combination with Artaxias, the new Armenian king, he attacked Antony's
ally; but the latter repulsed him by the help of his Roman troops. Soon
afterwards, however, Antony recalled these troops without restoring
to the Median king his own contingent; upon which the two confederates
renewed their attack, and were successful. The Median prince was
defeated and taken prisoner. Artaxias recovered Armenia and massacred
all the Roman garrisons which he found in it. Both countries became once
more wholly independent of Rome, and it is probable that Media returned
to its old allegiance.

But the successes of Phraates abroad produced ill consequences at
home. Elated by his victories, and regarding his position in Parthia as
thereby secured, he resumed the series of cruelties towards his subjects
which the Roman war had interrupted, and pushed them so far that an
insurrection broke out against his authority (B.C. 33), and he was
compelled to quit the country. The revolt was headed by a certain
Tiridates, who, upon its success, was made king by the insurgents.
Phraates fled into Scythia, and persuaded the Scythians to embrace his
cause. These nomads, nothing loth, took up arms, and without any great
difficulty restored Phraates to the throne from which his people had
expelled him. Tiridates fled at their approach, and, having contrived to
carry off in his flight the youngest son of Phraates, presented himself
before Octavian, who was in Syria at the time on his return from Egypt
(B.C. 30), surrendered the young prince into his hands, and requested
his aid against the tyrant. Octavian accepted the valuable hostage, but
with his usual caution, declined to pledge himself to furnish any help
to the pretender; he might remain, he said, in Syria, if he so wished,
and while he continued under Roman protection, a suitable provision
should be made for his support, but, he must not expect armed resistance
against the Parthian monarch. To that monarch, when some years
afterwards (B.C. 23) he demanded the surrender of his subject and the
restoration of his young son, Octavian answered that he could not give
Tiridates up to him, but he would restore him his son without a ransom.
He should expect, however, that in return for this kindness the Parthian
king would on his part deliver to the Romans the standards taken
from Crassus and Antony, together with all who survived of the Roman
captives. It does not appear that Phraates was much moved by th