was to write a letter on their
behalf to Vespasian, in which he probably declared them guiltless of the
charges that had been brought against them by Paetus. Vespasian, at any
rate, seems to have become convinced of their innocence; for though
he allowed Commagene to remain a Roman province, he permitted the two
princes with their father to reside at Rome, assigned the ex-monarch an
ample revenue, and gave the family an honorable status.

It was probably not more than two or three years after the events above
narrated, that Volagases found himself in circumstances which impelled
him to send a petition to the Roman Emperor for help. The Alani,
a Scythian people, who had once dwelt near the Tanais and the Lake
Mseotis, or Sea of Azof, but who must now have lived further to the
East, had determined on a great predatory invasion of the countries west
of the Caspian Gates, and having made alliance with the Hyrcanians, who
were in possession of that important pass, had poured into Media through
it, driven King Pacorus to the mountains, and overrun the whole of
the open country. From hence they had passed on into Armenia, defeated
Tiridates, in a battle, and almost succeeded in capturing him by means
of a lasso. Volagases, whose subject-kings were thus rudely treated,
and who might naturally expect his own proper territories to be next
attacked, sent in this emergency a request to Vespasian for aid. He
asked moreover that the forces put at his disposal should be placed
under the command of either Titus or Domitian, probably not so much from
any value that he set on their military talents as from a conviction
that if a member of the Imperial family was sent, the force which
accompanied him would be considerable. We are told that the question,
whether help be given or no, was seriously discussed at Rome, and that
Domitian was exceedingly anxious that the troops should go, and begged
that he might be their commander. But Vespasian was disinclined for any
expenditure of which he did not recognize the necessity, and disliked
all perilous adventure. His own refusal of extraneous support,
when offered by his rival, rendered it impossible for him to reject
Volagases's request without incurring the charge of ingratitude. The
Parthians were therefore left to their own resources; and the result
seems to have been that the invaders, after ravaging and harrying Media
and Armenia at their pleasure, carried off a vast number of prisoners
an