the Romans, up to this date, in the nature of the Parthian warfare and
in the best manner of meeting it. To attack an enemy whose main arm is
the cavalry with a body of foot-soldiers, supported by an insignificant
number of horse, must be at all times rash and dangerous. To direct
such an attack on the more open part of the country, where cavalry could
operate freely, was wantonly to aggravate the peril. After the first
disaster, to quit the protection of walls, when it had been obtained,
was a piece of reckless folly. Had Crassus taken care to obtain the
support of some of the desert tribes, if Armenia could not help him,
and had he then advanced either by the way of the Mons Masius and the
Tigris, or along the line of the Euphrates, the issue of his attack
might have been different. He might have fought his way to Seleucia and
Ctesiphon, as did Trajan, Avidius Cassius, and Septimius Severas, and
might have taken and plundered those cities. He would no doubt have
experienced difficulties in his retreat; but he might have come off no
worse than Trajan, whose Parthian expedition has been generally regarded
as rather augmenting than detracting from his reputation. But an
ignorant and inexperienced commander, venturing on a trial of arms
with an enemy of whom he knew little or nothing, in their own country,
without support or allies, and then neglecting every precaution
suggested by his officers, allowing himself to be deceived by a
pretended friend, and marching straight into a net prepared for him,
naturally suffered defeat. The credit of the Roman arms does not greatly
suffer by the disaster, nor is that of the Parthians greatly enhanced.
The latter showed, as they had shown in their wars against the
Syro-Macedonians, that there somewhat loose and irregular array was
capable of acting with effect against the solid masses and well-ordered
movements of disciplined troops. They acquired by their use of the bow a
fame like that which the English archers obtained for the employment of
the same weapon at Crecy and Agincourt. They forced the arrogant Romans
to respect them, and to allow that there was at least one nation in the
world which could meet them on equal terms and not be worsted in the
encounter. They henceforth obtained recognition from Graeco-Roman
writers--albeit a grudging and covert recognition--as the second Power
in the world, the admitted rival of Rome, the only real counterpoise
upon the earth to the power w