dismounting,
slipped beneath the horses of their opponents, and stabbing them in the
belly, brought steed and rider down upon themselves. His legionaries
occupied a slight hillock, and endeavored to make a wall of their
shields, but the Parthian archers closed around them, and slew them
almost to a man. Of the whole detachment, nearly six thousand strong, no
more than 500 were taken prisoners, and scarcely one escaped. The young
Crassus might, possibly, had he chosen to make the attempt, have forced
his way through the enemy to Ichnee, a Greek town not far distant; but
he preferred to share the fate of his men. Rather than fall into the
hands of the enemy, he caused his shield-bearer to dispatch him; and his
example was followed by his principal officers. The victors struck off
his head, and elevating it on a pike, returned to resume their attack on
the main body of the Roman army.

The main body, much relieved by the diminution of the pressure upon
them, had waited patiently for Publius to return in triumph, regarding
the battle as well-nigh over and success as certain. After a time the
prolonged absence of the young captain aroused suspicions, which grew
into alarms when messengers arrived telling of his extreme danger.
Crassus, almost beside himself with anxiety, had given the word to
advance, and the army had moved forward a short distance, when
the shouts of the returning enemy were heard, and the head of the
unfortunate officer was seen displayed aloft, while the Parthian
squadrons, closing in once more, renewed the assault on their remaining
foes with increased vigor. The mailed horsemen approached close to
the legionaries and thrust at them with the long pikes while the
light-armed, galloping across the Roman front, discharged their unerring
arrows over the heads of their own men. The Romans could neither
successfully defend themselves nor effectively retaliate. Still
time brought some relief. Bowstrings broke, spears were blunted or
splintered, arrows began to fail, thews and sinews to relax; and when
night closed in both parties were almost equally glad of the cessation
of arms which the darkness rendered compulsory.

It was the custom of the Parthians, as of the Persians, to bivouac at a
considerable distance from an enemy. Accordingly, at nightfall they
drew off, having first shouted to the Romans that they would grant the
general one night in which to bewail his son; on the morrow they would
come and take