Battle of Carrhae
Near Carrhae (Harran), Upper Mesopotamia
What happened
Marcus Licinius Crassus, a member of the First Triumvirate and the wealthiest man in Rome, with his son Publius and his quaestor Gaius Cassius Longinus, faced the Parthian general Surena, who served King Orodes II. Crassus invaded Parthia without the official consent of the Senate. He turned down an offer from the Armenian king to take a route through Armenia and marched his army straight through the deserts of Mesopotamia. Near Carrhae, Surena's army of about 10,000, with armored cavalry and mounted archers, defeated the Romans. Surena used thousands of camels to keep his archers supplied with arrows. Crassus died when truce talks turned violent.
Why it matters
Result: Parthian victory. Leaders: Marcus Licinius Crassus / Publius Licinius Crassus against Surena / Silaces. Why it matters: It was one of the most crushing defeats in Roman history. The Romans realised their legionaries could not fight Parthian cavalry in open country without support, and Crassus's death ended the First Triumvirate.
What came next
Gaius Cassius Longinus led about 10,000 surviving soldiers back to Syria and governed the province for two more years, defending it from further Parthian attacks. Surena was later executed by King Orodes II, probably because the king felt Surena could be a threat due to his power and influence.
Did you know?
Surena's armored cavalry covered their armor with cloths and then dropped them all at once, so the shining armor suddenly appeared in front of the Romans. It was designed to scare them.
Timeline
- 14 November 55 BCECrassus leaves Rome despite protests and bad omens.
- Late 55 BCECrassus arrives in Syria and builds up his army.
- 53 BCECrassus refuses the Armenian king's offer of a route through Armenia and marches through Mesopotamia.
- 53 BCEThe Parthians defeat the Romans near Carrhae (9 June according to Ovid).
- After the battleCassius brings about 10,000 survivors back to Syria.