Justin: HISTORIARVM PHILIPPICARVM T. POMPEII TROGI LIBRI XLIV IN EPITOMEN REDACTI

I. Post necem Mithridatis, Parthorum regis, Phrahates filius rex statuitur, qui cum inferre bellum in ultionem temptati ab Antiocho Parthici regni Syriae statuisset, Scytharum motibus ad sua defendenda revocatur.

1. After the killing of Mithridates, king of the Parthians, his son Phrahates is established as king; and when he had decided to wage war in vengeance for the Parthian kingdom’s having been assailed by Antiochus of Syria, he is recalled by the uprisings of the Scythians to defend his own.

2 Namque Scythae in auxilium Parthorum adversus Antiochum, Syriae regem, mercede sollicitati cum confecto bello iam supervenissent et calumnia tardius lati auxilii mercede fraudarentur, dolentes tantum itineris frustra emensum, cum vel stipendium pro vexatione vel alium hostem dari sibi poscerent, superbo responso offensi fines Parthorum vastare coeperunt.

2 For the Scythians, solicited by a wage to aid the Parthians against Antiochus, king of Syria, when, with the war concluded, they had now arrived and, by a calumny, on the ground that the aid had been too tardily brought, were defrauded of the wage, grieving that so great a journey had been traversed in vain, since they demanded that either a stipend be given them for their vexation or another enemy be assigned to them, offended by a haughty answer, began to devastate the borders of the Parthians.

3 Igitur Phrahates, cum adversus eos proficisceretur, ad tutelam regni reliquit Himerum quendam pueritiae sibi flore conciliatum, qui tyrannica crudelitate oblitus et vitae praeteritae et vicarii officii Babylonios multasque alias civitates inportune vexavit.

3 Therefore Phrahates, when he was setting out against them, left for the guardianship of the kingdom a certain Himerus, won to himself by the flower of boyhood, who, with tyrannical cruelty, forgetful both of his past life and of the vicar’s office, inopportunely vexed the Babylonians and many other cities.

4 Ipse autem Phrahates exercitum Graecorum, quem bello Antiochi captum superbe crudeliterque tractaverat, in bellum secum ducit, inmemor prorsus quod hostiles eorum animos nec captivitas minuerat et insuper iniuriarum indignitas exacerbaverat.

4 He himself, however, Phrahates, leads with him into the war the army of the Greeks, which, having been captured in the war of Antiochus, he had treated haughtily and cruelly, utterly forgetful that neither captivity had diminished their hostile spirits, and, moreover, the indignity of the injuries had exacerbated them.

5 Itaque cum inclinatam Parthorum aciem vidissent, arma ad hostes transtulere et diu cupitam captivitatis ultionem exercitus Parthici et ipsius Phrahatis regis cruenta caede exsecuti sunt.

5 And so, when they saw the Parthians’ battle-line inclining, they transferred their arms to the enemy and executed the long-desired vengeance for captivity by the bloody slaughter of the Parthian army and of Phrahates the king himself.

II. In huius locum Artabanus, patruus eius, rex substituitur. Scythae autem contenti victoria depopulata Parthia in patriam revertuntur.

2. In his place Artabanus, his paternal uncle, is substituted as king. The Scythians, however, content with the victory, after Parthia had been laid waste, return to their fatherland.

2 Sed et Artabanus bello Tochariis inlato in bracchio vulneratus statim decedit.

2 But Artabanus also, when war had been brought upon the Tocharians, wounded in the arm, immediately died.

3 Huic Mithridates filius succedit, cui res gestae Magni cognomen dedere; quippe claritatem parentum aemulatione virtutis accensus animi magnitudine supergreditur.

3 To him his son Mithridates succeeds, to whom his deeds gave the cognomen “the Great”; for indeed, inflamed by an emulation of virtue, he surpasses the renown of his parents by greatness of spirit.

4 Multa igitur bella cum finitimis magna virtute gessit multosque populos Parthico regno addidit.

4 Therefore he waged many wars with the neighbors with great valor and added many peoples to the Parthian kingdom.

5 Sed et cum Scythis prospere aliquotiens dimicavit ultorque iniuriae parentum fuit.

5 But also he fought prosperously several times with the Scythians, and was the avenger of the injury to his parents.

6 Ad postremum Artoadisti, Armeniorum regi, bellum intulit.

6 At last he brought war against Artoadistes, king of the Armenians.

7 Sed quoniam in Armeniam transitum facimus, origo eius paulo altius repetenda est.

7 But since we are making a transition into Armenia, its origin must be traced back a little further.

8 Neque enim silentio regnum tantum praeteriri fas est cum fines post Parthiam omnium regnorum magnitudinem superent,

8 For it is not right that so great a kingdom be passed over in silence, since its borders, after Parthia, surpass the magnitude of all kingdoms,

9 siquidem Armenia a Cappadocia usque mare Caspium undecies centum milia patet, sed in latitudinem milia passuum septingenta porrigitur.

