The History of Rome: Rise and Fall of the Empire. John Bagnell Bury
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carried on. The campaign began by a slight reverse for the Romans. Corbulo had posted some auxiliary infantry in certain defensive positions under the command of a centurion to whom he had given strict orders to keep within the entrenchments. But this officer seeing what he thought a favorable opportunity, disobeyed and was defeated. The general punished both officers and soldiers by making them encamp outside the rampart, and they were only released from this disgrace when the whole army interceded. When spring was well advanced, Corbulo did all in his power to force into an engagement Tiridates, who was scouring the country and plundering all whom he thought friendly to Rome. Weary of following the enemy hither and thither, Corbulo divided his forces, so that his legati and prefects might attack several points at the same time. His operations were supported by Antiochus, king of Commagene, advancing from the south, and Pharasmanes of Iberia—who desired to redeem his former treachery and had already put to death his son Radamistus—from the north. A people called the Moschi, who dwelled near the sources of the river Phasis, also assisted Rome. Vologeses was occupied in another quarter of his kingdom by a revolt of the Hyrcanians, and Tiridates found himself unable to cope with the superior forces of the Romans. He therefore entered into negotiations with Corbulo, who advised him to send a petition to the Emperor. As it was found that the interchange of messages did not lead to a settlement, an interview was arranged between the commanders. Tiridates proposed to arrive himself with a thousand horsemen, and that Corbulo should be accompanied by as many soldiers as he chose, provided they came “without helmets and breastplates, so as to give the appearance of peace”. The wary old general was not deceived by this offer, so transparently treacherous. Tiridates intended that his trained archers should shoot down the escort of Corbulo, whose numbers would be of no avail if their bodies were undefended. Corbulo, however, pretended not to see through the stratagem, but replied that it would be better to discuss the matters in dispute in the presence of the whole armies. On the appointed day he arrived first, and disposed his troops, but Tiridates did not appear till the afternoon, and then stood at a distance “whence he could be seen rather than heard” Thus no conference took place, and Tiridates presently marched off, apparently in a north-westerly direction, perhaps intending to cut off the supplies which the Roman army drew from Trapezus.
Corbulo now ceased to follow Tiridates, and prepared a series of attacks on the Armenian fortresses. He undertook himself the assault on Volandum the strongest in the district, and assigned the lesser forts to the subordinate officers. Volandum lay west of Artaxata and south of the river Araxes. Corbulo formed his troops in four divisions and assigned to each a different task. One part, with their shields locked above their heads, in the army known as testudo, advanced close to the rampart to undermine it; others applied scaling-ladders to the walls; others hurled javelins find brands from the engines; while the slingers at a distance charged leaden balls against the garrison. Within the third part of a day, the walls were stripped of their defenders, the barricades of the gate were thrown down, the fortifications scaled and captured, all the adults butchered, without the loss of a single Roman soldier. Corbulo’s officers were equally successful in their less difficult enterprises, and he was encouraged by this success to attack Artaxata, the capital of the country. On the march thither the Romans were attacked by the cavalry of Tiridates, who had hoped to take them unawares. But Corbulo had formed his army for fighting as well as for marching. On the right and left sides the IIIrd and VIth legions marched respectively, and a chosen body of the Xth was placed in the centre. The baggage was secured within the lines and the rear was guarded by a thousand cavalry, who were ordered to resist if attacked, but not to pursue. On the wings were placed the foot bowmen and the rest of the cavalry. The left wing was extended further along the foot of the hills, so that if the enemy broke through the centre, his flank might be enveloped by the extended wing. Tiridates rode up in the face of the advancing army, but taking care to keep out of the range of missiles. His object was to loosen the ranks, by threatening an attack, and then to fall on the separated divisions. But his design failed. Only one cavalry officer advanced rashly, and fell pierced with arrows. His example confirmed the others in obedience to orders, and Tiridates retired on the approach of night. Corbulo thought of advancing on Artaxata the same night, and beginning the blockade; but when his scouts reported that Tiridates had started on a distant march—either to Media or Albania—he waited for daylight, and then sent on his light-armed troops with directions to begin the attack at a distance. But no siege was necessary. The inhabitants immediately opened the gates and surrendered, and thereby saved their lives. The city was burnt to the ground, as Corbulo could not soars a sufficient garrison, and the place was too strong to be left unoccupied.
