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Other Games / Game Suggestions
« on: April 11, 2013, 09:48:55 pm »
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Off Topic / Story Time
« on: April 02, 2013, 07:11:55 pm »
Upon request of MrBjarzii, may he forever be blessed and praised in the ballads to come,
Ho there traveller, come closer my boy don't be afraid. Step into the firelight, come sit with me, grab yourself a mug of mead and allow the warmth of the fire to seep into your bones, allow my voice bring forth the swirling threads of your imaginiation as i recount the tale of the adminborn. Oh i see your eyebrows raise at the mention of such an esteemed man, so you've heard of him, haha don't start drooling yet as these tales will be like nothing you've ever heard. Oi wench bring me another mug of mead and get some whore awiating for me to sate my hunger.
Now lad where was i? Oh aye i remember, the adminborn. Now im sure you've all heard the stories that he was eight foot tall, he could snap a man in half with his hands, he could stop arrows with his mind, oh aye ive heard all the bullshit stories. Allow me to shed light upon the real adminborn. Aye he was tall, a head above the rest, he had broad shoulders and a proud stance, he knew who he was and he flaunted that. His face was what everyone recalls, a strong set jaw with flaming locks of pure gold, with a grand beard to match, yet it was his piercing gaze that held the strongest men in place, very few can hold that gaze. His grey eyes bored into a man and battered him down with just a simple raise of his eyebrow in his mocking glance. Very few men can handle that. He was a man of many names, The Golden Giant, The Prostitue Pricker, and his favourite the Iron Prick for he killed his enemies then fucked their wives, aye he was truly a glorious man.
Our hero was a butcher, a villain, a murdered, God above only knew how many names he had and what foul deeds he commited, yet he had one reedeming quality, he was an honourable man. He would give you a chance to run before stabbing you in the back haha, oh my that was a sight to behold, the crowned head rolling down the hill as the body slumped to the fall blood pooling around the still corpse....oh my im rather getting ahead of myself, allow me to backtrack and tell you of the story of the Adminborn and the King. Yes, yes, that is how he becamse Lord of this land.
It was a dark age, an age of daggers in the night, blood mixed among the sweage running through the streets as bodies littered the floor coating the Free City of Denvarsi in a shroud of death. The people cowered in their wooden shacks as the wind howled and tore at the straw thatch roof, carrying with it the screams of the men and women being silenced for whispers and rumours in the night, whispers of the Bastard King. The Bastard King or as his birthname dictates, King Rafai was a cruel, malevolent man. He also suffered from small man syndrome, a small man, a weak fool yet he had a sharp mind and the term knowledge is power was the only lesson he truly learnt. He had a mess of black hair and stubble that coated his cheeks, he looked like a comical man with a broken nose that set his face at an odd angle, he also suffered from a prominent brow that made him look even uglier than he was. Yet he was intelligent. He was only eighteen when he murdered his brothers and father King Klive. A true bastard, his mother was a whore, aye she was a good fuck but her throat should have been slit with her son upon his birth.
It was the Bastard King that tore this Kingdom apart, his loyal men were bought with coin, his enemies heads littered the castle walls. Men rose against him, yet these petty rebellions were quickly cut short with daggers in the night. The Kings Guard or the Bastards Beasts as they were known would not tolerate any ill will, any foul words or misdeeds against their monarch. Anything and everything was dealt with in death, some say King Rafai walked hand in hand with death, a secret pact made with the devil. His tyranny lasted for five straight years, the population of the city slowly decreasing over time, families fleeing the capital to live life on the plains, only to be found slaughtered at their farms, their heads paraded warning off travellers. Aye it was a dark age my son, yet in every age of darkness there comes a time of light, even if it was a whisper upon the wind, a name being carried, people knew things were going to change.
They say a mans destiny unknown to him, that fate is forged in the stars upon birth of every man, woman and child. Yet some forge their own destinies, create their own fate and live in legend. Their names sung in songs and ballads for years to come, stories like this being recounted in Lords halls and feasts, battle cries being taken up in this mans name and honour. That is the life of a hero and the Adminborn knew it, he knew it. The Battle Horns were sounding, men were gathering, banners flying in the breeze a lone horse galloping upon the waves of the wind. The Adminborn had heeded his call and had come.
Word travels fast within the Men of the East, by early summer every man had the Adminborns name upon his lips, men already drank in his honour, wives left their husbands to sleep with this man, whores fled by the thousands to get a glimpse of the Iron Prick. Have you ever seen a horde of women racing across the country, their tits bouncing in rhythm with the horses gallops? No? Well let me tell you it's enough to make even the gayest man hard my son haha, ah come now don't blush im sure you've shoved your prick in places you regret. Ahahaha you blush even more so i know its true, oi maid wheres my ale, ah thats better now where was i again? Ah yes! The adminborns coming, or cumming it should be spelt really. He slept with whores by the thousands, im sure he had frictio burn by the end of it, the only sad part of this story is he never fathered any children, it is a lonely life being the Adminborn, aye he may take a wife but children will be forever lost to him.
Whence he came from very few people know, but with him he brought a mighty host that would spill themselves if need be upon the walls of Denvarsi, yet that was not necessary for sacrifice and the death of his men was something the Adminborn would never let happen. So he called a herald to his side and instructed him to gather all his banners horns and instruments. With a puzzled look the herald ran off and within the hour returned with a host of young men, squires and the odd ruffian that could play music. Next he commanded his men to build great fires in front of the walls of Denvarsi, these fires were to be tended by servants and kept burning all night.
The fall of night was a slow and tedious thing to behold, the light of the fires shone and blocked all sight behind them. Knowing this the Adminborn marched his men away a few leagues distant and settled down for the night where his men sang, drank and ate to their hearts content. Yet at the walls of Denvarsi the musicians played all night, the wind carrying a new sound with it, no longer screams but the cacohpony of noise that roused the deepest sleepers from their rest and kept all inhabitants up at night. Before mornings first light the Adminborn returned and stood his men before the walls, shouting upon the walls he cried a challenge, a challenge of battle, allow those brave soldiers to face his warriors upon the Plains. Yet nothing said was replied, nothing was cried by the odd barking of dogs and the wailing of children, no answer would come today. Upon darkness once more the music restarted and the Adminborn marched away, he kept this up for two weeks until finally a response was given. The doors of the city swung open and out poured the armies of Denvarsi. King Rafai dressed in black, a sharp contrast to the paleness of his face as the determined Bastard marched forward, swaying in the saddle due to lack of sleep. His men were in no better condition, stumbling over one another they formed in their rag tag formations, men slumping against pikes, numb hands dropping swords and shields as the exhausted men formed up.
Our hero chuckled to himself as he brought his men over the ditches and freshfaced began the march towards the men of Denvarsi. His men full of vigour, mead and a good meal still warm within thier bellies were eager to be set loose and wreak havoc upon their foes. Another thing you need to know about our hero is he fought with his men, he always braved the thick of battle no matter the odds. Leading the vanguard our hero charged the men of Denvarsi with his horde behind him, crashing through ranks and ranks of men he headed towards the Kings banner, a serpent upon a field of gold. Blood was spilled that day in a volume that will never be seen again, the Kings men were slaughtered many slumping to their knees before being sent to their graves. The march towards the center continued with none stopping our hero, none brave enough to stand before his gore spattered face, the crazed look of bloodlust upon his face and his eyes no longer that of a sane man.
As im sure you know my boy that battle was an easy victory. The King was captured, his forces disbanded, his Lords and Knights put to the sword, very few of the Bastards Beasts marched away from that field. As for our beloved King Rafai he was marched to the away a sword point pressing him on as he was dragged away from his city. Now our hero gave him a chance to run, gave him a chance of freedome before he caught him. As any desperate man would Rafai ran but exhaustion dragged him down, wore away at his energy until he sank to his knees the soft sun caressing his back as he looked at the sky wondering what cruel turn of fate had caused this. Rafai felt a shiver crawl along his spine as a shadow blotted out the warmth of the sun and silenced the sounds of the day, it was over quick, a single slice of the sword and the King's head with his golden crown still attached rolled down the hill, the metal clinking with every rock it bounced off.
