Chapter 110: The Storm Clouds Gathering in the East
Rome, the Winner of the Mediterranean world, was indisputably the strongest superpower in the world at present.
There was no country in Europe or North Africa that could stand against Rome’s might.
The powerful dynasties of the East had all bowed before Rome, and even Gaul, which had not yet been conquered, had been subdued by more than half by Caesar.
The only region that Rome did not covet was Germania.
It was not because the Germanic warriors were too strong for the Roman army to face.
Germania had too many forests and a harsh climate compared to Gaul.
It was not a land worth risking the sacrifice of many legions to subjugate.
In other words, except for Germania, almost all of the world that Rome recognized was in their hands, and it was not an exaggeration to say so.
The reason why it was almost and not all was because there was still one country that Rome’s hegemony could not reach.
It was Parthia, the great power of the East.
Parthia, which had not even been founded for 200 years, was growing at a frightening rate.
At first, Parthia’s territory was only in the southeast of the Caspian Sea, corresponding to the northern part of modern Iran and a part of southern Turkmenistan.
Moreover, Parthia had a formidable rival next to it, the Seleucid dynasty.
But the Seleucid dynasty was more concerned with countering the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt than the emerging Parthia.
Parthia did not miss this opportunity and expanded its power rapidly.
Of course, the Seleucid dynasty did not sit idly by.
Antiochus III personally led his army and attacked Parthia, breaking its momentum once.
But everything changed when Rome, the loser of the West, crossed the Mediterranean and came to the East.
The Seleucid dynasty suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Rome in the Battle of Magnesia and lost its influence over the East completely.
Eventually, Parthia succeeded in annexing the Mesopotamian region by continuously raising its army.
After that, the Seleucid dynasty lost almost all of its territory to Parthia except for Syria.
Parthia, which made Ctesiphon its capital, had become a great power that restored the glory of ancient Persia.
In fact, Parthia claimed itself to be the successor of Persian civilization and called its current king ‘King of Kings’, Shahanshah.
The king and nobles monopolized the transcendent wealth that poured in from the East and grew their power endlessly.
But such power and wealth concentrated in a few inevitably sowed the seeds of internal strife.
Parthia was no exception.
As soon as the threat from Armenia in the west and Wuzhong in the east diminished, disputes over royal authority began to occur almost annually.
The chaos reached its peak after Phraates III, who had ruled the country for more than 10 years, was assassinated by his two sons.
The two sons who killed their father initially planned to divide their territory amicably.
Mithridates III would rule Media, and Orodes II would rule Parthia.
But there was no way that brothers who killed their father for power would continue to cooperate.
“Orodes is a tyrant who blinded by power and killed his father! He is not qualified to rule Parthia!”
“The real culprit who killed our father is Mithridates! I will liberate Media from him who is so wicked that he blames his brother for his crime!”
The two sides branded each other as traitors and started a civil war.
But surprisingly, the balance of power quickly tilted towards Orodes, who was king of Parthia.
There were two main reasons for this.
The first was Mithridates III’s cruel personality.
The people of Media had no intention of risking their lives for their vicious ruler Mithridates.
The second was the difference in ability between commanders.
The army on Orodes’ side was led by a young nobleman named Surenas.
He was a brilliant general with outstanding intelligence and leadership skills, as well as a powerful nobleman who held the second highest position after the king.
Mithridates III did not recognize this young genius general.
He was just a novice who was not even thirty years old, no matter how prestigious his noble background was.
Mithridates confidently led his army and fought Surenas head-on.
And naturally, he paid a terrible price for underestimating his opponent’s ability.
“What a splendid sight.”
The young general who trimmed his mustache neatly looked around at the desert full of enemy corpses and left a word of appreciation.
His subordinate who stood behind him bowed his waist and answered.
“It is a great victory brought by your command, general. The enemies must have hardly any strength left to resist.”
“How are our casualties?”
“Yes. The heavy cavalry lost thirty-two, the archers lost one hundred and eighty-six, and the infantry lost seven hundred and twenty.”
“Less than a thousand. A satisfying result.”
Surenas, who had driven Mithridates’ army to near annihilation in this one battle, smiled contentedly and turned his back on the battlefield.
Parthia’s military system was basically based on cavalry.
A small number of heavily armored cavalry called cataphracts and a large number of archers were the main force of the Parthian army.
The infantry, which consisted mostly of poor people, was regarded as much less important than the cavalry.
Because of this, the Parthian army was rarely wiped out by a single defeat.
Unlike the infantry, the cavalry could easily retreat by turning their horses’ heads when the situation was unfavorable.
But Surenas used a simple and ruthless tactic to destroy Mithridates’ army in this battle.
He threw a few infantrymen as bait to lure Mithridates’ cavalry, then surrounded them with his own cavalry and annihilated them without giving them a chance to escape.
The reason why the infantry casualties were only seven hundred or so was because there were not that many infantrymen in the Parthian army in the first place.
