“As sure as every dog has its day… Every Crassus shall have his Carrhae.” NG Khan 2011
On a hot spring day on the verge of a summer, in modern day Anatolia (Turkey). 53 BC
The well known Roman General and a key leader of the Third Triumvirate Marcus Lucinius Crassus marches at the head of 7 Legions of Elite Roman infantry. Either side of his huge army is two cavalry wings made up of Imperial houshold Cavalry and mostly Gaulish mercenary units. In all over 45,000 men march under a sweltering heat that leaves the mens throats filled with dust and thier armour almost white hot and burning to the the touch.
Each Legionary is equipped in the finest heavy armour, the very latest Lorica Segmentata. The architype heavy armour of a Roman. Made up of segmented plates of Iron or Steel held together by Leather straps. Each man carries his large rectangular shield, a weapon in itself and two Pilums (javelins) plus a Gladius short sword. They represent the finest of the Roman soldiers since the time of Marius. Not only are these the best trained and diciplined Roman troops ever to set foot in Eastern territories beyond Syria, but they also happen to be the very best equipped. Thier comrades have allready smashed the last of the Celtic and Iberian tribes further West. A mere decade before the same Legions had conquered much greater numbers of enemies in the campaign to pacify Armenia. Theier equipment is among the finest ever seen becuase thier commander paid for it. They are led by a man who’s ambition knows no bounds.
Statue of Marcus Lucinius Crassus
Thier commander is one of the richest men in history. Marcus Lucinius Crassus was one of the greatest businessmen of Ancient Rome. A ruthlessly efficient man with hands in lots of pies. He was not only the biggest landowner and property man in Rome, but 20 years ago he personally saw to the destruction of the legendary Slave Revolt headed by the charasmatic Spartacus. However back then the Senate overlooked his achievement and favoured his rival Pompey the great who had recently conquered Iberian revolutionaries in Spain. Since Pompey had been deemed as the greater soldier and Crassus merely a police officer the enraged Crassus had famously ordered the execution of over 30,000 slaves… a considerable value when measured with the times… he had them crucified at every 40 yards on the Via Appia, the main road to Rome from the South. Since those two decades he has cemented himself in Roman politics as a very important figure, without doubt the richest man in Rome. His money however fails to buy respect and his jelaousy and greed knows no bounds. His rivals Julius Ceasar and Pompey have won terrific victories for the Republic from Spain to Britiania. Yet Crassus has just the supression of a slave revolt to his name. He is also burning with a desire to conquer more territory and emulate the actions of his hero Alexander the Great. Some Historians have speculated that perhaps Ceasar or Pompey got the idea Eastern riches of gold to his head. Whatever the case for some reason Crassus urged the Senate to war with the Parthain Empire which historically was an Eastern Rival of Rome.
Parthia was rich with its vast land and resources it had been a successful Empire which inherited the ruin of the Acheminids and built up much prestige and was now as stable and glorious as any other Empire. The Parthians originated from Modern East Iran and North Western Afghanistan and the former Soviet Asian republics like Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Parthia was currently at peace with Rome despite some historical skirmishes between the two great powers things were largely peaceful between the powers.
An Example of Roman Legionary soldiers.
All this changed in 53 BC when Crassus at the head of his Seven Legions marched East, to conquer the Parthain capital and gain riches for himself and the Roman Senate. He wanted to extend the Roman Empire as far as possible and also extend his own riches and power. Having rejected two peace offers from the Parthains and the help of the Armenians who offered his army safe passage and guides through milder climate… he marched through the Syrian Deserts and Southern Antolia in search of the Parthian army which he surmised was far to the East in Modern day Northern Iraq.
He was very much mistaken the Parthains had one field army in the region of modern day Southern Turkey. Led by a brilliant young general who’s logistical skills would prove vital the Parthains had a much smaller force. Spahbod (governor general) Surena had no more than 10,000 men. They were entirely cavalry and the vast majority in fact almost all but a thousand or so were light horse Archers. He did have some super heavy cavalry too. About a thousand heavily armoured catapracts. Think tanks on legs, basically a heavy horse with a rider both alsmot encased in steel lammelar armour. A formidable force which possesed incredible shock capability… but he ordered these elite heavy troops to disguise thier armour and cover it with rags to suprise the Roman legions.
Both forces met at a place historically known as Carrhae, close to modern Turkish town of Harran.
The Romans essentially blundered into the Parthian force without realising what was before them. The Parthains attempted to shock the Romans into submission by revealing thier heavy catapracts and charging forwards. However the solid ranks of the Roman legions formed a large defensive sqaure. Somewhat akin to later Western Armies like the era of Napoleonic wars. The Parthain cavalry turned back… Surena and Crassus had some 30 years between them. Some sources place Crassus as old as 60 while Surena was no more than 30 and some sources suggest he may even have been as young as 20.
The Parthains changed tactic and began using thier horse archers to ride circles round the Roman sqaure shooting arrows continuously. Like many Steppe’s warriors like the Sycthians and the Mongols and Turks the Parthains would ride and shoot as they galloped in battle. Not just shooting forwards but also riding away they shood behind them… giving rise to the term “Parthian Shot” which is still used today as “Parting Shot”.
