dies, repeating his own verses-72. Nero distributes a largess among the soldiers; the senate convened; their base and servile flattery; oblations decreed to the gods; the month of April styled by the name Nero. These transactions passed in little more than three years. b d 1. [A.U.C. 815. J.C. 62.] Interea rex Parthorum Vologeses, cognitis Corbulonis rebus, regemque alienigenam Tigranen Armeniæ impositum; simul, fratre Tiridate pulso, spretum Arsacidarum fastigium ire ultum volens ; magnitudine rursum Romana, et continui foederis reverentia, diversas ad curas trahebatur: cunctator ingenio, et defectione Hyrcanorum, gentis validæ, multisque ex eo bellis inligatus. Atque illum ambiguum novus insuper nuntius contumelia exstimulat: quippe egressus Armenia Tigranes, Adiabenos, conterminam nationem, latius ac diutius, quam per latrocinia, vastaverat : idque primores gentium ægre tolerabant: eo contemtionis descensum, ut ne duce quidem Romano incursarentur, sed temeritate obsidis, tot per annos inter mancipia habiti.' Accendebat dolorem eorum Monobazus, quem penes Adiabenum regimen, 'quod præsidium, aut unde peteret,' rogitans. 'Jam de Armenia concessum ; et proxima trahi, nisi e g : was at hand, or whence he could obtain it. The Romans, he said, were already in possession of Armenia Adiabene and the other neighboring states would be involved in the same calamity, unless the Parthians supported them a surrender must be thought of, for the Romans were wont to treat with less severity such submitted at discretion, than those who were taken prisoners in fighting. Monobazus was the son of Monobazus and Helen, eldest brother of Izates, and professed the Jewish faith. Joseph. Antiq. Jud. xx, 4. as defendant Parthi: levius servitium apud Romanos deditis, quam captis esse.' Tiridates quoque regni profugus, per silentium, aut modice querendo, gravior erat. 'Non enim ignavia magna imperia contineri: virorum armorumque faciendum certamen : id in summa fortuna æquius, quod validius: et sua retinere, privatæ domus; de alienis certare, regiam laudem esse.' h 2. Igitur commotus his Vologeses concilium vocat, et proximum sibi Tiridaten constituit, atque ita orditur: Hunc ego, eodem mecum patre genitum, cum mihi, per ætatem, summo nomine concessisset, in possessionem Armeniæ deduxi, qui tertius potentiæ gradus habetur: nam Medos Pacorus anteceperat: videbarque, contra vetera fratrum odia et certamina, familiæ nostræ penates rite composuisse prohibent Romani, et pacem, ipsis numquam prospere lacessitam, nunc quoque in exitiam suum abrumpunt. Non ibo inficias: æquitate quam sanguine, causa quam armis, retinere parta majoribus malueram: si cunctatione deliqui, virtute corrigam. Vestra quidem vis et gloria in integro est, addita modestiæ fama; quæ neque summis mortalium spernenda est, et a Diis æstimatur.' Simul diademate caput Tiridatis evinxit; promtam equitum manum, quæ regem ex more sectatur, Monesi, nobili viro, tradidit, adjectis Adiabenorum auxiliis: mandavitque Tigranen Armenia exturbari,' dum ipse, positis adversus Hyrcanos discordiis, vires intimas, molemque belli ciet, provinciis Romanis minitans. 3. Quæ ubi Corbuloni certis nuntiis audita sunt, legiones duas cum Verulano Severo et Vettio Bolano, subsidium Tigrani mittit, occulto præcepto, compositius cuncta, quam festinantius, agerent:' quippe bellum habere quam gerere, malebat: scripseratque Cæsari, 'proprio duce opus esse, qui Armeniam defenderet: Syriam, ingruente Vologese, acriore in discrimine esse.' Atque interim reliquas legiones pro ripa Euphratis locat: tumultuariam provincialium manum armat: hostiles ingressus præsidiis intercipit: et, quia egena aquarum regio est, castella fontibus imposita: quosdam rivos congestu arenæ abdidit. Eodem mecum patre] Vonones II. father of Vologeses, Tiridates, and Pacorus. A. xii, 14. and xv, 14. Summo nomine] The kingdom of the Parthians, the highest glory of the Arsacidæ. Reliquas legiones] Three legions. See A. iv, 5. and xiii, 35. 