his and have been weak to delay so long, I
will now correct my fault by showing the more zeal. You at any rate
have lost nothing by my abstinence; your strength is intact, your glory
undiminished; you have added, moreover, to your reputation for valor the
credit of moderation--a virtue which not even the highest among men can
afford to despise, and which the Gods view with special favor." Having
concluded his speech, he placed a diadem on the brow of Tiridates,
proclaiming by this significant act his determination to restore him to
the Armenian throne. At the same time he ordered Monseses, a Parthian
general, and Monobazus, the Adiabenian monarch, to take the field and
enter Armenia, while he himself with the main strength of the empire
advanced towards the Euphrates and threatened Syria with invasion.

The results of the campaign which followed (A.D. 62) scarcely answered
to this magnificent opening. Monseses indeed, in conjunction with
Monobazus, invaded Armenia, and, advancing to Tigranocerta, besieged
Tigranes in that city, which, upon the destruction of Artaxata by
Corbulo, had become the seat of government. Volagases himself proceeded
as far as Nisibis, whence he could threaten at the same time Armenia
and Syria. The Parthian arms proved, however, powerless to effect
any serious impression upon Tigranocerta; and Volagases, being met at
Nisibis by envoys from Corbulo, who threatened an invasion of Parthia
in retaliation of the Parthian attack upon Armenia, consented to
an arrangement. A plague of locusts had spread itself over Upper
Mesopotamia, and the consequent scarcity of forage completely paralyzed
a force which consisted almost entirely of cavalry. Volagases was
glad under the circumstances to delay the conflict which had seemed
impending, and readily agreed that his troops should suspend the siege
of Tigranocerta and withdraw from Armenia on condition that the Roman
should at the same time evacuate the province. He would send, he said,
ambassadors to Rome who should arrange with Nero the footing upon which
Armenia was to be placed. Meanwhile, until the embassy returned, there
should be peace--the Armenians should be left to themselves--neither
Rome nor Parthia should maintain a soldier within the limits of the
province, and any collision between the armies of the two countries
should be avoided.

A pause, apparently of some months' duration, followed. Towards the
close of autumn, however, a new general came