Battle of Carrhae
The Battle of Carrhae, fought in 53 BCE, was a significant military engagement between the Roman Republic and the Parthian Empire. Initiated by Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus, who sought to expand Roman influence in the region, the battle took place near the town of Carrhae in northwestern Mesopotamia. Crassus led an army of approximately 40,000 troops, but they were met by the Parthian general Surena and his cavalry of around 10,000, primarily composed of skilled mounted archers. The Roman forces were strategically outmaneuvered, suffering severe losses as they were encircled and continuously attacked. Despite attempts to engage the enemy, Roman efforts were unsuccessful, culminating in a disastrous retreat toward the Euphrates River. The conflict ended with the death of Crassus and the survival of only about 10,000 Roman soldiers. The aftermath of Carrhae had lasting implications, destabilizing the political dynamics of the First Triumvirate and contributing to the rise of civil strife within Rome, ultimately leading to a power struggle between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great.
On this Page
Battle of Carrhae
Related civilizations: Republican Rome, Parthia.
Date: June, 53 b.c.e.
Locale: Near Carrhae, Mesopotamia (now Haran, Turkey)
Background
Following rapproachment in 56 b.c.e. among Rome’s First Triumvirate, Marcus Licinius Crassus received the governorship of Syria. Two years later he initiated an unwarranted invasion of the west Asian kingdom of Parthia.
Action
In northwestern Mesopotamia near the town of Carrhae (KAR-ee), the Parthian general Surena, with an army of some 10,000 cavalry, mostly mounted archers, intercepted seven Roman legions under Crassus. The 40,000 Romans, exposed on open terrain, were encircled by the more mobile cavalry and subjected to sustained fire from the Parthian bowmen. All Roman efforts to relieve the situation through offensive action by light infantry failed, and a strong sally by a mixed formation of 6,000 Roman cavalry and foot soldiers ended in complete disaster when the force was surrounded and destroyed. The shattered remnants of the legionary army initiated a withdrawal toward the Euphrates River. During this final retreat, the Romans were exposed to constant daylight attacks by their more elusive opponent, and an effort to negotiate a surrender resulted only in the murder of Crassus. Only 10,000 Romans survived the flight to Syria.
Consequences
The death of Crassus at Carrhae disrupted the delicate balance of power shared among members of the First Triumvirate, thereby accelerating the political forces that eventually led to civil war between the remaining triumvirs, Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great, in 49 b.c.e.
Bibliography
Dodge, Theodore A. Caesar. Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 1995.