The army seems to have wintered in the neighborhood of Artaxata, and in the following year (59 A.D.) to have marched to Tigranocerta, which they reached in autumn. The line of march which Corbulo followed is not certain. It seems probable that he proceeded southward from Artaxata, and skirting the foot of Little Ararat entered the plain of Bayazid; whence, following the basin of the river Balyk he could have crossed the watershed of that stream and the Murad at Djadin, and thence marched along the Murad through the plain of Arishgerd. The way would then lie through the plain of Mush, and south-eastward across the Bitlis pass and Tigranocerta. On this march the Roman general made no hostile demonstrations, but did not relax his vigilance, knowing the character of the Armenians, who were “as treacherous when opportunity offered, as they were slow to face danger”. Those who submitted, received quarter; but to those who fled, or hid themselves in caverns, Corbulo was pitiless. He burnt them out of their holes, filling the entrances arid egresses with brushwood. The Mardi of Mount Niphates were especially troublesome, and defied him in their mountain fastnesses. Corbulo set the Iberians on them, so as to avoid the sacrifice of Roman lives. In this march the Romans suffered as much from heat as they had suffered during the winters from cold. They were exhausted by shortness of supplies, and were compelled to depend solely on the cattle of the country. This meat diet, without any other food, was found to be very injurious. Besides this, water was scarce, and the marches in the burning heat were long. At length they reached cultivated lands, perhaps in the neighborhood of Melazgerd, and were able to obtain vegetable food. Two Armenian fortresses were taken, and then they crossed into the country of the Tauronites, which is probably to be identified with the district of Mush, west of Lake Van. Here Corbulo’s life was endangered. A barbarian of considerable rank was discovered with a dagger near the general’s tent, and, on being tortured, confessed the names of confederates who were associated with him. The men were convicted and punished. Soon after this, envoys whom Corbulo had sent to Tigranocerta returned and reported that the gates were open to receive him, and the inhabitants ready to obey his orders. They also brought a golden crown, a gift betokening the friendship of the city. Corbulo left the place intact, and then proceeded against Legerda, a fortress to the west of Tigranocerta. The stronghold was defended by a brave band, and was stormed with difficulty. This success seems to have marked the end of the campaign.
Tiridates made some further attempts to re-establish himself in Armenia, but was promptly checked by Corbulo. The land was completely in Roman power, and a new king was chosen (60 A.D.). The choice of the government fell on Tigranes, a young prince who had been brought up in Rome, descended on the father’s side from Herod the Great, and on the mother’s from Archelaus of Cappadocia. But the realm which Nero conferred on Tigranes was considerably less than that which the previous kings had ruled. It was curtailed by some frontier districts, which were distributed between neighboring princes—Pharasmanes, Antiochus, Aristobulus, and Polemo of Pontus.
Tigranes sought to increase his kingdom on another side, by wresting Adiabene from Parthia. He invaded that province and defeated the governor Monobazus. This occurrence forced the Parthian monarch, who had abstained from interfering in the recent war in Armenia, to take a decisive step. He confirmed the sovranty of Tiridates in Armenia, placing the diadem on his head in solemn council; and sent his general Monaeses to drive out the Roman usurper. In the meantime Quadratus, the governor of Syria, had died, and, pending the appointment of a successor, the command both in Syria and Cappadocia, devolved upon Corbulo. That general sent two legions to Armenia to support Tigranes, who was besieged by the Parthians in Tigranocerta. But it was not the interest of Corbulo to finish the war and shorten his own command. The two legions which he sent were not those which had been trained by himself, but IV and XII, which had remained behind in Syria, and were quite inefficient. Moreover, he is said to have given secret instructions to the two commanders, to whom he committed the charge of the