Roman Parthian war of 161-166

After the victorious, but costly and ultimately futile campaign of Traian , the Romans were forced to abandon conquests in Armenia, Assyria and Mesopotamia, which they could not keep. Having kept Armenia in quality, they, thus, returned to the situation that existed since the times of Nero and the campaign of Corbulon . The emperors Adrian and Antonin Pius followed a policy of preserving the status quo and peaceful coexistence with Parthia.

Meanwhile, another civil strife in Parthia ceased, and Vologuez III ascended the throne, burning with the desire to avenge defeats and return the Armenian throne to Parthian rule. He demanded from Emperor Antonin Piy, in addition, to return to him the golden throne of his grandfather, taken away from Ctesiphon by Traian. It is known that the Parthian king was preparing the war against the Roman Empire under Antonin and incited the ruler of Osroena. However, it was only at the end of his reign that Antonin Pius himself decided to make a preemptive campaign against the Parthian kingdom. The inscription found in the center of the city of Sepinum says that the emperor sent his legate Lucius Neration Proculos to Syria with reinforcements and the task of preparing a war against Parthia (Latin ob bellum Parthicum). In the end, Emperor Antonin prevented the Parthians from attacking Armenia by diplomatic means. However, tensions remained.

Having received the news of the death of Emperor Antonin Pius (March 161), the Parthians invaded Armenia at the end of summer or early autumn of 161, overthrew the Armenian king Soham , a Roman client, with the help of a part of the Armenian nobility who sympathized with them, and affirmed his protege Pacor on the Armenian throne . The governor of the Roman province of Cappadocia, which was bordering with Armenia, Mark Sedatsii Severian, whose duties included, apart from guarding the border, maintaining the status quo in neighboring Armenia, invaded this legion (possibly IX Hispana ) in this country in order to oust the Parthians. However, in the three-day battle of Elegie the Roman army was destroyed, and Severian committed suicide. At the same time, the Parthians invaded Syria and defeated its governor L. Attidius Cornelian, occupied the Roman coast of the Euphrates, although it is not necessary to speak about the penetration of the Parthians deep into the imperial possessions.

Meanwhile, in Rome, power passed to Antonin's heirs, Marcus Aurelius and his co-ruler, Lucius Vera . Despite the lack of military experience, Marcus Aurelius (since Lucius Ver indulged in more entertainment and debauchery than the control of the empire) made a wise military purpose: he sent the former governor of Britain to Cappadocia, the Pristus army, an experienced legate who had both military and civilian experience. management.

Together with Prisc, reinforcements were sent to Cappadocia, three full legions: X Gemina , II Adiutrix , V Macedonica, and voxilation I Minervia . Thus, together with the Legio XV Apollinaris and Legio XII Fulminata permanently lodging in Cappadocia, a solid group was created to invade Armenia. Instead of defeated Cornelian, the governor was sent to Syria by the governor Marc Annius Libon , consul of 161, as opposed to Priscus, who did not possess any military talents, but was a cousin of Marcus Aurelius, who preferred to have a person who was inexperienced but faithful and associated with him such a rich and important province for the Romans, like Syria.

In the winter of 161/162 fermentation began in Syria, and it was decided that the co-ruler of Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Vera, should be sent to the East to strengthen Roman power there. The choice was justified for the following reasons. Firstly, because Ver, by virtue of his health and physical development, was more suitable for military operations and could easily transfer the journey to the other end of the empire, and secondly, because the subsequent stay of the co-regent in Rome, accompanied by unbridled life and debauches , compromised power. Sending to war could change the way of life and behavior of Lucius Vera. One way or another, the fate of the co-ruler was resolved. Mark remained in Rome, being engaged in the management of the whole empire.

Many high-ranking officials went with Vier to the East: one of the praetorian prefects Furii Victorin, senators Mark Pontius Lelian Larcius Sabin , Mark Lalli Bass and part of the Praetorian Guard. They were experienced people, well-versed in military and civilian administration, familiar with the situation in the East: thus, the prefect pretoria Victorin had previously been a procurator of Galatia, moreover, Lelian was the governor of Syria in 153. In addition to the voyages were involved ships of the fleet of Misen .

Nevertheless, despite the seriousness of the situation, Ver went to Syria slowly: in the summer of 162 he departed from Rome to board a ship in Brundizii . On the way, he indulged in hunting and fell ill in Puglia. Then he crossed over to Hellas , staying in Corinth for a long time. In Athens, he met with Herod Atticus . In Eleusis he took part in the famous Mysteries. In Ephesus, he stayed with the local aristocrat Vedia Antonin, and then suddenly stopped in Eritrah at the local Sibyl . Then the path of the emperor passed through the Aegean Sea, without missing a single resort of Lykia, Pamphylia and Cilicia. At Antioch , appointed by the headquarters for the Eastern armies, he arrived only at the end of the year.