Our hero was welcomed as a hero a liberator as he returned to the city, his men paraded through the streets as saints and Gods, there was much wine drank that night as every tavern was overflowing with the Adminborns men. And our hero was later coronated as the new King and under his tutelage we have grown stronger as a kingdom and conquered other lands but that is a story for another time, now i have a wench waiting for me in my bed, return later and i shall continue teasing your imagination wwith swirling spirals of stories of the old time, farewell for now my friend.
I hope you enjoy my friends, there will be more to come
Regards,
Adminborn
G.Jones
Ho there traveller, come closer my boy don't be afraid. Step into the firelight, come sit with me, grab yourself a mug of mead and allow the warmth of the fire to seep into your bones, allow my voice bring forth the swirling threads of your imaginiation as i recount the tale of the adminborn. Oh i see your eyebrows raise at the mention of such an esteemed man, so you've heard of him, haha don't start drooling yet as these tales will be like nothing you've ever heard. Oi wench bring me another mug of mead and get some whore awiating for me to sate my hunger.
Now lad where was i? Oh aye i remember, the adminborn. Now im sure you've all heard the stories that he was eight foot tall, he could snap a man in half with his hands, he could stop arrows with his mind, oh aye ive heard all the bullshit stories. Allow me to shed light upon the real adminborn. Aye he was tall, a head above the rest, he had broad shoulders and a proud stance, he knew who he was and he flaunted that. His face was what everyone recalls, a strong set jaw with flaming locks of pure gold, with a grand beard to match, yet it was his piercing gaze that held the strongest men in place, very few can hold that gaze. His grey eyes bored into a man and battered him down with just a simple raise of his eyebrow in his mocking glance. Very few men can handle that. He was a man of many names, The Golden Giant, The Prostitue Pricker, and his favourite the Iron Prick for he killed his enemies then fucked their wives, aye he was truly a glorious man.
Our hero was a butcher, a villain, a murdered, God above only knew how many names he had and what foul deeds he commited, yet he had one reedeming quality, he was an honourable man. He would give you a chance to run before stabbing you in the back haha, oh my that was a sight to behold, the crowned head rolling down the hill as the body slumped to the fall blood pooling around the still corpse....oh my im rather getting ahead of myself, allow me to backtrack and tell you of the story of the Adminborn and the King. Yes, yes, that is how he becamse Lord of this land.
It was a dark age, an age of daggers in the night, blood mixed among the sweage running through the streets as bodies littered the floor coating the Free City of Denvarsi in a shroud of death. The people cowered in their wooden shacks as the wind howled and tore at the straw thatch roof, carrying with it the screams of the men and women being silenced for whispers and rumours in the night, whispers of the Bastard King. The Bastard King or as his birthname dictates, King Rafai was a cruel, malevolent man. He also suffered from small man syndrome, a small man, a weak fool yet he had a sharp mind and the term knowledge is power was the only lesson he truly learnt. He had a mess of black hair and stubble that coated his cheeks, he looked like a comical man with a broken nose that set his face at an odd angle, he also suffered from a prominent brow that made him look even uglier than he was. Yet he was intelligent. He was only eighteen when he murdered his brothers and father King Klive. A true bastard, his mother was a whore, aye she was a good fuck but her throat should have been slit with her son upon his birth.
It was the Bastard King that tore this Kingdom apart, his loyal men were bought with coin, his enemies heads littered the castle walls. Men rose against him, yet these petty rebellions were quickly cut short with daggers in the night. The Kings Guard or the Bastards Beasts as they were known would not tolerate any ill will, any foul words or misdeeds against their monarch. Anything and everything was dealt with in death, some say King Rafai walked hand in hand with death, a secret pact made with the devil. His tyranny lasted for five straight years, the population of the city slowly decreasing over time, families fleeing the capital to live life on the plains, only to be found slaughtered at their farms, their heads paraded warning off travellers. Aye it was a dark age my son, yet in every age of darkness there comes a time of light, even if it was a whisper upon the wind, a name being carried, people knew things were going to change.
They say a mans destiny unknown to him, that fate is forged in the stars upon birth of every man, woman and child. Yet some forge their own destinies, create their own fate and live in legend. Their names sung in songs and ballads for years to come, stories like this being recounted in Lords halls and feasts, battle cries being taken up in this mans name and honour. That is the life of a hero and the Adminborn knew it, he knew it. The Battle Horns were sounding, men were gathering, banners flying in the breeze a lone horse galloping upon the waves of the wind. The Adminborn had heeded his call and had come.
Word travels fast within the Men of the East, by early summer every man had the Adminborns name upon his lips, men already drank in his honour, wives left their husbands to sleep with this man, whores fled by the thousands to get a glimpse of the Iron Prick. Have you ever seen a horde of women racing across the country, their tits bouncing in rhythm with the horses gallops? No? Well let me tell you it's enough to make even the gayest man hard my son haha, ah come now don't blush im sure you've shoved your prick in places you regret. Ahahaha you blush even more so i know its true, oi maid wheres my ale, ah thats better now where was i again? Ah yes! The adminborns coming, or cumming it should be spelt really. He slept with whores by the thousands, im sure he had frictio burn by the end of it, the only sad part of this story is he never fathered any children, it is a lonely life being the Adminborn, aye he may take a wife but children will be forever lost to him.
Whence he came from very few people know, but with him he brought a mighty host that would spill themselves if need be upon the walls of Denvarsi, yet that was not necessary for sacrifice and the death of his men was something the Adminborn would never let happen. So he called a herald to his side and instructed him to gather all his banners horns and instruments. With a puzzled look the herald ran off and within the hour returned with a host of young men, squires and the odd ruffian that could play music. Next he commanded his men to build great fires in front of the walls of Denvarsi, these fires were to be tended by servants and kept burning all night.
The fall of night was a slow and tedious thing to behold, the light of the fires shone and blocked all sight behind them. Knowing this the Adminborn marched his men away a few leagues distant and settled down for the night where his men sang, drank and ate to their hearts content. Yet at the walls of Denvarsi the musicians played all night, the wind carrying a new sound with it, no longer screams but the cacohpony of noise that roused the deepest sleepers from their rest and kept all inhabitants up at night. Before mornings first light the Adminborn returned and stood his men before the walls, shouting upon the walls he cried a challenge, a challenge of battle, allow those brave soldiers to face his warriors upon the Plains. Yet nothing said was replied, nothing was cried by the odd barking of dogs and the wailing of children, no answer would come today. Upon darkness once more the music restarted and the Adminborn marched away, he kept this up for two weeks until finally a response was given. The doors of the city swung open and out poured the armies of Denvarsi. King Rafai dressed in black, a sharp contrast to the paleness of his face as the determined Bastard marched forward, swaying in the saddle due to lack of sleep. His men were in no better condition, stumbling over one another they formed in their rag tag formations, men slumping against pikes, numb hands dropping swords and shields as the exhausted men formed up.
Our hero chuckled to himself as he brought his men over the ditches and freshfaced began the march towards the men of Denvarsi. His men full of vigour, mead and a good meal still warm within thier bellies were eager to be set loose and wreak havoc upon their foes. Another thing you need to know about our hero is he fought with his men, he always braved the thick of battle no matter the odds. Leading the vanguard our hero charged the men of Denvarsi with his horde behind him, crashing through ranks and ranks of men he headed towards the Kings banner, a serpent upon a field of gold. Blood was spilled that day in a volume that will never be seen again, the Kings men were slaughtered many slumping to their knees before being sent to their graves. The march towards the center continued with none stopping our hero, none brave enough to stand before his gore spattered face, the crazed look of bloodlust upon his face and his eyes no longer that of a sane man.
As im sure you know my boy that battle was an easy victory. The King was captured, his forces disbanded, his Lords and Knights put to the sword, very few of the Bastards Beasts marched away from that field. As for our beloved King Rafai he was marched to the away a sword point pressing him on as he was dragged away from his city. Now our hero gave him a chance to run, gave him a chance of freedome before he caught him. As any desperate man would Rafai ran but exhaustion dragged him down, wore away at his energy until he sank to his knees the soft sun caressing his back as he looked at the sky wondering what cruel turn of fate had caused this. Rafai felt a shiver crawl along his spine as a shadow blotted out the warmth of the sun and silenced the sounds of the day, it was over quick, a single slice of the sword and the King's head with his golden crown still attached rolled down the hill, the metal clinking with every rock it bounced off.
