lliance. Antony readily accepted it; he was intensely
angered by the conduct of the Armenian monarch, and determined on
punishing his defection; he viewed the Median alliance as of the utmost
importance in connection with the design, which he still entertained,
of invading Parthia itself; and he saw in the powerful descendant of
Atropates a prince whom it would be well worth his while to bind to his
cause indissolubly. He therefore embraced the overtures made to him
with joy, and even rewarded the messenger who had brought them with a
principality. After sundry efforts to entice Artavasdes into his power,
which occupied him during most of B.C. 85, in the spring of B.C. 34 he
suddenly appeared in Armenia. His army, which had remained there from
the previous campaign, held all the more important positions, and, as he
professed the most friendly feelings towards Artavasdes, even proposing
an alliance between their families, that prince, after some hesitation,
at length ventured into his presence. He was immediately seized and put
in chains. Armenia was rapidly overrun. Artaxias, whom the Armenians
made king in the room of his father, was defeated and forced to take
refuge with the Parthians. Antony then arranged a marriage between the
daughter of the Median monarch and his own son by Cleopatra, Alexander,
and, leaving garrisons in Armenia, carried off Artavasdes and a rich
booty into Egypt.

Phraates, during these transactions, stood wholly upon the defensive. It
may not have been unpleasing to him to see Artavasdes punished. It must
have gratified him to observe how Antony was injuring his own cause by
exasperating the Armenians, and teaching them to hate Rome even more
than they hated Parthia. But while Antony's troops held both Syria and
Armenia, and the alliance between Media Atropatene and Rome continued,
he could not venture to take any aggressive step or do aught but protect
his own frontier. He was obliged even to look on with patience,
when, early in B.C. 33, Antony appeared once more in these parts, and
advancing to the Araxes, had a conference with the Median monarch,
whereat their alliance was confirmed, troops exchanged, part of Armenia
made over to the Median king, and Jotapa, his daughter, given as a bride
to the young Alexander, whom Antony designed to make satrap of the East.
But no sooner had Antony withdrawn into Asia Minor in preparation
for his contest with Octavian than Phraates took the offensive. In