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Article ANTIQUARIES AND ANTIQUITIES. ← Page 3 of 18 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Antiquaries And Antiquities.
series begins to be abundant . This reign was remarkable for the Avar against the Romans , in which the latter were so signally defeated by the Parthian general Surena ; ancl Ave have a picture of the victorious hero himself too extraordinary to be omitted . He was one of the most singular personages presented to us * by tlie Parthian annals ; in Avealth , family , and authority the second
man in the kingdom , but in ability and prowess the first . Nor Avas he exceeded by any in the height of his stature and the comeliness of his person . He is said to have kept up so great state , that whenever he travelled he had one thousand camels to carry his baggage , two hundred chariots for his Arives and concubines , a body-guard of one thousand men fully armedand a retinue
, of ten thousand slaves and vassals . He inherited the honour of setting the croAvn on the head of the king , and at the time he overthrew Crassus he was not thirty years of age . The splendid triumph obtained over the Romans was tarnished by the treacherous manner in which Surena treated Crassus . When the battle was OA erand Crassus was endeavouring to escape on foot
, , the Parthian rode up , ancl exclaimed , " What , the Roman general on foot , and we on horseback ! " He ordered a horse to be brought , and , placing the unfortunate Crassus upon him , declared that there Avas now a league between the Parthians and
the Romans , but that Crassus must go to the Euphrates to conclude the peace . While on the Avay , he Avas slain by order of Surena , and his head and right hand sent to Orodes . A mock triumph Avas got up by the Parthians , ancl a slave made to take the place of the murdered Crassus , on Avhich occasion Sm * ena , forgetting his two hundred chariots , thought fit to harangue the
Parthian senate on the licentiousness of the Romans . From this time the history of Rome ancl that of Parthia is constantly intermingled ; and the coins of the one country not only illustrate those of the other , but both rectify the dates , AA'hich in the Avorks of those AA'ho refuse to be aided by such landmarks are inevitably in a state of strange and inextricable confusion . It AA'ould be
hardly interesting to the general reader to folknv Mr . Lindsay in his arguments , to show Avhat kings reigned ancl hoAV long , and how the dates Avhich appear on their coins tally Avith those bf the Roman annals . It Avill be more acceptable to notice that , in allusion to the favourite Aveapon of the country , most of these coins bear an archerin some cases shooting an arroAA and that
, , in a feAV instances the position of the boAv is reversed . There are not many AVIIO have not heard of Parthian darts , most destructive when discharged by the flying enemy . One point more is curious . The heads of the Parthian monarchy present the selfsame style of head-dress Avhich Ave meet Avith in the sculps
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Antiquaries And Antiquities.
series begins to be abundant . This reign was remarkable for the Avar against the Romans , in which the latter were so signally defeated by the Parthian general Surena ; ancl Ave have a picture of the victorious hero himself too extraordinary to be omitted . He was one of the most singular personages presented to us * by tlie Parthian annals ; in Avealth , family , and authority the second
man in the kingdom , but in ability and prowess the first . Nor Avas he exceeded by any in the height of his stature and the comeliness of his person . He is said to have kept up so great state , that whenever he travelled he had one thousand camels to carry his baggage , two hundred chariots for his Arives and concubines , a body-guard of one thousand men fully armedand a retinue
, of ten thousand slaves and vassals . He inherited the honour of setting the croAvn on the head of the king , and at the time he overthrew Crassus he was not thirty years of age . The splendid triumph obtained over the Romans was tarnished by the treacherous manner in which Surena treated Crassus . When the battle was OA erand Crassus was endeavouring to escape on foot
, , the Parthian rode up , ancl exclaimed , " What , the Roman general on foot , and we on horseback ! " He ordered a horse to be brought , and , placing the unfortunate Crassus upon him , declared that there Avas now a league between the Parthians and
the Romans , but that Crassus must go to the Euphrates to conclude the peace . While on the Avay , he Avas slain by order of Surena , and his head and right hand sent to Orodes . A mock triumph Avas got up by the Parthians , ancl a slave made to take the place of the murdered Crassus , on Avhich occasion Sm * ena , forgetting his two hundred chariots , thought fit to harangue the
Parthian senate on the licentiousness of the Romans . From this time the history of Rome ancl that of Parthia is constantly intermingled ; and the coins of the one country not only illustrate those of the other , but both rectify the dates , AA'hich in the Avorks of those AA'ho refuse to be aided by such landmarks are inevitably in a state of strange and inextricable confusion . It AA'ould be
hardly interesting to the general reader to folknv Mr . Lindsay in his arguments , to show Avhat kings reigned ancl hoAV long , and how the dates Avhich appear on their coins tally Avith those bf the Roman annals . It Avill be more acceptable to notice that , in allusion to the favourite Aveapon of the country , most of these coins bear an archerin some cases shooting an arroAA and that
, , in a feAV instances the position of the boAv is reversed . There are not many AVIIO have not heard of Parthian darts , most destructive when discharged by the flying enemy . One point more is curious . The heads of the Parthian monarchy present the selfsame style of head-dress Avhich Ave meet Avith in the sculps