1 Fontibus imposita] Corbulo erected castles near the streams of water; 4. Ea dum a Corbulone tuendæ Syriæ parantur, acto raptim agmine Moneses, ut famam sui præiret, non ideo nescium aut incautum Tigranen offendit. Occupaverat Tigranocerta, urbem copia defensorum et magnitudine monium validam. Ad hæc Nicephorius, amnis" haud spernenda latitudine, partem murorum ambit: et ducta ingens fossa, qua fluvio diffidebatur: inerantque milites, et provisi ante commeatus; quorum subvectu pauci avidius progressi, et repentinis hostibus circumventi, ira magis, quam metu, ceteros accenderant. Sed Partho ad exsequendas obsidiones nulla cominus audacia: raris sagittis," neque clausos exterret, et semet frustratur. Adiabeni, cum promovere scalas et machinamenta inciperent, facile detrusi, mox, erumpentibus nostris, cæduntur. 5. Corbulo tamen, quamvis secundis rebus suis, moderandum fortunæ ratus, misit ad Vologesen, qui expostularent vim provinciæ inlatam: socium amicumque regem, cohortes Romanas circumsideri: omitteret potius obsidionem, aut se quoque in agro hostili castra positurum.' Casperius, centurio, in eam legationem delectus, apud oppidum Nisibin,' septem et triginta millibus passuum a Tigranocerta distantem, adiit regem, et mandata ferociter edidit. Vologesi vetus et penitus infixum erat, arma Romana vitandi: nec præsentia prospere fluebant: inritum obsidium: tutus manu et copiis Tigranes: fugati, qui expugnationem sumserant: missæ in Armeniam legiones; et aliæ pro Syria, paratæ ultro inrumpere: sibi imbecillum equitem pabuli inopia: nam exorta vis locustarum ambederat quidquid herbidum aut frondosum. Igitur, metu abstruso, mitiora and such rivers, as he could not defend with castles, he blocked up with sand. How destitute this whole region is of water, is well known from both ancient and modern travellers. m Et magnitudine mænium] Tigranes built this royal city a little before the Mithridatic war, and surrounded it with walls fifty cubits high: App. Bell. Mithr. p. 228. Nic. amnis] It flows into the Tigris. D'Anville thinks it is now called Khabour, and that Tigranocerta is the town of Sered. • Fl. diffidebatur] Because it was not deep enough in those places. P Raris sagittis] The Parthians II. were powerful in the use of the arrow : but they seldom used it against troops besieged within walls. 4 Opp. Nisibin] A town of Adiabene in Mesopotamia, and still called Nesibis. Plin. vi, 13. Antiochia, quam Nisibin vocant. A best ab Artaxatis DCCL. M. passuum.' In assigning this distance I imagine the transcribers must have been in error, and that we should read CCCL. M. pass. Tutus m. et c.] i. e. vi militum et commeatuum.' Copia is used in this sense ch. 16. Murphy well translates it: Tigranes possessed a stronghold, well garrisoned, and provided with ample supplies. N obtendens, missurum ad Imperatorem Romanum' legatos, super petenda Armenia et firmanda pace,' respondet. Monesen omittere Tigranocerta' jubet; ipse retro concedit. 6. Hæc plures, ut formidine regis, et Corbulonis minis patrata' ac magnifica extollebant. Alii occulte pepigisse' interpretabantur; ut, omisso utrimque bello, et abeunte Vologese, Tigranes quoque Armenia abscederet. Cur enim exercitum Romanum a Tigranocertis deductum? Cur deserta per otium, quæ bello defenderant? An melius hibernavisse in extrema Cappadocia, raptim erectis tuguriis, quam in sede regni modo retenti? Dilata prorsus arma, ut Vologeses cum alio, quam cum Corbulone, certaret: Corbulo meritæ tot per annos gloriæ non ultra periculum faceret.' Nam, ut retuli,' proprium ducem tuendæ Armeniæ poposcerat, et adventare Cæsennius Pætus" audiebatur: jamque aderat, copiis ita divisis, ut quarta et duodecima legiones, addita quinta, quæ recens e Moesis" excita erat, simul Pontica, et Galatarum Cappadocumque auxilia Pato obedirent: tertia, et sexta, et decima legiones, priorque Syriæ miles apud Corbulonem manerent, Cetera ex rerum usu sociarent, partirenturve. Sed neque Corbulo æmuli patiens; et Pætus, cui satis ad gloriam erat, si proximus haberetur, despiciebat gesta, nihil cædis aut prædæ, usurpatas nomine tenus urbium expugnationes' dictitans se tributa ac leges, et pro umbra regis Ro manum jus victis impositurum.' 