Contrary to the expectations of Marcus Aurelius and others, in Syria the co-ruler continued his defiant way of life. Most of the time Lucius Verus spends in Antioch, the summer in the magnificent Antioch suburb of Daphne , and winter in the city of Laodicea Seaside . In Antioch, Vere entered into contact with the then-famous hetero Panthea from the city of Smyrna , who made Lucius shave his beard, making him a laughing stock in the eyes of the Syrians. Lucius Verus indulged in feasts, dice and entertainment, wrote out his favorite actors from Rome, was constantly interested in the affairs of his hippodrome party in Rome (Ver favored the “greens” and even took with him a statue of one of the horses of this team - Volusera). He even incognito visited the taverns and taverns at night and started fights. On the other hand, only a part of this evidence may deserve attention, since it may have been intended to set off the virtues of Marcus Aurelius. So, one of the teachers, Lucius Vera, the rhetor Fronton, who was in correspondence with him during this military campaign, on the contrary, claims that his student was constantly aware of the state of the army and regularly inspected it.

Meanwhile, it was clear that the Syrian army had lost discipline and martial spirit over the long years of peace on the border, and as a result, was defeated. Therefore, with the arrival of Lucius Vera, Pontius Laelian banned soldiers from gambling and drunkenness, deprived the saddle of cavalrymen of soft stuffing and other elements of corrupting luxury. Avidy Cassius, a local aristocrat, a native of the city of Cyréestik, legate of the III Gallic Legion , according to the History of Augustów, a descendant of Cassius Longin, on pain of being deprived of his military title, forbade Daphne and strengthened the discipline in every way. In the end, this legate, thanks to the success in strengthening order in the army, became the unofficial commander of all Roman forces in the East (excluding Armenia). Emperor Lucius Verus remained the nominal commander-in-chief.

The war in Armenia. The invasion of the Parthians in Osroena. 163—164

Meanwhile, Legatus I of the Minerva Legion Mark Claudius Fronton and Legate V of the Macedonian Legion Publius Martius Ver together with the rest of the legions, under the general command of Priscus Stacia, drove the Parthians and their sympathizers from Armenia by storming and destroying Artaxate . Statius Priscus founds the new capital Kaynepol ("New City"), where he leaves the garrison from parts XV of the Apollinaris Legion and XII Lightning Legion and reinstates Guy Julius Sohemos on the throne, who during the exile managed to become a Roman senator and get a consulate . It is significant that the coronation took place not in Armenia, but in Antioch or even in Ephesus. In honor of this, a coin was issued with the motto “Rex armeniis Datus” (“The king given to Armenians”), where Lucius Ver sits on the throne in imperial vestments, and Sohemos, standing before him, greets the emperor. Lucius Ver also takes the title "Armenian". At the end of the Armenian campaign, Stacius Priscus appears to be dying, and now Marcia Vera is mentioned by the commander of the Roman troops in Armenia.

While Priscus was occupying Armenia, the Parthians unexpectedly attacked Osroena, a Roman client, expelled the Roman-friendly king Mannus from Edessa and put a Baal king. Apparently, Lucius Ver, in view of the created parity, tried to negotiate with the Parthians for peace, but did not succeed. Thus, this year did not give a final advantage to either side. In 163 or early 164, Lucius Verus was engaged to Lucilla , the thirteen-year-old daughter of Marcus Aurelius, to put an end to the riotous life of the co-ruler, and to keep him under constant surveillance with the help of relatives. The future bride went to the East together with her mother - Faustina the Younger and her father Lucius Vera, who was named father - Mark Vitullus Civica Barbar.

Avidy Cassius. Fighting in Mesopotamia. Occupation by the Romans Babylonia. 164–165

At the beginning of 164, the southern Rimsky-bank of the Euphrates was still left for the Parthians. The Romans decided to seize the fortress on the Parthian shore - Nikeforii and Dausar. For this, the Romans made many pontoons. On some of them they installed towers with throwing machines and archers, another part was used for the construction of a pontoon bridge. The Parthians were expelled from the crossing, and Nikephorius and Dausar were taken after the siege. After this success, the Romans did not take active steps in Osroen until the beginning of the year 165. The Romans were preparing to invade along the river in the heart of the Parthian possessions in the region - to capture Seleucia and Ctesiphon.

At the beginning of 165, Martius Ver and his V Macedonian Legion captured Edessa and reinstated the pro-Roman king Manus. The Parthians were defeated and retreated to Nisibis, but they were also driven out from there, and the city was taken by the Romans. At the same time, the main forces of the Romans, under the command of Avidius Cassius, began to move along the Euphrates. In the battles of Sur and Dur-Europos, the main forces of the Parthians were defeated. The Parthian commander Khosra fled from the battlefield and hid in a cave, while the most important fortress of Dura Europos was occupied by the Romans. From the most western outpost of the Parthians, it became the most eastern citadel of the Romans for almost a hundred years.

