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At the zenith of its power, few dared challenge Rome and lived to tell the story. One that did and often won was Parthia. Although almost a forgotten name, Parthia defeated the Seleucids, the successors to Alexander the Great in the middle east. From about 247 B.C. to AD 228, the Parthians ruled a huge area covering what constitutes modern-day Iran and most of the surrounding countries. In fact they controlled the Silk Road and exacted a toll from those using it. Parthia became the counterbalance to Roman hegemony in the east.
Marcus Licinius Crassus, known as the victor over Spartacus at the battle of Lucania in 71 BC, was driven by lust for power and riches. Although reputed to be the richest man in the Roman Empire, Crassus, as governor of Syria, made a gratuitous attack on the Parthians. It was huge mistake. The Parthians were masters of the horse cavalry and Crassus' legions were at a definite disadvantage. Crassus not only lost his son and his own life, but thousands of Roman soldiers perished in the terrible battle of Carrhae in 53 BC. Those that survived were either executed or sold into slavery. Some were said to have been taken as far as China.
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I read that the Parthians took many of the the Romans captured at Carrhae and settled them on Parthia's eastern frontiers; provided them with wives, housing and land. The idea being that having districts full of tough ex legionaries on their frontier would serve as a deterrent to enemies. These ex Romans settled in and became loyal citizens of the Parthian state.
Trajan campaigned effectively against them, evidently he made the changes needed to deal with the terrain and Parthian fighting methods. But as it turned out under Trajan the Romans had reached what Paul Kennedy calls "Imperial overreach"; what was gained wasn't worth the expense of getting and holding it. So Hadrian pulled back from Trajan's conquests in the East to a more defensible line.
One distinction that sometimes gets glossed over is Parthian vs. Persian. The Parthians were one of the many ethnicities living in and around Persia, linguistically related to Medes if memory serves. If I further recall right, for some time they provided Persian emperors with some of their better horse archers.
Good topic, good links. Among many other blunders made during this campaign was the belief by the Romans that the legions could not be seriously hindered by missiles. Before this, the testudo formation had proved to be an effective defense. Prior to the battle the brilliant young Parthian general Surena had orderd the making of hundreds of thousands of arrows and organized camel pack trains to transport them. The Romans had never faced such sustained arrow fire as they did from the Parthian horse archers, who never ran out of arrows and who could not be caught and killed. Surena paid a high price for his great victory at Carrhae, king Orodes, jealous and fearful of his rising popularity had him killed. Of the 40,000 men that Crassus took into the desert, only about 10,000 ever got home. The rest were either killed or captured. It was said that so many Romans were taken prisoner that they caused a glut on the slave markets, with prices depressed for years in that part of the world.
If I further recall right, for some time they provided Persian emperors with some of their better horse archers.
Thus, the term "parthian shot", which means shooting while on horseback at your pursuers during a feigned retreat. Later corrupted by the ignorati to "parting shot".
The romans always had problems with fast moving horse archers. Except for the Parthians they did not face them very often to late in the Empire (this battle and the Trajan campaign being an exception).
The death of crassus had tremendous impact on Rome. It broke up the alliance between Caesar and Ptolemy making the civil war that ended the republic inevitiable (or perhaps accelerating it, since the conflict was always likely eventually).
The parthians unlike the later Persians were heavily influenced by Greek culture I believe.
The death of crassus had tremendous impact on Rome. It broke up the alliance between Caesar and Ptolemy making the civil war that ended the republic inevitiable (or perhaps accelerating it, since the conflict was always likely eventually).
Believe that what you really meant to say was Caesar and Pompey; Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, not Ptolomy, a differnet man from a different time. The death of Crassus, did of course, break up the First Triumvirate.
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