Our hero was welcomed as a hero a liberator as he returned to the city, his men paraded through the streets as saints and Gods, there was much wine drank that night as every tavern was overflowing with the Adminborns men. And our hero was later coronated as the new King and under his tutelage we have grown stronger as a kingdom and conquered other lands but that is a story for another time, now i have a wench waiting for me in my bed, return later and i shall continue teasing your imagination wwith swirling spirals of stories of the old time, farewell for now my friend.
I hope you enjoy my friends, there will be more to come
Regards,
Adminborn
G.Jones
3
Regiments / 16th Kings Lancers [Recruiting EU/NA]
« on: March 01, 2013, 11:20:36 pm »16th Kings Lancers
They say a man forges his own destiny; a lancer cuts that mans destiny short
About the Kings Lancers
The 16th Kings Lancers is a relaxed, mature regiment that has experience in countless linebattles and has members that have played warband since release, both in native and a whole range of other mods. The main focus of The Kings Lancers is a regiment that focuses on linebattle participation and to play the game as it is, without stressfull commitments such as trainings, meetings and other unimportant droll.
To understand the method and practice of the suicide charge is the highest honour you can achieve when playing as a lancer, knowing the thrill of combat as your wood pierces the enemies tissue coating you in a spray of their blood.
The Story of The Kings Lancers
Gather round fellow mercenaries and other soldiers of fortune and allow me to enthrall you with a tale of bloodlust, glory and honour. Grab me some mead to loosen my tongue and i will enchant your imaginations with the tale of The Kings Lancers.
Aye The Kings Lancers were a fine regiment of man and horse, their number was forever changing due to casulties of war, injured men being sent off to the less intellectual capable meat fodder line infantry, and constant recruitment. Yet The Kings Lancers never lost a man to desertion. All men of the regiment had intelligence, strength and quick thinking to aid them in any situation, for a rider's mind had to be one with his mighty steed for if not then a fall was certain. These men were brave, haha yes borderline stupid yet brave bastards one and all, many a time they fought off hordes of enemies, they faced insurmountable odds yet emerged from the bloody haze of the battlefield coated in the muck and filth of the battle they had just fought. These men were true soldiers, each had class, each took care of his steed before himself, and yet each soldier was capable of more than just killing. These men time and time again saved a poor lost straggler from imminent death at the hands of the French soldiers, time and again they fought for what they believed in.
The question still stands though, will you fight for what you believe in? Whether it be honour, glory, rewards, women or bloodlust. If yes then The Kings Lancers are for you my friend, the finest bunch of cavalry soldiers the world has ever seen and ever will, atop a moutain bathed in the golden sunlight these lancers appear, steel tipped lances pointing level at a wall of infantry, yet just the sight of these fabled warriors makes the strongest veteran tremble at the knees and feel the cold touch of death down his spine.
The Kings Lancers, Enlist Today
To apply to The Kings Lancers send myself a PM or reply in this thread with a filled application form in this format:
Code
Steam Name (required):
In-Game Name:
Age:
Nationality:
Do you have a mic?:
Are you able to download Teamspeak3? (required):
Experience in Napoleonic Wars (Previous experience is not required to join):Part of the 5th Brigade
*Still Under Construction*
4
Historical Discussion / Carrhae and it's failings
« on: November 29, 2012, 10:51:22 pm »
Haven't seen much Roman history here and after all this is historical discussion and we do have the Romans to thank for a lot of things, so here is a rather long text which i wrote around a year back for a thesis essay using research and all sorts of sources to utilise what i had, to come to a sensible conclusion abaout Carrhae, and not the normal view that it was all Crassus' fault. Discuss!
If you like Roman history then you will enjoy this document
If you like Roman history then you will enjoy this document
Spoiler
In 53 BC the Roman Republic was crumbling, this Republic was now led by three of the greatest minds Rome had ever witnessed, the militarily amazing Julius Caesar, the politically adept and military proficient Gaius Pompey and the wealthiest Roman of his time and in fact Rome’s history, Marcus Crassus. Rome was led by these three men in a triumvirate as it was known, however instead of ruling Rome with an equal hand each of these men continued to vie for control and power over the city, the greatest power that the World has ever known, conquering the known World in their relentless conquest and desire for new land to absorb into their growing Empire. However these three men were all petty rivals of each other, Crassus and his relationship with Pompey was exceptionally strained after the Spartacus rebellion in 73-71 BC. In a show of political brilliance Pompey managed to seize the victory from Crassus by sending a report to the Senate saying he had dealt with Spartacus and his army when all he did was destroy a routed group of 5,000 slaves, whereas Crassus had utterly annihilated Spartacus and his army, and slain Spartacus, this slight towards Crassus led to a continuous hatred and distrust towards Pompey. Concerning Caesar, Crassus was envious of his military conquest of Gaul (Modern day France), Britannia, and parts of Germania and was even to blame for Caesar’s rapid advancement within the World of politics and his military career, Crassus had invested in Caesar by lending him huge sums of money, which was in turn rapidly paid back due to the riches of war.
Upon hearing the military successes of the others within the triumvirate, Crassus decided it was time to equal his rival’s military prowess. With this thought Crassus decided to travel east and set his armies loose with the intent to invade Parthia, Rome’s age old rival with the idea of raiding the capital city, Seleucia and gaining even more riches, which he did not need, however his greed knew no bounds. This victory over Parthia would ensure Crassus’ popularity with the mob (plebeians) of Rome and he would gain his triumph, which was a march through the streets of Rome highlighting a military success, therefore increasing his position within the triumvirate and moving one step closer to becoming the dictator of Rome which he so desired and in fact craved for.
Crassus often said that ‘a man did not have enough money until he could buy an army’ and now Crassus had the chance to do just that. He sent envoys out to several legates (commander of a legion) in hope that they would respond to his summons, of course in return of being paid a substantial fund, as for Crassus he would spend all of his wealth to achieve his sole ambition of becoming the most important citizen in the Roman Republic. Therefore after sending many envoys, his army began to arrive at the port for the East, Brundisium. Crassus had managed to purchase, 35,000 legionaries – around 7 legions – and 4,000 light infantry. However it has always been said that Crassus’ biggest mistake was his lack of cavalry as the Parthians army makeup consisted of all mounted warriors and no foot, and in the end this hypothesis proved to be correct at Carrhae. Crassus arrived in Syria in late 55BC where he awaited his son Publius to arrive with 1,000 Gallic cavalry that he had commanded under Caesar in Gaul, this was a huge boost to Crassus and his army as it brought experienced veterans to his army and a competent commander, along with creating the total of 4,000 allied cavalry. Not only this but the King of Armenia, Artavasdes who had previously been annexed and made a client King of Rome, promised Crassus 6,000 cavalry to bring his host of cavalry to 10,000 which could match any Parthian army that was sent to hinder Crassus. Once arriving in Syria, Artavasdes offered Crassus this extra cavalry and a host of other cavalry if Crassus took the route through the mountains and through Armenia, however Crassus proved to commit a fatal mistake at this early stage by declining his allies aid.
Upon hearing of this war to invade Parthia many senators of the Roman Republic were outraged as although Parthia and Rome had always had a strained history, Crassus’ action would shatter the current treaty that had been maintained for many years, and kept the eastern provinces of Roman territory safe. One senator, Cicero even stated ‘nulla causa’ which when translated means, with no justification. This supports the fact that Crassus truly was declaring war just to gain glory, as there had been no threats, no breaking of the treaty from Parthia instead it was Crassus’ greed and selfishness that ultimately led to the destabilisation of the East for decades to come and thousands of deaths all in the glory of one old senator.
As stated earlier Crassus main goal was that of Seleucia the capital of Parthia, and the centre of the Parthian Empires riches. And so in 54-53 BC, Crassus began his march towards the Parthian Empire’s borders, which was marked by the River Euphrates, this river also marked the end to Roman Civilization and beyond the desert of Mesopotamia. However in late 54BC Crassus decided instead of attacking directly he instead garrisoned a fifth of his army in towns that bordered the Euphrates, the only explanation that I myself can think of is that Crassus wished to purposefully antagonise the Parthians into sending a mighty host so Crassus could defeat this army and gain glory and fame from the mob in Rome, yet it proves throughout his campaign Crassus proved to be an inefficient and incompetent general, better suited to the deadly politics of Rome than the battlefield. During the winter of 54BC as every Roman Army, Crassus waited the winter rather than campaign. Therefore when 53BC Crassus crossed the Euphrates at Zeugma and began his disastrous journey.