9 indeed Armenia extends from Cappadocia as far as the Caspian Sea for 1100 miles, but in breadth it stretches for 700 miles.

10 Condita est autem ab Armenio, Iasonis Thessali comite, quem cum perditum propter insignem periculosamque regno suo virtutem Pelias rex cuperet, denuntiata militia in Colchos abire iubet pellemque arietis memorabilem gentibus reportare, sperans interitum viri aut ex periculis tam longae navigationis aut ex bello tam profundae barbariae.

10 It was founded, moreover, by Armenius, a companion of Jason the Thessalian; and since King Pelias desired him to be destroyed on account of a distinguished valor dangerous to his own kingdom, with a levy of military service proclaimed he orders him to depart to Colchis and to bring back the ram’s fleece memorable among the nations, hoping for the man’s death either from the dangers of so long a navigation or from the war of so deep a barbarity.

11 Igitur Iason divulgata opinio ne tam gloriosae expeditionis, cum ad eum certatim principes iuventutis totius ferme orbis concurrerent, exercitum fortissimorum virorum, qui Argonautae cognominati sunt, conparavit.

11 Therefore Jason, the report of so glorious an expedition having been spread abroad, as the princes of the youth of nearly the whole world were flocking to him in emulation, assembled an army of the bravest men, who were surnamed the Argonauts.

12 Quem cum magnis rebus gestis incolumem reduxisset, rursum a Peliae filiis Thessalia magna vi pulsus cum ingenti multitudine, quae ad famam virtutis eius ex omnibus gentibus cotidie confluebat, comite Medea uxore, quam repudiatam miseratione exilii rursum receperat, et Medo, privigno ab Aegeo, rege Atheniensium, genito, Colchos repetivit socerumque Aeetam regno pulsum restituit.

12 When, after great deeds accomplished, he had brought him back safe and sound, again, driven with great force from Thessaly by the sons of Pelias, with a huge multitude—which was daily flowing together from all peoples to the report of his valor—, with Medea his wife as companion, whom, though repudiated, he had taken back again out of pity for her exile, and with Medus, his stepson, born from Aegeus, king of the Athenians, he made for Colchis and restored his father-in-law Aeetes, who had been expelled from his kingdom.

III. Magna deinde bella cum finitimis gessit captasque civitates partim regno soceri ad abolendam superioris militiae iniuriam, qua filiam eius Medeam abduxerat et filium Aegialeum interfecerat, adiunxit, partim populis, quos secum adduxerat,

3. Then he waged great wars with the neighboring peoples, and he added the captured cities partly to his father-in-law’s kingdom, to abolish the injury of his earlier campaign, in which he had carried off his daughter Medea and had slain his son Aegialeus, partly to the peoples whom he had brought with him,

2 adsignavit primusque humanorum post Herculem et Liberum, qui reges Orientis fuisse traduntur, eam caeli plagam domuisse dicitur.

2 he assigned, and as the first of humans after Hercules and Liber—who are handed down to have been kings of the East—he is said to have subdued that quarter of the sky.

3 Populis quibusdam Erygium et Amphistratum, aurigas Castoris et Pollucis, duces adsignavit.

3 To certain peoples he assigned Erygius and Amphistratus, charioteers of Castor and Pollux, as leaders.

4 Cum Albanis foedus percussit, qui Herculem ex Italia ab Albano monte, cum Geryone extincto armenta eius per Italiam duceret, secuti dicuntur, quique memores Italicac originis exercitum Cn. Pompei bello Mithridatico fratres salutavere.

4 He struck a treaty with the Albani, who are said to have followed Hercules out of Italy from Mount Albanus, when, Geryon having been slain, he was leading his herds through Italy; and who, mindful of their Italic origin, hailed the army of Gnaeus Pompeius as brothers in the Mithridatic war.

5 Itaque Iasoni totus ferme Oriens ut conditori divinos honores templaque constituit, quae Parmenion, dux Alexandri Magni, post multos annos dirui iussit, ne cuiusquam nomen in Oriente venerabilius quam Alexandri esset.

5 And so almost the whole Orient established for Jason, as founder, divine honors and temples, which Parmenion, the general of Alexander the Great, after many years ordered to be torn down, lest anyone’s name in the Orient be more venerable than Alexander’s.

6 Post mortem Iasonis Medus aemulus virtutis eius in honorem matris Mediam urbem condidit regnumque ex nomine suo Medorum constituit, sub cuius maiestate Orientis postea imperium fuit.

