Dio's Rome, Volume 3: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During The Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English FormCassius Dio Cocceianus
History
Dio's Rome, Volume 3: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During The Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form
Cassius Dio Cocceianus
Rome -- History
[-33-] These are his acts at that time: the following year, when Pompeius
and Cornificius were consuls, he attempted to conduct a campaign against
the Armenian prince; and as he placed no little hope in the Mede, because
the latter was indignant at Phraates owing to not having received from
him much of the spoils or any other honor, and was anxious to punish the
Armenian king for bringing in the Romans, Antony sent Polemon to him and
requested friendship and alliance. And he was so well satisfied with the
business that he both made terms with the Mede and later gave Polemon
Lesser Armenia as a reward for his embassy. First he summoned the
Armenian to Egypt as a friend, intending to seize him there without
effort and make away with him; but when the prince suspected this and did
not obey, he plotted to deceive him in another fashion. He did not openly
evince anger toward him, in order not to alienate him, but to the end
that he might find his foe unprepared set sail from Egypt with the avowed
object of making one more campaign against the Parthians. On the way
Antony learned that Octavia was arriving from Rome, and went no farther,
but returned; this he did in spite of having at once ordered her to go
home and later accepting the gifts which she sent, some of them being
soldiers which she had begged from her brother for this very purpose.
[-34-] As for him, he became more than ever a slave to the passion and
wiles of Cleopatra. Caesar meantime, since Sextus had perished and affairs
in Libya required settlement, went to Sicily as if intending to take ship
thither, but after delaying there found that the winter made it too late
for crossing. Now the Salassi, Taurisci, Liburni, and Iapudes had not for
a long time been behaving fairly toward the Romans, but had failed to
contribute revenue and sometimes would invade and harm the neighboring
districts. At this time, in view of Octavius's absence, they were openly
in revolt. Consequently he turned back and began his preparations against
them. Some of the men who had been dismissed when they became disorderly,
and had received nothing, wished to serve again: therefore he assigned
them to one camp, in order that being alone they might find it impossible
to corrupt any one else and in case they should wish to show themselves
rebellions might be detected at once. As this did not teach them
moderation any the more, he sent out a few of the eldest of them to
become colonists in Gaul, thinking that thus he would inspire the rest
with hopes and win their devotion. Since even then they continued
audacious, some of them paid the penalty. The rest displayed rage at
this, whereupon he called them together as if for some other purpose, had
the rest of the army surround them, took away their arms, and removed
them from the service. In this way they learned both their own weakness
and Caesar's force of mind, and so they really experienced a change of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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