All day they kept up this bombardment of the Roman legions who had almost no answer. By early afternoon. Crassus sent his Son Publius and all his cavalry some 8000 Romans and Gallic mercenaries surged forward. They pursued the Parthians back for some distance. Providing the Roman Legions with some vital rest time. The Legionaries began to slowly form line and march out within an hour thier diciplined ranks had held well throghout the mornings punishment of arrows. They began to hope perhaps by now the Parthains had run out of arrows and they could begin thier own advance and drive them off the field.
Thier hopes were futile. A few miles away the Parthains who were indeed now short on arrows were fleeing hurriedly from the pursuing Roman cavalry. The main bulk of the force ran back to thier own lines… where the Surena had man camels laiden with spare arrows brought forward. The Catapracts also moved forward and used thier superior armour and weight to smash into the pursuing romans. The Parthain horse archers now reloaded with fresh arrows also joined the fray. Within moments the Roman Cavalry was obliterated. Publius was cut down as one Parthain heavy cavalryman smashed his body with a mace and another took his head clean off with a sword. The distant Roman legions had no idea what was happening at this point.
Crassus and his legions halted thier advance a moment later, having just marched a few paces they were stopped in horror at the approach of some Parthian heavy catapracts. It was not the sight of the armoured horsemen that broke thier nerves… but the sight of the head of Publius upon a lance and thier Generals look of anguish at the loss of his son. Crassus urged his men to resume the Square formation. He tried desperately to urge his men to hold thier ground.
“This is my loss not yours, You have fought well and you will avenge me, Hold your ground!” He kept telling his men to hold on. No longer were they the mighty conquering army… now they were desperately holding onto the ground they had won.
Example of Roman Legions in defensive formation. Note rear ranks are poised to throw javelins but this tactic does not work against fast moving opponents who fire from beyond throwing range.
The Parthains meanwhile assumed a pattern of tactics. Surena ordered his mounted archers forward again and the bombardment resumed. The Romans did thier best to cover themseleves but Parthain arrows continued to find thier marks. In mens feet, arms, necks, eyes. Feet were pinned to the ground… some arrows had such force they pinned arms to shields and comrades to one another as one arrow would penetrate through one Roman’s side and into the other.
Desperately the Roman Centurions would order some units to form the famous Testudo (tortouise formation) where men overlapped shields into an intricate fortress. Almost impervious from attacks on all sides… but these testudos were almost blind and a perfect target for the heavy catapracts. Armoured men and horses charged forwards and crashed lances and maces into the immobile Roman formations… wheeling away before the Romans could break and sally forth to combat. As the Romans were forced to break formation to effectively fight the heavy cavalry… the Parthain archers would open up again shooting high so thier arrows fell down upon the unprotected ranks of the Legions.
It continued all day and into the night as Crassus’s men retreated back to the town of Carrhae. That night the Parthians moved forward and slaughtered the wounded and stragglers left behing by the main Roman force. Surena and his men could taste victory. However they were still outnumbered considerably by the Roman army, and despite having stripped Crassus of his cavalry… there were a lot of well trained Roman footsoldiers left who could put up a terrific fight if they closed with his men. Surena wanted to avoid a closed fight and wanted to keep the Romans moving like a herd of sheep so he could pick them off at range and in his own time. He sent forward peace terms.
Parthain Catapracts heavy cavalry where both man and horse is encased in armour.
The Roman army leader Crassus was broken. He had tried his best to keep face all day but the loss of his son had crippled him. He was not seen by his men for much of the night. We can only surmise how hurt he was inside his tent that night. Meanwhile the famed discipline of his Legions was at an all time low. The Romans felt hopeless in an Alien environment and against a facless and seemingly barbaric enemy. The Parthains had allready promised to nail the surviving Romans to the trees, in jest for the Roman way of crucifiction. They kept up a loud cacaphony of flutes, pipes and drums all night. Tearing at the allready tattered Roman minds and nerves. When the Parthains offered terms the Roman troops jumped at the offer and bickered among themseleves…
Final phases of the battle Parthain catapracts finishing off the last Roman troops
It almost boiled into a mutiny until the officers restored some order and asked Crassus to negotiate with the Parthians on terms. Cassius was one of Crassus’s key commanders and he urged his leader to seek terms with the Parthians. However on the Morning when Crassus met the Parthians things did not go well at all. Accounts differ on what exactly happened but both sides claimed offence and struck forth most sources agree the Parthains won the scuffle and in the ensuing melee, Crassus lost his right arm and then his head. Once again a head was paraded before the Roman legions this time it was Crassus’s and the men well and truly broke down. All order was lost and chaos ensued. Few of the 45,000 Romans ever made it back. Although Cassuis did manage to slip away and would later be involved in the Murder of Ceasar.
Crassus was a symbol of greed and early capitalism. The Parthains are said to have covered his head in molten gold and used it as a prop in a play and then held it in display in Ctesiphon until the fall of thier Empire to the Arab armies. Surena did not live long to celebrate his victory, the Parthain king feared his success and saw him as a dangerous rival so had him assasinated shortly after.
Among the greatest defeats in history Carrhae goes down as one of the best examples of when Roman power was humiliated. All seven Legionary Eagles were captured by the Parthains, compared to the loss of 3 Eagles at Tueterberg Forrest in Germany and one Eagle of the 9th Legion lost in Scotland beyond Hadrians Wall… Carrhae was the worst defeat suffered by the Romans since the days of Hannibal Barca. It is also one of the best examples of how a much smaller force equipped with greater firepower can overcome larger static units… and similar to wars in more recent times like World War 2, Vietnam and the current War on Terror.
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