6 7. Sub idem tempus legati Vologesis, quos ad Principem missos memoravi, revertere inriti; bellumque propalam sumtum a Parthis: nec Pætus detrectavit, sed duabus legionibus, quarum quartam Funisulanus Vettonianus eo in tempore, duodecimam Calavius Sabinus regebant, Armeniam intrat, tristi omine: nam in transgressu Euphratis, quem ponte transmittebat, nulla palam causa, turbatus equus, qui consularia insignia" gestabat, retro evasit: Imp. R.] Nero: ch. 7. Cas. Patus] A. xiv, 29. Neque-amuli patiens] And so much the less, as being despised by a man who would have sufficient reputation in being thought next to him self. y Umbra regis] Tigranes, who was forced on the Armenians. But he would impose tributes and laws on the conquered Armenians. 2 Missos memoravi] Ch. 5. a Consularia insignia] The trabea and the curule chair, and other insignia of the consuls, hostiaque,' quæ muniebantur, hibernaculis adsistens, semifacta opera fuga perrupit, seque vallo extulit: et pila militum arsere, magis insigni prodigio, quia Parthus hostis missilibus telis decertat. с 8. Ceterum Pætus, spretis ominibus, necdum satis firmatis hibernaculis, nullo rei frumentariæ provisu, rapit exercitum tranş montem Taurum, 'reciperandis,' ut ferebat, 'Tigranocertis, vastandisque regionibus, quas Corbulo integras omisisset.' Et capta quædam castella, gloriæque et prædæ nonnihil partum, si aut gloriam cum modo, aut prædam cum cura habuisset. Longinquis itineribus percursando, quæ obtineri nequibant; corrupto, qui captus erat, commeatu, et instante jam hyeme, reduxit exercitum; composuitque ad Cæsarem literas, quasi confecto bello, verbis magnificis, rerum vacuas. 9. Interim Corbulo numquam neglectam Euphratis ripam crebrioribus præsidiis insedit: et, ne ponti injiciendo impedimentum hostiles turmæ adferrent, (jam enim subjectis campis magna specie volitabant) naves magnitudine præstantes, et connexas trabibus, ac turribus auctas, agit per amnem, catapultisque et balistis proturbat barbaros, in quos saxa et hasta longius permeabant, quam ut contrario sagittarum jactu adæquarentur. Dein pons continuatus; collesque adversi per socias cohortes, post legionum castris occupantur, tanta celeritate et ostentatione virium, ut Parthi, omisso paratu invadendæ Syriæ, spem omnem in Armeniam verterent. d 10. Ibi Pætus, imminentium nescius, quintam legionem procul in Ponto habebat; reliquas promiscuis militum commeatibus infirmaverat; donec, adventare Vologesen magno et infenso agmine, auditum. Accitur legio duodecima, et, unde famam aucti exercitus speraverat, prodita infrequentia: qua tamen retineri castra, et eludi Parthus tractu belli poterat, si Pæto aut in suis aut in alienis b Hostiaque] A bull, of which Plin. viii, 45. Hinc victimæ opimæ, et lautissima Deorum placatio, [Deo Marti immolabatur].' c Pila militum] [Pila] missilia erant ferro triangulo, unciarum novem, hastili pedum quinque et semis.' Veget. ii, 15. Observe the superstition of the Romans. A bull flies, and breaks through the half-finished works; and from the iron points of some javelins a flame lights up. This flame, the electric spark, is often discovered on the points of iron rods and on crosses on the towers of churches, as is known by observation in our own times. d Castris occ.] Beyond the Enphrates. Ch. 17. 46. e Commeatibus] Furloughs. H. i, |