6 After the death of Jason, Medus, emulous of his virtue, founded the city Media in honor of his mother and established from his own name the kingdom of the Medes, under whose majesty the empire of the Orient was thereafter held.

7 Albanis vicinae Amazones sunt, quarum reginam Thalestrim concubitum Alexandri petisse multi autores prodidere.

7 The Amazons are neighbors to the Albani, and many authors have handed down that their queen Thalestris sought intercourse with Alexander.

8 Armenius quoque, et ipse Thessalus, unus de numero ducum Iasonis, recollecta multitudine, quae amisso Iasone rege passim vagabatur, Armeniam condit,

8 Armenius also, himself a Thessalian, one of the number of Jason’s leaders, having recollected the multitude which, with Jason the king lost, was wandering everywhere, founded Armenia,

9 a cuius montibus Tigris fluvius modicis primo incrementis nascitur; interiecto deinde aliquanto spatio sub terras mergitur, atque ita post quinque et XX milia passuum grande iam flumen in regione Sophene emergit ac sic in paludes Euphratis recipitur.

9 from whose mountains the river Tigris is born with modest increments at first; then, with some interval interposed, it sinks beneath the earth, and thus, after 25 miles, already a great river, it emerges in the region of Sophene and so is received into the marshes of the Euphrates.

IV. Igitur Mithridates, rex Parthorum, post bellum Armeniae propter crudelitatem a senatu Parthico regno pellitur.

4. Therefore Mithridates, king of the Parthians, after the Armenian war, was expelled from the kingdom by the Parthian senate because of his cruelty.

2 Frater eius Orodes, cum regnum vacans occupasset, Babyloniam, quo Mithridates confugerat, diu obsidet et fame coactos in deditionem oppidanos conpellit.

2 His brother Orodes, when he had occupied the kingdom lying vacant, long besieges Babylonia, whither Mithridates had fled, and compels the townsfolk, forced by hunger, into surrender.

3 Mithridates autem fiducia cognationis ultro se in potestatem Orodis tradit.

3 Mithridates, however, in confidence of kinship, of his own accord hands himself over into the power of Orodes.

4 Sed Orodes plus hostem quam fratrem cogitans in conspectu suo trucidari iussit. Post haec bellum cum Romanis gessit Crassumque imperatorem cum filio et omni exercitu Romano delevit.

4 But Orodes, thinking of him more as an enemy than as a brother, ordered him to be butchered before his own eyes. After these things he waged war with the Romans and annihilated the commander Crassus, together with his son and the entire Roman army.

5 Huius filius Pacorus missus ad persequendas Romani belli reliquias magnis rebus in Syria gestis in Parthiam patri suspectus revocatur, quo absente exercitus Parthorum relictus in Syria a Cassio, quaestore Crassi, cum omnibus ducibus trucidatur.

5 His son Pacorus, sent to pursue the remnants of the war with the Romans, after great achievements in Syria, is recalled to Parthia, being suspected by his father; and he being absent, the army of the Parthians left in Syria is butchered by Cassius, the quaestor of Crassus, together with all its leaders.

6 His ita gestis non magno post tempore Romanis inter Caesarem Pompeiumque civile bellum oritur, in quo Parthi Pompeianarum partium fuere et propter amicitiam cum Pompeio bello Mithridatico iunctam et propter Crassi necem, cuius filium in partibus Caesaris esse audierant, quem ultorem patris victore Caesare futurum non deliberabant.

6 With these things thus done, not long after, for the Romans a civil war arises between Caesar and Pompey, in which the Parthians were of the Pompeian party both on account of the friendship with Pompey joined in the Mithridatic War and on account of the killing of Crassus, whose son they had heard was in Caesar’s party, whom they did not doubt would be an avenger of his father, with Caesar victorious.

7 Itaque victis partibus Pompeianis et Cassio et Bruto auxilia adversus Augustum et Antonium misere, et post belli finem rursum Pacoro duce inita cum Labieno societate Syriam et Asiam vastavere castraque Ventidi, qui post Cassium absente Pacoro exercitum Parthicum fuderat, magna mole adgrediuntur.

7 And so, with the Pompeian party defeated, they sent auxiliaries to Cassius and Brutus against Augustus and Antony; and after the end of the war, again, with Pacorus as leader, an alliance having been entered with Labienus, they devastated Syria and Asia, and they attack with great force the camp of Ventidius, who, after Cassius, with Pacorus absent, had routed the Parthian army.

8 Sed ille simulato timore diu continuit se et insultare Parthos aliquantisper passus est. Ad postremum in securos laetosque partem legionum emisit, quarum impetu fusi Parthi in diversa abiere.