Again Crassus was advised to go north and pass through the mountains where he would be safe from the Parthian cavalry as they would be unable to mobilise in the steep terrain. The offer of 6,000 allied cavalry did nothing to sway Crassus into taking the sensible option. Knowing that his commander would not take the safest route, Gaius Cassius Longinus, advised Crassus to follow the Euphrates to the city of Babylon which would be a start to the campaign, and would be a crushing blow to the Parthian’s morale. He also advised that this was the most sensible path as it would offer a natural border to prevent being outflanked by the Parthian cavalry and would secure fresh water supplies for the Roman army. But again Crassus declined all advice and instead decided to march across the desert of Mesopotamia and march straight to Seleucia, again this proved to be another fatal mistake by Crassus. It would be a discredit to Crassus to state that he didn’t listen to any advice, yet it was the wrong advice that he listened to that ultimately led to the deaths of so many men. Crassus instead of listening to his veteran general Cassius Longinus, instead he decided to listen to Ariamnes a chieftain guide who stated that his men had not scouted any Parthian host in the vicinity, and the best route was across the desert of Mesopotamia. With the use of hindsight, we now know that Ariamnes was in fact being paid by the Parthians to lead the Romans to the Parthian army. On the eve before the battle Ariamnes asked permission from Crassus to use his men to scout further than the Roman scouts, Crassus accepted this and used it as a means to lay his legates minds at rest. However come morning when the scouts were expected to return there was no sight of the traitorous chieftain. Instead Ariamnes had lead Crassus and his army directly to the Parthian host. A host that was not in any means intimidating.
This host of Parthians was led by General Surena, an exceptional general who fought under the banner of King Orodes II, King of Parthia. The host that Surena commanded was only meant as a scouting force that was to keep the Romans wary whilst Orodes II dealt with the Armenian Kings army in Armenia who a few weeks previously had sent a request to Crassus for aid in return to help conquer Parthia. It now seemed Crassus had sealed the fate of his army, and that of the Armenian Kings. Surena was sent to slow the advance of the Roman host and it was not intended for him to destroy and utterly rout the Roman legionaries whose feats had been described across the World. General Surena had 9,000 horse archers under his command and 1,000 cataphracts. Cataphracts were perceived as the greatest danger to Crassus as the rider and horse were mailed from head to foot, and were exceptionally dangerous in a full frontal charge; however this assumption would prove to be invalid, as Crassus would soon discover.
Upon seeing this Parthian host, that which he had anticipated Crassus again went against the advice of his legates and instead of allowing his exhausted men to rest the night before forcing battle in the morning he decided it was time to attack. He was encouraged further by learning that his army outnumbered that of the Parthians by 4 to 1. Upon hearing this Crassus formed his men up and began his advance, which he thought would lead to glory above all else but would ultimately lead to his untimely death.
The Battle
With the beginning of the Battle of Carrhae Crassus formed his men up into the traditional formation of cavalry on the wings and the infantry in a line and several ranks deep, as this had won countless battles before by previous Roman commanders it was a sure fire way to achieve victory at Carrhae. The Roman army continued its advance and again Crassus acting against his commander’s advice crossed the nearby river of Balissus (Balikh) and continued the advance. Noticing that his enemy consisted of all mounted units, Crassus ordered his men into hollow squares that would work against flanking but would enable the Parthians to run in-between the Roman squares and pepper them with arrows from all sides. Upon seeing the Romans halt Surena commanded his men to utilise his war drums and other instruments that would grate on the nerves of the Romans. As the crescendo came to a close he ordered his cataphracts to remove their cloth coverings, which revealed the intimidating site of mailed horse and man lining the ridge above the Romans. However this did not have the desired effect on the Romans as these were the most disciplined force on the Earth at this current time and were drilled to not waver nor run in the face of overwhelming odds. This mixed with their countless hours of training gave the Romans a sense of confidence that no other army felt whilst facing this mighty host which was the pride of the Roman army. Seeing that this had no effect, Surena ordered his cataphracts to charge the Roman lines. The cataphracts thundered down the ridge and lowering their lances charged full tilt at the waiting Roman lines. The Romans did not run, buckle nor give ground like any normal foe that faces the cataphracts. Surena used the traditional Parthian tactic of using his mailed cavalry to break the morale of the enemy army in one simple charge. Surena was impressed again by the resoluteness of the Romans as they beat back the determined cataphracts assault time and time again. Eventually Surena recalled his cataphracts and instead tried a different more terrifying and deadly tactic that would lead to the eventual ruin of Crassus and his host.
After recalling his 1,000 cataphracts he took count of losses and noticed that very few of his men had died, and so he ordered his horse archers of which there were 9,000 of forward. These horse archers were on extremely fast and mobile horses that were faster than that of the allied cavalry. The horse archers encompassed the Roman squares, and some even dared to run in between the squares shooting the romans as they passed. The Roman confidence fell dramatically as they watched as the Parthians arrows punched through shields and armour, and bit into the flesh beneath. Countless Romans fell in the first wave, and even more were wounded as feet were pinned to the floor and hands to shields. After the Parthians rode in and fired, then retreated the Romans thought they were safe, however they were not as the Parthians were able to shoot over their left shoulder and behind them. This shot has been branded the Parthian Shot and in later medieval times it led to the name of the ‘Passing Shot’. This led to a constant barrage of arrows that continued to kill, maim and wound the Roman infantry that were helpless before the onslaught. Crassus allowed his men to weather this storm of arrows as he knew the horse archers were not able to continue this amount of fire as they would soon run out of arrows.
Yet again Crassus had not anticipated the military ability of Surena. Surena had brought hundreds of laden camels along with his baggage train. Each of these camels was burdened with bundles of arrows that were used to replenish the stocks of Parthian archers who had run low or had expended their arrows. Upon seeing the Parthians retreat for the first time to go and reload, Crassus thought he had scared the Parthians into submission. Thinking he had already won he began to congratulate himself. However soon after he saw the Parthians returning, and again they began the onslaught with fresh arrows. This barrage of metal tipped death continued for most of the day, and all the Roman infantry could do was cower under their shields and pray to the Gods that they did not get hit.
Crassus tried several tactics including that of the testudo, this translates as the ‘turtle’. The testudo was a tactic used to weather storms of arrows and gave protection from all sides. It consisted of the front ranks crouching behind their shields and the ranks behind holding the shields above their heads to stop any arrows from being shot overhead, whilst the sides faced outwards to show a wall of shields to any enemy. At the beginning of Crassus using this, it was a huge success, few arrows met their targets and Roman casualties and wounded began to dwindle in number, and so Crassus began to feel a lot safer as he knew Roman discipline would last as long as the testudo formation held. Surena knowing that his arrows were having little effect now ordered his cataphracts to charge the Roman testudo formations. The Romans not being able to see what was heading their way waited patiently, the arrow storm then slackened as the cataphracts smashed into the testudo formations. These formations limited any fighting capability and were a prime target for charging cavalry as they dealt huge damage and caused many casualties. These testudo formations were smashed apart and as the Romans began to beat off these cataphracts the horse archers rushed back in and began firing again. This occurred several times until Crassus finally gave up and reformed his men into the squares.
Publius, Crassus’ son requested command of a contingent of cavalry and infantry and charge the horse archers to beat them back, and give the infantry time to reform. This was aimed to begin Publius military career, as he was an aspiring young man who it is believed would have had a distinguished career if it weren’t for Carrhae. Crassus relented and allowed his son to foolishly charge the enemy ranks. Publius was given around 1,300 cavalry, including his loyal Gallic cavalry, five hundred archers and 8 cohorts of infantry, reaching a total of around 4,000 men.
