VIII Lathyrus. A certain Laodice, when she was attacked by the Parthians, who had now reached the Euphrates,[1] summoned Antiochus, who fell in the fighting.[2]
Rome deemed it time to interfere in 92 b.c. and commissioned Sulla to replace Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia on his throne. The real but not avowed object was to curb the growing power of Mithradates of Pontus. The rapid advance of Parthia toward the Roman frontier was no doubt a matter of some con cern. Orobazus was sent as ambassador of Parthia to meet Sulla on the Euphrates, probably near Melitene. The Parthian asked for the friendship of the Roman people and perhaps also an alliance both offensive and defensive. Schooled in Hellenistic rather than Latin tradition as Orobazus undoubtedly was, he assumed his request would be taken literally, and never dreamed it implied an offer to become tributary. Sulla had little realization of Parthia's military strength and still less of her future potentialities. In Roman eyes Parthia was overshadowed by the more obvious peril of Armenia and Pontus.[3] Sulla
- ↑ Plut. Sulla 5.
- ↑ Josephus Ant. xiii. 371. The text calls her queen of the Γαλιηνῶν—perhaps an attempt by a copyist to make them Gauls. Some correction is demanded. The Sameni (see Steph. Byz. s.v.), an otherwise unknown Arab tribe, have been suggested. See Gutschmid, Geschichte Irans, pp. 80 f., and J. Dobiáš, "Les premiers rapports des Romains avec les Parthes," Archiv or., Ill (1931), 221–23 (full discussion and bibliography).
- ↑ On the mission of Sulla and the meeting with the Parthian ambassador see Plut. Sulla 5; Livy Epit. lxx; Ruf. Fest. 15; Vell. Pat. ii. 24. 3. Dobiáš, op. cit., pp. 215–56, gives an excellent treatment of the subject.
