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Herodian's Roman
History
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Herodian
(late second, first half third century): Greek historian, author of a History
of the Roman Empire since the Death of Marcus Aurelius (table
of contents) in which he describes the reign of
Commodus (180-192), the Year of the Five Emperors (193), the age of the
Severan dynasty (211-235),
and the Year of the Six Emperors (238).
The translation was made by Edward C. Echols (Herodian of Antioch's History of
the Roman Empire, 1961 Berkeley and Los Angeles) and was
put online for the
first time by Roger Pearse (Tertullian.Org).
The version offered on these pages is hyperlinked and contains notes by
Jona Lendering. |
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4.11: Caracalla's Parthian War
[216]  The Parthian's initial replies were of
this type, and he declined Caracalla's offer of an alliance. But when
the emperor persisted and with many gifts and oaths swore to his
enthusiasm for the marriage and his good will toward the Parthians,
Artabanus [IV] was won over; addressing Caracalla as his future son-in-law,
he promised him his daughter in marriage. When the news was made
public, the barbarians prepared for the reception of the emperor of the
Romans and rejoiced in the hope of permanent peace.
 Having crossed the
rivers [1] unopposed, Caracalla entered the barbarians' land as if it were
already his. Sacrifices were offered to him everywhere; the altars
were decked with wreaths, and perfumes and every kind of incense were
scattered in his path. Caracalla pretended to be delighted by the
barbarians' attentions and continued his advance. He had now completed
the greater part of his journey and was approaching the palace of
Artabanus. The king did not wait to receive the emperor but came out to
meet him in the plain before the city, welcoming his son-in-law, the
bridegroom of his daughter.
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Coin of Artabanus IV (Bode-Museum, Berlin)
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 All the Parthians,
crowned with the traditional flowers and wearing robes embroidered in
gold and various colors, celebrated the occasion, dancing wildly to the
music of flutes and the throbbing of drums. They take delight in such
orgiastic
dancing, especially when they are drunk.
 Abandoning
their horses and laying aside their quivers and bows, the whole
populace came together to drink and pour libations. A huge mob of
barbarians gathered and stood about casually, wherever they happened to
be, eager to see the bridegroom and
expecting nothing out of the ordinary.
 Then
the signal was given, and Caracalla ordered his army to attack and
massacre the spectators. Astounded by this onslaught, the barbarians
turned and fled, wounded and bleeding. Artabanus himself, snatched up
and placed on a horse by some of his personal
bodyguards, barely escaped with a few companions.
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 The
rest of the Parthians, lacking their indispensable horses, were cut
down (for they had sent the horses out to graze and were standing
about). They were unable to escape by running, either; their long,
loose robes, hanging to their feet, tripped
them up.
 Naturally
they did not have their quivers and bows with them; what need for
weapons at a wedding? After slaughtering a great number of the enemy
and taking much booty and many prisoners, Caracalla marched away from
the city unopposed. En route he burned the towns and villages and
permitted his soldiers to carry off as much as they could of anything
they wanted.
 Such was the nature
of the disaster which the barbarians suffered when they were not
anticipating anything of the kind. After harassing most of the Parthian
empire, Caracalla, since his troops were weary by now of looting and
killing, went off to Mesopotamia. From there he sent word to the Senate
and the Roman people that the entire East was subdued and that all the
kingdoms in that region had submitted to him.
 The senators were not
unaware of what had actually happened (for it is impossible to conceal
an emperor's acts); nevertheless, fear and the desire to flatter led
them to vote the emperor all the triumphal honors. Thereafter,
Caracalla spent some time in Mesopotamia, where he devoted himself to
chariot-driving and to fighting all kinds of wild animals.
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Note
1:
Euphrates and Tigris. Caracalla reached Arbela, where he destroyed the tombs of the royal house of Adiabene.
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Online
2007
Revision: 26 June 2007 |
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