The huge army of Avidius Cassius composed of the 1st Legion of Minerva , II Auxiliary , II Fearless Trayanov , III Cyrenaiksky , III Avgustov , III Gallsky , IV Happy Flaviev , IV Scythian , V Macedonian , VI Iron , XII Lightning , XIV Doubles , XVI Resistant Flavievy , IV Iron , XII Lightning , XIV Double , XVI Resistant The firstborn and XXX of the Victorious Ulpiev of the legions and their laws approached the two largest cities of Mesopotamia — Seleucia-on-Tigre (the former capital of the Seleucid state, populated predominantly by the Greeks and had extensive self-government under the Parthians) and Ctesiphon - one of the capitals of the Parthian kingdom. Ctesiphon was taken, plundered, the inhabitants sold into slavery, and the royal palace and many other buildings were attached to plunder.

With Seleucia, the situation is less obvious. As the Romans approached, the city opened the gates to Avidia Cassius. However, then, for reasons that were not completely clear, Seleucia was also destroyed and looted, and the citizens turned into slaves. The statue of Apollo was taken from Seleucia to Rome and installed on the Capitol. According to legend, voiced by Ammianus Marcellinus , during the robbery of the city and the temple of Apollo, the soldiers opened a box from which the disease spread - as a punishment for desecrating the temple and destroying the city. The authors of the History of Augustus, on the contrary, argue that the Seleucians themselves were the first to violate a certain agreement. One thing is certain: after the capture of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, an epidemic of plague (or rather, smallpox) began in the army, which then spread throughout the Roman Empire and raged in certain places until 189. Seleucia, which before the ancient writers called the "metropolis", after these events fell into decay and no longer recovered.

The end of the war. 166 g. Results.

In 166, Avidius Cassius launched an offensive in Media. However, the Roman army was affected by the lack of supply and the spread of the smallpox epidemic. Operations in Mesopotamia were curtailed. The army, suffering from diseases, returned to Roman territory, where the so-called Antoninovsky plague began, the echoes of which continued until the end of the century. Separate detachments of the Roman army on the way to the triumphal procession in Rome and to the points of permanent dislocation spread the disease throughout the Roman world. In Rome, a triumph was arranged, attended by both emperors and their families, and games accompanied by bread distributions. Lucius Ver was awarded the Senate in honor of the victory of the Median, Marcus Aurelius - the Parthian and the Great. In Ephesus, in honor of the victory, the so-called Parthian Monument was erected, some of the details of the frieze of which, including the Apotheosis of Faith scene, are now stored in Vienna.

However, the results of a long war were rather modest: for the most part, the status quo was restored: Armenia and Osroena returned to the Roman sphere of influence. The Empire, of course, received an important outpost as the fortress of Dura-Europos - an obstacle to future Persian invasions in the next century, as well as a control point over the caravan routes from Palmyra to Babylonia . In Nisibis, Roman influence also strengthened and a Roman garrison appeared. However, it was not possible to gain a foothold in Babylonia itself, as in the times of Trajan. The plague and, apparently, the Seleucia uprising reduced the actions of the Romans in this region to plunder and destruction. It is not known whether the goal of the campaign was to consolidate Mesopotamia, as Traian once wanted, or to cause as much damage as possible, as well as to plunder Ctesiphon and Seleucia, which the Emperor Septimius North would later restrict.

One of the outcomes of the war was the active participation of provincial nobility and the strengthening of its positions. Marcius Ver was a native of Narbonne Gaul, Marc Claudius Fronton was an Asian Greek. The most prominent example of provincial takeoff is Avidius Cassius, who was related to both the Roman and Hellenized Aramaic aristocracy. During the war, Avidia Cassius fell into power almost over the entire Roman East. In 166, Cassius became a consul in Rome, along with another distinguished commander, Martius Vere. The following year, Cassius became governor of Syria, the most important province, having de jure established his authority over the eastern regions of the empire. Kasii enjoyed the love of the inhabitants of the largest city of Syria - Antioch. He is credited with suppressing the Bucol uprising of the people in the Delta of Egypt in 172. However, such power turned the Roman commander. Received in 175, the false report of the fatal illness of Marcus Aurelius, he revolted and declared himself emperor. However, he was supported only by some legions and cities, in particular, Alexandria, Egyptian and Antioch. The governor of Cappadocia, Marcius Ver, a veteran of the Parthian war, remained loyal to the government. In the end, after receiving news of the advancement of Marcus Aurelius to revolt, Avidius Cassius was killed by one of his centurions.

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