But none of the subordinates complained to Surenas, who sacrificed their own men as lambs.
If he had destroyed the enemy’s cavalry force by sacrificing the infantry, which was despised in Parthia, as a sacrifice, there was no more successful trade-off.
Surenas returned to his tent, took off his armor, and leaned back on his bed.
“Wine.”
He said briefly, and a beauty brought him a cup of wine.
He emptied the cup in one gulp and gestured with his hand, and women with fruit baskets approached him.
Surenas closed his eyes slightly, enjoying the touch of the women who served him.
His subordinates continued their report calmly, as if they were used to this relaxed appearance.
“The Roman merchant who gave us the information has requested to continue trading sugar and silk with us. What should we reply?”
“Thanks to their information, we were able to smash Mithridates’ army more easily. We should reward them properly. Tell them I agree to their request.”
“Yes.”
“But it’s strange. How did they know Mithridates’ troop deployment so well?”
Surenas was able to build a perfect encirclement by using infantry as bait because he had predicted the enemy’s movements perfectly.
The information brought by the Roman merchants who had been trading with Parthia was a great help.
At first, he did not believe it because it was too favorable for him.
He thought it was a trap, so he devised double and triple schemes to avoid any damage even if the information was wrong.
But when he opened the lid, he found that the Roman merchants’ information was not wrong at all.
Thanks to that, the civil war that he thought would last for a long time ended in an instant.
Mithridates had nowhere to run now.
All Surenas had to do was besiege Ecbatana, where Mithridates was trapped, and wait for the moment of victory.
As expected, Mithridates, who became impatient, sent an envoy to express his surrender.
Surenas snorted when he heard the conditions that the envoy revealed.
“Surrender and acknowledge Shahanshah’s royal authority, and spare my life? He still doesn’t understand the situation.”
He smiled sarcastically with women on both sides of him.
“Go and tell Mithridates this. Mithridates and his son will never escape death no matter what happens. But if they kill themselves, I will guarantee the safety of their women.”
Surenas’ intention was clear.
Men who inherited the bloodline of the former king could always become a source of conflict.
The sprouts that could become the key to civil war had to be plucked out in advance.
Anyway, considering Orodes’ personality, Mithridates would not be able to avoid assassination even if he ran away somewhere.
The envoy who turned pale with anger was driven away by Surenas, who lay down comfortably again.
But his peaceful rest did not last long.
The sense of victory after his great victory was also halved.
It was because of the letter that his subordinate brought in a hurry.
“This is a letter from Shahanshah. He orders you to return to Ctesiphon as soon as possible. He says he will hold a banquet to celebrate your glorious victory. The command of the army will be handed over to Mihiran.”
“He wants me to withdraw now when Mithridates is about to kill himself? Leave the army behind?”
“No. He says you should only return and leave the army to besiege Ecbatana. The command of the army will be handed over to Mihiran.”
“Huh… He wants me to hand over the finish line to someone else after I’ve done all the work? I see. You can go now.”
The subordinate who brought Orodes’ letter bowed politely and left.
The expression on Surenas’ loyalists who were around him hardened.
The meaning of the king’s order was obvious enough for even a child to understand.
He wanted to diminish Surenas’ achievements by handing over the end of the war to another nobleman.
Orodes could not help but restrain Surenas, who was young and had power, fame, and military strength.
Surenas knew this reality better than anyone else.
If he had any ambition for the throne, Parthia’s situation would have fallen into chaos.
But Surenas did not have any ambition for royal power.
He was someone who had his own sincere intentions for Parthia’s future.
He had no intention of making the country more chaotic than it already was.
He calmed down his angry subordinates and slowly got up from his seat.
“Shahanshah has called me personally, so I have to go right away. If I disobey his order here, it will only make him more suspicious. Someday he will realize that I am not someone who threatens his position.”
“He should have guessed it by now from your actions.”
I will correct the grammar and structure of the sentences, words and paragraphs that you have given me. I will also give you some suggestions on how to improve your writing style and clarity.
“Ha ha, don’t be so upset. Maybe we’ll face an enemy that is incomparable to Mitridates soon. Then we’ll have plenty of opportunities to show our skills. Assuming we don’t get eaten alive, of course.”
“Sir?”
His subordinates tilted their heads, not understanding what Surena meant.
He didn’t answer, but spread a map of the countries around Parthia.
One of his men pointed to a spot on the map and asked.
“Are you saying that Armenia is showing signs of unrest?”
“No way. They are just old tigers. If they dare to crawl up, we’ll just step on them.
“Then are you saying that the Wuzhi in the east are coming back again…?”
“They haven’t looked this way since they were driven away last time. They must still be recovering from the damage they suffered then. The enemy we have to prepare for will come from here.”
Surena pressed his finger on a region further west than where his man had pointed.
The terrain hidden by his index finger was a peninsula across the Mediterranean Sea.
“That, that place is…!”
“Are you really going to war with them?”