Publius led these men towards Parthian ranks, at first it seemed a huge success as his contingent chased after the fleeing Parthians. At around a mile from the main force and out of view of the main body of the army the Parthians who had been feigning retreat, turned around and with the help of the cataphracts ended up encircling Publius and his men. Publius and his 4,000 men were now surrounded, and completely cut off from the main force. The horse archers showered the Romans with a relentless storm of arrows, slaughtering all who were struck. Publius and his men charged in amongst the Parthian ranks hoping to break out and be reunited with the main force. As Publius charged the cataphracts charged in to meet Publius and his men. Publius and his men fought bravely, but fought to the death and managed to kill very few Parthians by pulling them off their horses or hamstringing their horses, or maiming them. Publius and his survivors of the initial onslaught took refuge on a hill and Publius requested that he be killed by one of his men, rather than be taking alive. It is also rumoured that some men were allowed to return to the main body of the army as they showed outstanding bravery, however it was only 20 men of the original of 4,000.
This small column of men returned to the main force and instantly the news spread that Publius had been slain in battle and his 4,000 man force were utterly destroyed. Again Surena showed his military brilliance. He ordered Publius head to be decapitated and placed on a spear. This was then paraded in front of the Roman force and more importantly in front of Crassus, who upon seeing his sons bloody head on a spear, was so shocked that he faltered upon what to do next, and let his men weather the storm of arrows that had relentlessly continued. Surena not only showed his military brilliance through feats on the battlefield but he had now utterly crushed the will and resolve of the Roman commander.
The storm of arrows continued until nightfall, when at last the Parthians withdrew as it became too dark to shoot. Crassus ordered the retreat back to the town of Carrhae where he reformed his men and the small garrison there. However upon retreating he had left 4,000 Roman wounded behind. Some of these men opted for a mercy death whilst others offered to hold the Parthians off for as long as they could. Crassus now was mentally and physically drained after his son’s death, he no longer had the mental capacity to continue on with the campaign and was so swallowed in his own grief that he was no longer seen as in command of his army which he had paid for. His subordinates Longinus and another commander, Octavius led the men back to Carrhae where they stayed some of the night. Knowing that Carrhae could not hold out for a relief column as the majority of the army was made up of the legions from the East, and that there were limited provisions. Longinus and his legion that were loyal to him and him alone, went around the Roman camp telling men that they were heading back West towards Rome, and anyone was welcome to follow and they needn’t worry about the charge of desertion. Therefore in the midst of night, Longinus along with around 6,000-10,000 men broke camp and headed back to Roman territory. The rest of the commanders including Octavius decided that the rest of the Roman army should head north to Armenia where the Armenian King they thought was waiting for them, to aid them in their conquest. Little did they know that the Armenian King had been defeated by Orodes, King of Parthia and had secured an alliance with Orodes. A Parthian sympathizer named Andromachus, offered to guide the Romans to the hills in the north. Octavius along with around 500 men fled before the Roman army could mobilise and reached the hills to the North and waited on a ridge for the remaining forces, which would never arrive.
Crassus still grieving for his son, agreed with his commander’s suggestion and at early morning, the remaining forces of the Roman army formed up and at dawn began the short march to the hills. However again this Roman army was beseeched by a traitor in their midst, it was their guide, Andromachus. He led them far from the hills but still in the general direction so the Romans believed they were getting closer. The Parthian caught up with the Romans as they were just a mile away from safety. Upon seeing the Parthian army catching the Roman army up, Octavius and his 500 men moved down from the mountains and were reunited with the main force.
Again the Romans were faced by the Parthian horde on a low dune in front of them. However this time discipline cracked and they demanded that Crassus demand terms. Facing revolt from his troops Crassus relented and agreed to meet Surena under a white flag. Surena rode down halfway and with a small bodyguard waited for Crassus and his commanders. There are many reports on what happened when Crassus met Surena. The first is that a scuffle broke out and Crassus along with his commanders was slain, and upon seeing their commanders cut down the remaining troops scattered or surrendered, leading to the end of Crassus campaign. However the differing idea is that Crassus was in fact wounded and captured along with 10,000 of his men and marched to Seleucia where they were paraded through the streets and Crassus was executed. It has been said that molten gold was poured down his throat as a final insult and mockery of his greed.
Aftermath of the Battle
The total butchers bill for Carrhae was a huge blow for Roman prestige and led to several myths being created that were believed for many centuries. The death toll for the Romans included 20,000 dead, 10,000 escaped and 10,000 captured. Not only were 10,000 legionaries captured but also several eagle standards of these legions. These eagles not only represented the spirit and soul of a Roman army but they also inspired many legionaries to commit brave acts, and to drop or even allow the eagle to be captured was seen as the highest dishonour any legion could experience. These eagles were taken further east and later decorated the throne room of King Orodes II. In the year of 20 BC, the Roman eagles that were captured were returned to Rome during the reign of Emperor Augustus, thus marking a huge diplomatic success for the Roman Empire, and increasing the Emperor Augustus’ prestige. These captured men totalled to around one and a half to two legions strength. These captured legionaries were marched to Margiana (modern day Pakistan) and were used as slaves or were even used as border guards and were used to beat back Parthia’s many enemies such as the Scythians.
Unfortunately after the battle of Carrhae, the situation became dire for the adept General Surena. After all his force was only meant to slow the Roman advance, and was not meant to crush the Romans into submission and eventually the annihilation of Crassus and his army. Therefore after King Orodes who had just beaten the King of Armenia and had made Armenia a kingdom under Parthian rule this King not only recognised Surena as a mastermind tactician but he also regarded him as a threat to his rule. As Orodes had only a few years previous claimed the Parthian throne through a struggle of civil war, he saw Surena as a threat to his succession and therefore had him executed.
The myths that were created were that no Roman army could beat the Parthians in a pitched battle, which was proved to be false time and time again as Parthia in retaliation invaded Syria and were eventually beaten back. However this myth was reinforced in the year of 40 BC when Prince Pacorus of Parthia invaded Syria and defeating the governor of Syria and thus overrunning the entire province, not only did they capture the province of Syria but Pacorus and the rebel Romans general Labienus also placed a puppet King on the throne, Antigonus, who became ‘King of the Jews’. Although this was short lived as the Roman general Ventidius retook Syria for the Roman Empire it was still used as an example where the foot infantry of the Roman Empire were unable to combat against the highly mobile Parthian forces.
In conclusion and after extensive research, this essay has been able to answer the question of ‘was the Battle of Carrhae truly a military disaster or was it down to the military genius of General Surena’? General Surena although in the minds of many has been branded as a military genius and that his tactics throughout the Battle of Carrhae thwarted any Roman attempts to engage and defeat the Parthians in a pitched battle; however this is not entirely true. Although Surena had the ability to predict the notion that his horse archers would need countless bundles of arrows to enable them to shower the Roman army in a continuous hail of iron and wood. However the general tactics that he used were not only outdated but in many ways they were the traditional Parthian tactics. His initial cataphracts charge which was characteristic of many Parthian generals as the cataphracts were designed to crush the discipline and morale of any opposing army, however when this did not work he merely sent in his archers to ‘soften’ up the Roman infantry. Not only that but when the Romans under the command of Publius charged the horse archers merely fell back, as this again was the traditional tactic. The horse archers were never well armed or had heavy armour that could deflect weapon thrusts, instead they wore cloth and leather to offer minimal protection without weighting down their horses, therefore when charged by heavily armed cavalry they would have fallen back to protect themselves, and to lure the enemy cavalry into a trap where they could be surrounded and picked off.
However some credit must go to Surena as the idea of playing the psychological warfare on Crassus by parading the decapitated head of his son, was indeed a stroke of genius as it reduced Crassus to nothing more than a mourning wreck whom had very little control or authority left over his army and commanders. The disaster as that is all Carrhae can be referred to as, was also down to the idiocy of Crassus for several deciding factors. Firstly he did not in any form take heed of advice that was given to him from experienced commanders such as his deputy Longinus. He trusted guides and chieftains who were not of a Roman bloodline and who subsequently led him into two traps in two days. Not only this but although advised by Longinus and several other legates of his army he took the shortest yet most dangerous route to his goal: Seleucia. Instead of accepting aid in Armenia where around 4,000 extra cavalry was promised to him and travelling through the mountains he instead made his army trek the wastelands of Mesopotamia. If he had have accepted Armenia’s aid then he would have been safe from Parthian attack on an open plain where their full mobility could be utilised, also although not known to Crassus but he would most likely have ended up engaging King Orodes army which if Crassus won then he would have had a bargaining chip with the Parthians as their ruler was in Roman control.
