him, came without arms. 
Hereupon Craffus lent two brothers, of the Rofcian 
family; but Surenas, having caufed them to be feized 
advanced to the foot of the hill, mounted on a fine horfe, 
and attended by the chief officers of his army. Craffus, 
who waited for the return of his two meffengers, was fur- 
prifed to fee himfelf prevented by Surenas in perfon, w hen 
lie leaft expefled it. The Parthian general, perceiving, 
as he approached Craffus, that he was on foot, cried out, 
in a feeming furprife, “ What do I fee ? a Roman gene¬ 
ral on foot, and we on horfeback ! Let a horfe be brought 
for him immediately.” “You need not be furprifed, (re¬ 
plied Craffus;) we are come only to an interview, each 
after the cuftom of his country.” “Very well, (an- 
fwered Surenas ;) there fhall be henceforth a lafting 
peace between king Orodes and the people of Rome: 
but we muft fign the articles of it on the banks of the 
Euphrates; for you Romans do not always remember 
your conventions.” Craffus would have fent for a horfe ; 
but a very ftately one, with a golden bit, and richly ca- 
parifoned, was brought to him by a Parthian ; which 
Surenas prefenting to him, “Accept this horfe from my 
hands, (Paid he,) which I give you in the name of my 
mailer, king Orodes.” He had fcarcely uttered thefe 
words, when fome of the king’s officers, taking Craffus 
by the middle, fet him upon the horfe, which they be¬ 
gan to whip with great violence before them in order to 
make him quicken his pace. Oftavius, offended at this 
infult, took the horfe by the bridle; Petronius and the 
few Romans who were prefent, feconded him, and, flock¬ 
ing all round Craffus, flopped his horfe. The Parthians 
endeavoured to repulfe them 5 and they began to juftle 
and pufh one another with great tumult and diforder. At 
laft, Oflavius, drawing his fword, killed one of the king’s 
grooms ; but at the fame time another, coming behind 
Oftavius, with one blow laid him dead at his feet. Both 
parties fought with great refolution, the Parthians 
ftriving to carry off Craffus, and the Romans to refcue 
him out of their hands. In this fcuffle mod of the Ro¬ 
mans who came to the conference were killed ; and, 
amongft the reft, Craffus himfelf, but whether by a 
Roman or a Parthian is uncertain. Upon his death, the 
reft of the army either furrendered to the enemy, or, dif- 
perfing in the night, were purfued, and put to the fword. 
The Romans loll in this campaign at leaft 30,000 men ; 
of which 20,000 were killed, and 10,000 taken prifoners. 
When the battle of Carrhae was fought, king Orodes 
was in Armenia, where he had made peace with Arta- 
bazus. 
