Page 24 - Edessa, 'The Blessed City'-01, by J. B. Segal (Oxford, 1970). Chapters 1-3

HISTORICAL SURVEY n
While Crassus was still . . . considering [his course of action] . . . there came an Arab
phylarch, Ariamnes by name,1 a crafty and treacherous man, and one who proved to be,
of all the mischiefs which fortune combined for the destruction of the Romans, the
greatest and the most consummate. Some of the soldiers who had served under Pompey
in these parts knew the fellow had profited by the kindness of that commander and was
thought to be a friend of Rome; but now, with the knowledge of the [Parthian] king's
generals, he tried to work his way into the confidence of Crassus, to see if he could turn
him aside as far as possible from the river and the foothills, and bring him down into a
boundless plain where he could be surrounded. . . . Accordingly, coming to Crassus, the
barbarian (and he was a plausible talker too) lauded Pompey as his benefactor and
congratulated Crassus on his forces. But then he criticized him for wasting time in
delays and preparations . . .
At this time, therefore, after the barbarian had persuaded Crassus, he drew him away
from the river and led him through the midst of the plain, by a way that was suitable and
easy at first but soon became difficult when deep sand succeeded, and plains which had
no trees, no water and no limit anywhere which the eye could reach, so that not only did
thirst and the difficulties of the march exhaust the men but also whatever met their gaze
filled them with obstinate dejection. For they saw no plant, no stream, no projection of
sloping hill, and no growing grass—but only sea-like billows of innumerable desert
sand-heaps enveloping the army. This of itself was enough to induce suspicion of
treachery. ...
Cassius . . . privately abused the barbarian. 'Basest of men', he said, 'what evil spirit
brought you to us? With what drugs and jugglery did you persuade Crassus to pour out
his army into a yawning abyss of desert and follow a route more fit for a nomad robber
chief than for a Roman Imperatar?
But the barbarian, who was a subtle fellow, tried to encourage them with all servility,
and exhorted them to endure a little longer; and as he ran along by the side of the
soldiers and gave them his help, he would laughingly banter them and say, 'Is it through
Campania that you think you are marching, longing for its fountains and streams and
shade and baths (to be sure!) and taverns? But remember that you are traversing land
on the borders of Assyria and Arabia!' Thus the barbarian played the tutor with the
Romans, and rode away before his deceit had become manifest, not, however, without
the knowledge of Crassus—he even persuaded him that he was going to work in his
interest and to confound the counsels of his enemies.
The terrible fate of Crassus and most of his army need not be retold here.
Was Abgar a traitor to Rome, or was his advice to Crassus well-intentioned
but unwise, or even misunderstood? Modern historians judge Abgar less
harshly than does Plutarch. His situation was, by any standards, unenviable.
Edessa lay in the political and cultural sphere of Parthia. Abgar must have
respected the power of the Romans, and he may have felt gratitude to
Pompey; but his sympathies doubtless inclined towards the Parthians. It
may have been shame at the defeat of Crassus that led Roman historians to
ascribe it to causes other than the incompetence of their general—the

1 The name is probably derived from the from 'Armenian'. Abgar in other narratives is
epithet 'Aramaean'—less likely is a derivation also called by his patronymic Maz'ur.

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