Overall Carrhae can be described as a military disaster due to the inability for Crassus to command and his idiotic mistakes which were abundant before and during the battle.
Bibliography
Books
The Forgotten legion – Ben Kane (2008)
The Defeat of Rome in the East: Crassus, the Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC – Gareth C. Sampson (2008)
Internet Sites
http://www.silk-road.com/artl/carrhae.shtml - The Deadly Banners of Carrhae – Robert Collins
http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/harran/carrhae-battle.html
http://www.livius.org/su-sz/surena/surena.html
http://www.historynet.com/roman-persian-wars-battle-of-carrhae.htm
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/trivia/carrhae.html
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/History/ashkanian/surena.htm
Videos
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Part 3 -
Upon hearing the military successes of the others within the triumvirate, Crassus decided it was time to equal his rival’s military prowess. With this thought Crassus decided to travel east and set his armies loose with the intent to invade Parthia, Rome’s age old rival with the idea of raiding the capital city, Seleucia and gaining even more riches, which he did not need, however his greed knew no bounds. This victory over Parthia would ensure Crassus’ popularity with the mob (plebeians) of Rome and he would gain his triumph, which was a march through the streets of Rome highlighting a military success, therefore increasing his position within the triumvirate and moving one step closer to becoming the dictator of Rome which he so desired and in fact craved for.
Crassus often said that ‘a man did not have enough money until he could buy an army’ and now Crassus had the chance to do just that. He sent envoys out to several legates (commander of a legion) in hope that they would respond to his summons, of course in return of being paid a substantial fund, as for Crassus he would spend all of his wealth to achieve his sole ambition of becoming the most important citizen in the Roman Republic. Therefore after sending many envoys, his army began to arrive at the port for the East, Brundisium. Crassus had managed to purchase, 35,000 legionaries – around 7 legions – and 4,000 light infantry. However it has always been said that Crassus’ biggest mistake was his lack of cavalry as the Parthians army makeup consisted of all mounted warriors and no foot, and in the end this hypothesis proved to be correct at Carrhae. Crassus arrived in Syria in late 55BC where he awaited his son Publius to arrive with 1,000 Gallic cavalry that he had commanded under Caesar in Gaul, this was a huge boost to Crassus and his army as it brought experienced veterans to his army and a competent commander, along with creating the total of 4,000 allied cavalry. Not only this but the King of Armenia, Artavasdes who had previously been annexed and made a client King of Rome, promised Crassus 6,000 cavalry to bring his host of cavalry to 10,000 which could match any Parthian army that was sent to hinder Crassus. Once arriving in Syria, Artavasdes offered Crassus this extra cavalry and a host of other cavalry if Crassus took the route through the mountains and through Armenia, however Crassus proved to commit a fatal mistake at this early stage by declining his allies aid.
Upon hearing of this war to invade Parthia many senators of the Roman Republic were outraged as although Parthia and Rome had always had a strained history, Crassus’ action would shatter the current treaty that had been maintained for many years, and kept the eastern provinces of Roman territory safe. One senator, Cicero even stated ‘nulla causa’ which when translated means, with no justification. This supports the fact that Crassus truly was declaring war just to gain glory, as there had been no threats, no breaking of the treaty from Parthia instead it was Crassus’ greed and selfishness that ultimately led to the destabilisation of the East for decades to come and thousands of deaths all in the glory of one old senator.
As stated earlier Crassus main goal was that of Seleucia the capital of Parthia, and the centre of the Parthian Empires riches. And so in 54-53 BC, Crassus began his march towards the Parthian Empire’s borders, which was marked by the River Euphrates, this river also marked the end to Roman Civilization and beyond the desert of Mesopotamia. However in late 54BC Crassus decided instead of attacking directly he instead garrisoned a fifth of his army in towns that bordered the Euphrates, the only explanation that I myself can think of is that Crassus wished to purposefully antagonise the Parthians into sending a mighty host so Crassus could defeat this army and gain glory and fame from the mob in Rome, yet it proves throughout his campaign Crassus proved to be an inefficient and incompetent general, better suited to the deadly politics of Rome than the battlefield. During the winter of 54BC as every Roman Army, Crassus waited the winter rather than campaign. Therefore when 53BC Crassus crossed the Euphrates at Zeugma and began his disastrous journey.
Again Crassus was advised to go north and pass through the mountains where he would be safe from the Parthian cavalry as they would be unable to mobilise in the steep terrain. The offer of 6,000 allied cavalry did nothing to sway Crassus into taking the sensible option. Knowing that his commander would not take the safest route, Gaius Cassius Longinus, advised Crassus to follow the Euphrates to the city of Babylon which would be a start to the campaign, and would be a crushing blow to the Parthian’s morale. He also advised that this was the most sensible path as it would offer a natural border to prevent being outflanked by the Parthian cavalry and would secure fresh water supplies for the Roman army. But again Crassus declined all advice and instead decided to march across the desert of Mesopotamia and march straight to Seleucia, again this proved to be another fatal mistake by Crassus. It would be a discredit to Crassus to state that he didn’t listen to any advice, yet it was the wrong advice that he listened to that ultimately led to the deaths of so many men. Crassus instead of listening to his veteran general Cassius Longinus, instead he decided to listen to Ariamnes a chieftain guide who stated that his men had not scouted any Parthian host in the vicinity, and the best route was across the desert of Mesopotamia. With the use of hindsight, we now know that Ariamnes was in fact being paid by the Parthians to lead the Romans to the Parthian army. On the eve before the battle Ariamnes asked permission from Crassus to use his men to scout further than the Roman scouts, Crassus accepted this and used it as a means to lay his legates minds at rest. However come morning when the scouts were expected to return there was no sight of the traitorous chieftain. Instead Ariamnes had lead Crassus and his army directly to the Parthian host. A host that was not in any means intimidating.
This host of Parthians was led by General Surena, an exceptional general who fought under the banner of King Orodes II, King of Parthia. The host that Surena commanded was only meant as a scouting force that was to keep the Romans wary whilst Orodes II dealt with the Armenian Kings army in Armenia who a few weeks previously had sent a request to Crassus for aid in return to help conquer Parthia. It now seemed Crassus had sealed the fate of his army, and that of the Armenian Kings. Surena was sent to slow the advance of the Roman host and it was not intended for him to destroy and utterly rout the Roman legionaries whose feats had been described across the World. General Surena had 9,000 horse archers under his command and 1,000 cataphracts. Cataphracts were perceived as the greatest danger to Crassus as the rider and horse were mailed from head to foot, and were exceptionally dangerous in a full frontal charge; however this assumption would prove to be invalid, as Crassus would soon discover.
Upon seeing this Parthian host, that which he had anticipated Crassus again went against the advice of his legates and instead of allowing his exhausted men to rest the night before forcing battle in the morning he decided it was time to attack. He was encouraged further by learning that his army outnumbered that of the Parthians by 4 to 1. Upon hearing this Crassus formed his men up and began his advance, which he thought would lead to glory above all else but would ultimately lead to his untimely death.
The Battle
With the beginning of the Battle of Carrhae Crassus formed his men up into the traditional formation of cavalry on the wings and the infantry in a line and several ranks deep, as this had won countless battles before by previous Roman commanders it was a sure fire way to achieve victory at Carrhae. The Roman army continued its advance and again Crassus acting against his commander’s advice crossed the nearby river of Balissus (Balikh) and continued the advance. Noticing that his enemy consisted of all mounted units, Crassus ordered his men into hollow squares that would work against flanking but would enable the Parthians to run in-between the Roman squares and pepper them with arrows from all sides. Upon seeing the Romans halt Surena commanded his men to utilise his war drums and other instruments that would grate on the nerves of the Romans. As the crescendo came to a close he ordered his cataphracts to remove their cloth coverings, which revealed the intimidating site of mailed horse and man lining the ridge above the Romans. However this did not have the desired effect on the Romans as these were the most disciplined force on the Earth at this current time and were drilled to not waver nor run in the face of overwhelming odds. This mixed with their countless hours of training gave the Romans a sense of confidence that no other army felt whilst facing this mighty host which was the pride of the Roman army. Seeing that this had no effect, Surena ordered his cataphracts to charge the Roman lines. The cataphracts thundered down the ridge and lowering their lances charged full tilt at the waiting Roman lines. The Romans did not run, buckle nor give ground like any normal foe that faces the cataphracts. Surena used the traditional Parthian tactic of using his mailed cavalry to break the morale of the enemy army in one simple charge. Surena was impressed again by the resoluteness of the Romans as they beat back the determined cataphracts assault time and time again. Eventually Surena recalled his cataphracts and instead tried a different more terrifying and deadly tactic that would lead to the eventual ruin of Crassus and his host.