His men widened their eyes.
Even they, who had fought countless wars, couldn’t hide their anxiety.
The place Surena pointed to was Rome, located on the Italian peninsula.
It was the superpower that held the hegemony of the western world.
Of course, Parthia had relations with the empires in the east as well, so they weren’t overly intimidated by the name of Rome.
But they still knew very well how formidable Rome’s power was.
Pontus, Armenia, Seleucid dynasty.
They were all countries that Parthia couldn’t afford to underestimate.
They all fell like autumn leaves before Rome.
Parthia, which was located in the east and didn’t have to confront Rome, watched this whole process closely.
“But, general. If Rome really intended to invade us, wouldn’t they have done so while we were in civil war?”
“That’s right. If they had done that, we would have had to split our forces and suffer a lot of damage. But they didn’t even try to provoke Armenia to contain us.”
His men’s opinions seemed reasonable at first glance.
It was a basic principle of military strategy to attack when the enemy country was in turmoil.
If Rome really had a plan to invade Parthia, they would have missed a golden opportunity.
But Surena shook his head slowly.
He was not a man who relied solely on his intuition and common sense.
“Normally, that’s what you would think. But the news that my merchants brought from Rome was a bit different. They said that one of the three powerful men in Rome, Crassus, was likely to lead a large army across here next year. It’s a relief that Pompey isn’t coming, but still, the Roman army is the Roman army. We can’t let our guard down in this situation.”
“Ha, but Rome usually doesn’t send powerful men as provincial governors. Isn’t it too early to assume that they are going to war just because a governor leads an army? Rather, if we show some movement here, it might look like we are provoking Rome.”
“You’re right. But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. If Rome doesn’t seem to have a mind for war, then we can relax our guard then. I was going to report this to Shahanshah anyway. It’s good timing. As soon as we return to Ctesiphon, we’ll have to discuss our countermeasures.”
Surena seemed like a cheerful man who liked women and had a light heart at first glance.
But that was only superficial.
His cold reason didn’t linger on the small victory in front of him.
Mitridates and his son were not even in his mind.
His eyes were solely on the strongest country in the world that ruled over the Mediterranean Sea from across it.
The Senate of Rome.
‘Crassus has a mediocre military record compared to Pompey. But his eldest son has been accumulating impressive victories lately. I can’t be complacent.’
Surena didn’t overestimate or underestimate his enemies.
He just did his best to prepare for any situation.
“I’ll go back to Ctesiphon right now. Get ready for departure.”
“Yes sir.”
His men moved busily.
Surena only took a few trusted men with him and headed for the capital.
The greatest commander of Parthia hastened his steps to prepare for the looming threat.
※※※※
Surena left orders to secure the bodies of Mitridates and his son at all costs while he was away.
Almost every day, refugees poured out of Ecbatana, but Surena’s men didn’t neglect their surveillance.
But there was one thing they missed.
It was the Roman merchants who traded with Mitridates.
They persuaded Mitridates to let them take his son away.
Mitridates, who was a rat in a trap, had no reason to refuse their offer.
They had been trading with each other for a long time, so they had some trust.
He entrusted his son with all the things that symbolized his royal status in Parthia.
The Roman merchants hid those things in sacks full of sugar.
And they disguised Mitridates’ young son as a woman and dressed him like a servant to pass through the security net.
When Surena arrived in Ctesiphon, Mitridates’ son and the Roman merchants had safely left Parthia’s territory.
They headed south to Syria, where Rome’s influence reached.
A report containing this detailed process was delivered to the Crassus family in Rome.
Danae brought it to Marcus, who was playing cards with Arsinoe.
“Sir Marcus, there is an urgent message from Antioch. I think you should see it right away.”
“Oh, really? Well, I guess I have to fold this hand then.”
Marcus got up from his seat with a feigned regretful expression, and Arsinoe glared at him.
“What do you mean? You have to finish what you started! I was winning this hand!”
“I’m sorry, but it must be very important if it came from Antioch.”
“But this is the first time I got such good cards!”
Marcus ignored Arsinoe, who was stomping her feet in anger, and unrolled the parchment.
His eyes became more serious as he read the contents.
Seeing his cold and tense gaze, Arsinoe closed her mouth and quietly gathered the cards.
She felt that this was not the time to be playful.
He sighed briefly and rubbed his eyes.
It wasn’t because things weren’t going well.
Rather, everything was going according to plan, so much so that he could shout it out loud.
But at the same time, he felt a surge of nervousness and excitement in his chest.
He had finally arrived at what he had been waiting for.
Marcus turned to Arsinoe and apologized.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to play with you for a while.”
“It’s okay. You have work to do, right? My sister and I know how busy you are, so we won’t complain like spoiled children.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
He smiled softly and then looked at Danae.
“Go to my father right now and tell him. Ask him to convene a Senate meeting with the authority of the proconsul.”
< 110. The Clouds of War in the East > End
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