Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
L. Antonius there made a review of his men, and he found that twenty
thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry had perished; not all by the
enemy, but above half by disease. They marched from Phraata
twenty-seven days, and they defeated the Parthians in eighteen battles;
but these victories brought neither strength nor security, because their
pursuits were short and ineffectual. And this mainly showed that it was
Artavasdes[422] the Armenian who had deprived Antonius of the means of
bringing that war to an end. For if the sixteen thousand horsemen whom
he drew out of Media had been present, who were equipped like the
Parthians, and were accustomed to fight against them, and if, while the
Romans put to flight the fighting enemy, they had overtaken the
fugitives, it would not have been in their power after a defeat to
recover themselves and venture again so often. All the army accordingly
in passion endeavoured to incite Antonius to punish the Armenian. But
Antonius upon considerations of prudence neither reproached him for his
treachery nor abated of his usual friendly behaviour and respect towards
him, being weak in numbers and in want of supplies. Afterwards, however,
when he again broke into Armenia, and by many promises and invitations,
persuaded Artavasdes to come into his hands, he seized him and took him
in chains to Alexandria, where he was led in triumph. And herein chiefly
he offended the Romans, by giving to the Egyptians for the sake of
Cleopatra the honourable and solemn ceremonial of his native country.
This however took place later.
LI. Antonius now pressed on his march, the winter having already set in
with severity, through incessant snow-storms, in which he lost eight
thousand men on the route. Going down to the sea-coast with a very small
body of men, he waited for Cleopatra[423] in a place between Berytus and
Sidon, called "White village"; and as she was slow in coming, he became
uneasy and restless, soon giving himself up to drinking and
intoxication, but yet being unable to continue at table; for while his
companions were drinking he would rise and often spring up to look out,
till Cleopatra arrived there by sea bringing a quantify of clothes and
supplies for the soldiers. There are some who say that Antonius received
the clothes from her, but that the money was his own, though he
distributed it as if it were a present to him from Cleopatra.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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