After recalling his 1,000 cataphracts he took count of losses and noticed that very few of his men had died, and so he ordered his horse archers of which there were 9,000 of forward. These horse archers were on extremely fast and mobile horses that were faster than that of the allied cavalry. The horse archers encompassed the Roman squares, and some even dared to run in between the squares shooting the romans as they passed. The Roman confidence fell dramatically as they watched as the Parthians arrows punched through shields and armour, and bit into the flesh beneath. Countless Romans fell in the first wave, and even more were wounded as feet were pinned to the floor and hands to shields. After the Parthians rode in and fired, then retreated the Romans thought they were safe, however they were not as the Parthians were able to shoot over their left shoulder and behind them. This shot has been branded the Parthian Shot and in later medieval times it led to the name of the ‘Passing Shot’. This led to a constant barrage of arrows that continued to kill, maim and wound the Roman infantry that were helpless before the onslaught. Crassus allowed his men to weather this storm of arrows as he knew the horse archers were not able to continue this amount of fire as they would soon run out of arrows.
Yet again Crassus had not anticipated the military ability of Surena. Surena had brought hundreds of laden camels along with his baggage train. Each of these camels was burdened with bundles of arrows that were used to replenish the stocks of Parthian archers who had run low or had expended their arrows. Upon seeing the Parthians retreat for the first time to go and reload, Crassus thought he had scared the Parthians into submission. Thinking he had already won he began to congratulate himself. However soon after he saw the Parthians returning, and again they began the onslaught with fresh arrows. This barrage of metal tipped death continued for most of the day, and all the Roman infantry could do was cower under their shields and pray to the Gods that they did not get hit.
Crassus tried several tactics including that of the testudo, this translates as the ‘turtle’. The testudo was a tactic used to weather storms of arrows and gave protection from all sides. It consisted of the front ranks crouching behind their shields and the ranks behind holding the shields above their heads to stop any arrows from being shot overhead, whilst the sides faced outwards to show a wall of shields to any enemy. At the beginning of Crassus using this, it was a huge success, few arrows met their targets and Roman casualties and wounded began to dwindle in number, and so Crassus began to feel a lot safer as he knew Roman discipline would last as long as the testudo formation held. Surena knowing that his arrows were having little effect now ordered his cataphracts to charge the Roman testudo formations. The Romans not being able to see what was heading their way waited patiently, the arrow storm then slackened as the cataphracts smashed into the testudo formations. These formations limited any fighting capability and were a prime target for charging cavalry as they dealt huge damage and caused many casualties. These testudo formations were smashed apart and as the Romans began to beat off these cataphracts the horse archers rushed back in and began firing again. This occurred several times until Crassus finally gave up and reformed his men into the squares.
Publius, Crassus’ son requested command of a contingent of cavalry and infantry and charge the horse archers to beat them back, and give the infantry time to reform. This was aimed to begin Publius military career, as he was an aspiring young man who it is believed would have had a distinguished career if it weren’t for Carrhae. Crassus relented and allowed his son to foolishly charge the enemy ranks. Publius was given around 1,300 cavalry, including his loyal Gallic cavalry, five hundred archers and 8 cohorts of infantry, reaching a total of around 4,000 men.
Publius led these men towards Parthian ranks, at first it seemed a huge success as his contingent chased after the fleeing Parthians. At around a mile from the main force and out of view of the main body of the army the Parthians who had been feigning retreat, turned around and with the help of the cataphracts ended up encircling Publius and his men. Publius and his 4,000 men were now surrounded, and completely cut off from the main force. The horse archers showered the Romans with a relentless storm of arrows, slaughtering all who were struck. Publius and his men charged in amongst the Parthian ranks hoping to break out and be reunited with the main force. As Publius charged the cataphracts charged in to meet Publius and his men. Publius and his men fought bravely, but fought to the death and managed to kill very few Parthians by pulling them off their horses or hamstringing their horses, or maiming them. Publius and his survivors of the initial onslaught took refuge on a hill and Publius requested that he be killed by one of his men, rather than be taking alive. It is also rumoured that some men were allowed to return to the main body of the army as they showed outstanding bravery, however it was only 20 men of the original of 4,000.
This small column of men returned to the main force and instantly the news spread that Publius had been slain in battle and his 4,000 man force were utterly destroyed. Again Surena showed his military brilliance. He ordered Publius head to be decapitated and placed on a spear. This was then paraded in front of the Roman force and more importantly in front of Crassus, who upon seeing his sons bloody head on a spear, was so shocked that he faltered upon what to do next, and let his men weather the storm of arrows that had relentlessly continued. Surena not only showed his military brilliance through feats on the battlefield but he had now utterly crushed the will and resolve of the Roman commander.
The storm of arrows continued until nightfall, when at last the Parthians withdrew as it became too dark to shoot. Crassus ordered the retreat back to the town of Carrhae where he reformed his men and the small garrison there. However upon retreating he had left 4,000 Roman wounded behind. Some of these men opted for a mercy death whilst others offered to hold the Parthians off for as long as they could. Crassus now was mentally and physically drained after his son’s death, he no longer had the mental capacity to continue on with the campaign and was so swallowed in his own grief that he was no longer seen as in command of his army which he had paid for. His subordinates Longinus and another commander, Octavius led the men back to Carrhae where they stayed some of the night. Knowing that Carrhae could not hold out for a relief column as the majority of the army was made up of the legions from the East, and that there were limited provisions. Longinus and his legion that were loyal to him and him alone, went around the Roman camp telling men that they were heading back West towards Rome, and anyone was welcome to follow and they needn’t worry about the charge of desertion. Therefore in the midst of night, Longinus along with around 6,000-10,000 men broke camp and headed back to Roman territory. The rest of the commanders including Octavius decided that the rest of the Roman army should head north to Armenia where the Armenian King they thought was waiting for them, to aid them in their conquest. Little did they know that the Armenian King had been defeated by Orodes, King of Parthia and had secured an alliance with Orodes. A Parthian sympathizer named Andromachus, offered to guide the Romans to the hills in the north. Octavius along with around 500 men fled before the Roman army could mobilise and reached the hills to the North and waited on a ridge for the remaining forces, which would never arrive.
Crassus still grieving for his son, agreed with his commander’s suggestion and at early morning, the remaining forces of the Roman army formed up and at dawn began the short march to the hills. However again this Roman army was beseeched by a traitor in their midst, it was their guide, Andromachus. He led them far from the hills but still in the general direction so the Romans believed they were getting closer. The Parthian caught up with the Romans as they were just a mile away from safety. Upon seeing the Parthian army catching the Roman army up, Octavius and his 500 men moved down from the mountains and were reunited with the main force.
Again the Romans were faced by the Parthian horde on a low dune in front of them. However this time discipline cracked and they demanded that Crassus demand terms. Facing revolt from his troops Crassus relented and agreed to meet Surena under a white flag. Surena rode down halfway and with a small bodyguard waited for Crassus and his commanders. There are many reports on what happened when Crassus met Surena. The first is that a scuffle broke out and Crassus along with his commanders was slain, and upon seeing their commanders cut down the remaining troops scattered or surrendered, leading to the end of Crassus campaign. However the differing idea is that Crassus was in fact wounded and captured along with 10,000 of his men and marched to Seleucia where they were paraded through the streets and Crassus was executed. It has been said that molten gold was poured down his throat as a final insult and mockery of his greed.
Aftermath of the Battle
The total butchers bill for Carrhae was a huge blow for Roman prestige and led to several myths being created that were believed for many centuries. The death toll for the Romans included 20,000 dead, 10,000 escaped and 10,000 captured. Not only were 10,000 legionaries captured but also several eagle standards of these legions. These eagles not only represented the spirit and soul of a Roman army but they also inspired many legionaries to commit brave acts, and to drop or even allow the eagle to be captured was seen as the highest dishonour any legion could experience. These eagles were taken further east and later decorated the throne room of King Orodes II. In the year of 20 BC, the Roman eagles that were captured were returned to Rome during the reign of Emperor Augustus, thus marking a huge diplomatic success for the Roman Empire, and increasing the Emperor Augustus’ prestige. These captured men totalled to around one and a half to two legions strength. These captured legionaries were marched to Margiana (modern day Pakistan) and were used as slaves or were even used as border guards and were used to beat back Parthia’s many enemies such as the Scythians.
Unfortunately after the battle of Carrhae, the situation became dire for the adept General Surena. After all his force was only meant to slow the Roman advance, and was not meant to crush the Romans into submission and eventually the annihilation of Crassus and his army. Therefore after King Orodes who had just beaten the King of Armenia and had made Armenia a kingdom under Parthian rule this King not only recognised Surena as a mastermind tactician but he also regarded him as a threat to his rule. As Orodes had only a few years previous claimed the Parthian throne through a struggle of civil war, he saw Surena as a threat to his succession and therefore had him executed.
The myths that were created were that no Roman army could beat the Parthians in a pitched battle, which was proved to be false time and time again as Parthia in retaliation invaded Syria and were eventually beaten back. However this myth was reinforced in the year of 40 BC when Prince Pacorus of Parthia invaded Syria and defeating the governor of Syria and thus overrunning the entire province, not only did they capture the province of Syria but Pacorus and the rebel Romans general Labienus also placed a puppet King on the throne, Antigonus, who became ‘King of the Jews’. Although this was short lived as the Roman general Ventidius retook Syria for the Roman Empire it was still used as an example where the foot infantry of the Roman Empire were unable to combat against the highly mobile Parthian forces.
In conclusion and after extensive research, this essay has been able to answer the question of ‘was the Battle of Carrhae truly a military disaster or was it down to the military genius of General Surena’? General Surena although in the minds of many has been branded as a military genius and that his tactics throughout the Battle of Carrhae thwarted any Roman attempts to engage and defeat the Parthians in a pitched battle; however this is not entirely true. Although Surena had the ability to predict the notion that his horse archers would need countless bundles of arrows to enable them to shower the Roman army in a continuous hail of iron and wood. However the general tactics that he used were not only outdated but in many ways they were the traditional Parthian tactics. His initial cataphracts charge which was characteristic of many Parthian generals as the cataphracts were designed to crush the discipline and morale of any opposing army, however when this did not work he merely sent in his archers to ‘soften’ up the Roman infantry. Not only that but when the Romans under the command of Publius charged the horse archers merely fell back, as this again was the traditional tactic. The horse archers were never well armed or had heavy armour that could deflect weapon thrusts, instead they wore cloth and leather to offer minimal protection without weighting down their horses, therefore when charged by heavily armed cavalry they would have fallen back to protect themselves, and to lure the enemy cavalry into a trap where they could be surrounded and picked off.
However some credit must go to Surena as the idea of playing the psychological warfare on Crassus by parading the decapitated head of his son, was indeed a stroke of genius as it reduced Crassus to nothing more than a mourning wreck whom had very little control or authority left over his army and commanders. The disaster as that is all Carrhae can be referred to as, was also down to the idiocy of Crassus for several deciding factors. Firstly he did not in any form take heed of advice that was given to him from experienced commanders such as his deputy Longinus. He trusted guides and chieftains who were not of a Roman bloodline and who subsequently led him into two traps in two days. Not only this but although advised by Longinus and several other legates of his army he took the shortest yet most dangerous route to his goal: Seleucia. Instead of accepting aid in Armenia where around 4,000 extra cavalry was promised to him and travelling through the mountains he instead made his army trek the wastelands of Mesopotamia. If he had have accepted Armenia’s aid then he would have been safe from Parthian attack on an open plain where their full mobility could be utilised, also although not known to Crassus but he would most likely have ended up engaging King Orodes army which if Crassus won then he would have had a bargaining chip with the Parthians as their ruler was in Roman control.
Overall Carrhae can be described as a military disaster due to the inability for Crassus to command and his idiotic mistakes which were abundant before and during the battle.
Bibliography
Books
The Forgotten legion – Ben Kane (2008)
The Defeat of Rome in the East: Crassus, the Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC – Gareth C. Sampson (2008)
Internet Sites
http://www.silk-road.com/artl/carrhae.shtml - The Deadly Banners of Carrhae – Robert Collins
http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/harran/carrhae-battle.html
http://www.livius.org/su-sz/surena/surena.html
http://www.historynet.com/roman-persian-wars-battle-of-carrhae.htm
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/trivia/carrhae.html
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/History/ashkanian/surena.htm
Videos
Part 1 -
Part 2 -
Part 3 -
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Events: EU / Saturday Linebattle
« on: November 13, 2012, 01:08:45 pm »Saturday Linebattle
Updated rule set with new artillery regulations
> Rockets per team is maxed at 3, may be subject to change depending on their usefulness/uselesness (debatable)
> 2 maximum cannons per team as always, (round shot)
> 2 maximum howitzers per team (cannot take 2 howitzers + 2 cannons)
> Can have 1 of each cannon type[/img][/center]
Official Trailer
Ok so the time has come for another weekly linebattle that is solely for the purpose of new, and even experienced regiments so that everyone has a fair chance to participate in events and is able to show themselves to everyone, and more importantly to just have fun.
Requirements
>Line maximum is 25 and the minimum is 6
>Light maximum is 14 and minimum is 6
>Cavalry maximum is 15 and minimum is 8
>Artillery maximum is 12 and minimum is 4, (maximumu number of guards allowed is
Where? Nw_Official_Servers
Servers Donated by players
When? 7:30pm GMT for British
8:30pm GMT for all other EU
2:30pm GMT EST
Who? Anyone is welcome
Rules
Not many just a few outlines to make sure not too many rage about dying:
> No double gunning
> Stand in a line
> If your regiment has less than 3 men in it no ramboing join another line.
> No crouching whilst firing (except rifles) or reloading
> Dragoons can shoot off horseback, but must be in a stationary line. When retreating Dragoons may spread out. When reloading Dragoons must be in a stationary line
> If you are the last two of a cavalry regiment you must dismount and join a line
> Cavalry officers are allowed to shoot off horseback with the pistol
> Any non-regimentals will be temp banned from the server due to previous experiences, if you wish to invite a non-regimental he MUST WEAR TAGS, only tagged members will be allowed to partcipate
> Maximum of 2 captains per regiment (class)
Updated rule set with new artillery regulations
> Rockets per team is maxed at 3, may be subject to change depending on their usefulness/uselesness (debatable)
> 2 maximum cannons per team as always, (round shot)
> 2 maximum howitzers per team (cannot take 2 howitzers + 2 cannons)
> Can have 1 of each cannon type
Saturday Linebattle Videos
Spoiler
77y- shot by DiplexHeatedHD
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
8lr-shot by BlackVampire
=> Part 1
=> Part 2;
=> Part 3
FK cav recording
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv7bQdEBpVE&feature=youtu.be
3te_KLR
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
8lr-shot by BlackVampire
=> Part 1
=> Part 2;
=> Part 3
FK cav recording
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv7bQdEBpVE&feature=youtu.be
3te_KLR
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To ensure your regiment has a place in the weekly linebattle there is a meeting on the 22nd Teamspeak server, IP address:
ts.22nd.eu
Times for your area
7pm-British time
8pm-Rest of EU
2pm-EST
At this meeting factions are decided as are what server you will be placed and what class you will be asigned too. If you are not at this meeting or a representative of your regiment is not you will be asked to leave if you turn up.
PM on the forums or my steam is : fieldtoby if you have any further queries or questions needing to be asked
Admins
Admins will be chosen and appointed by me, they will be appointed on a number of skills mainly thier ability to prevent flame wars and to recognise the thin line of right or wrong. There will be a new admin password for the event and only i and the admins will know it. If this password is hacked or given out the person will be permanently banned. The current admins are as follows
52nd_Crusader
77y_Aztir
Angel
Gokiller
Jasper
Vampire
Rudovich - Honourary
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