8 But he, with feigned fear, kept himself in check for a long time and allowed the Parthians to make sallies for a little while. At last, against men careless and exultant, he sent out a portion of the legions; by the onset of these, the Parthians were routed and withdrew in different directions.

9 Pacorus cum fugientes suos abduxisse secum legiones Romanas putaret, castra Ventidi, veluti sine defensoribus, adgreditur.

9 Pacorus, when he supposed that the Roman legions had drawn off with them his fleeing men, attacks the camp of Ventidius, as though without defenders.

10 Tum Ventidius reliqua parte legionum emissa universam Parthorum manum cum rege ipso Pacoro interficit; nec ullo bello Parthi umquam maius vulnus acceperunt.

10 Then Ventidius, the remaining part of the legions having been sent out, slays the entire Parthian force along with the king himself, Pacorus; nor in any war did the Parthians ever receive a greater wound.

11 Haec cum in Parthia nuntiata essent. Orodes, pater Pacori, qui paulo ante vastatam Syriam, occupatam Asiam a Parthis audierat victoremque Pacorum Romanorum gloriabatur, repente filii morte et exercitus clade audita ex dolore in furorem vertitur.

11 When these things had been announced in Parthia. Orodes, father of Pacorus, who a little before had heard that Syria had been devastated, that Asia had been occupied by the Parthians, and was boasting of Pacorus as victor over the Romans, suddenly, when the death of his son and the disaster of the army were heard, from grief is turned into frenzy.

12 Multis diebus non adloqui quemquam, non cibum sumere, non vocem mittere, ita ut etiam mutus factus videretur.

12 For many days he addressed no one, took no food, uttered no voice, so that he even seemed to have become mute.

13 Post multos deinde dies, ubi dolor vocem laxaverat, nihil aliud quam Pacorum vocabat; Pacorus illi videri, Pacorus audiri videbatur, cum illo loqui, cum illo consistere; interdum quasi amissum flebiliter dolebat.

13 After many days then, when grief had loosened his voice, he called out nothing other than “Pacorus”; Pacorus seemed to appear to him, Pacorus seemed to be heard, he seemed to speak with him, to stand with him; sometimes he mourned tearfully as for one lost.

14 Post longum deinde luctum alia sollicitudo miserandum senem invadit, quem ex numero XXX filiorum in locum Pacori regem destinet.

14 After a long lamentation, then another solicitude invades the pitiable old man: whom, out of the number of 30 sons, to destine as king in Pacorus’s place.

15 Multae paelices, ex quibus generata tanta iuventus erat, pro suis quaeque sollicitae animum senis obsidebant.

15 Many concubines, from whom so great a youth had been generated, each solicitous for her own, were besieging the old man’s mind.

16 Sed fatum Parthiae fecit, in qua iam quasi sollemne est reges parricidas haberi, ut sceleratissimus omnium, et ipse Phrahates nomine, rex statueretur.

16 But the fate of Parthia brought it about, in which now it is as though a solemn custom that kings be considered parricides, that the most wicked of all, even Phrahates by name, was set up as king.

V. Itaque statim, quasi nollet mori, patrem interfecit; fratres quoque omnes XXX trucidat. Sed nec in filiis cessant parricidia.

5. Thus at once, as if he did not wish to die, he killed his father; he also slaughtered all his brothers, 30. But neither do parricides cease among the sons.

2 Nam cum infestos sibi optimates propter adsidua scelera videret, ne esset qui nominari rex posset, adultum filium interfici iubet.

2 For when he saw the optimates hostile to him on account of his continual crimes, so that there might not be anyone who could be named king, he orders his adult son to be killed.

3 Huic Antonius propter auxilium adversus se et Caesarem latum bellum cum sedecim validissimis legionibus intulit, sed graviter multis proeliis vexatus a Parthia refugit.

3 Against him Antony, because aid had been brought against himself and Caesar, brought war with sixteen most powerful legions; but, grievously vexed by many battles, he fled back from Parthia.

4 Qua victoria insolentior Phrahates redditus, cum multa crudeliter consuleret, in exilium a populo suo pellitur.

4 By that victory rendered more insolent, Phrahates, when he was deliberating many things cruelly, is driven into exile by his own people.

5 Itaque cum magno tempore finitimas civitates, ad postremum Scythas precibus fatigasset, Scytharum maxime auxilio in regnum restituitur.

5 And so, after for a long time he had wearied with entreaties the neighboring states, and at last the Scythians, he is restored to the kingdom, chiefly by the aid of the Scythians.

6 Hoc absente regem Parthi Tiridaten quendam constituerant, qui audito adventu Scytharum cum magna amicorum manu ad Caesarem in Hispania bellum tunc temporis gerentem profugit, obsidem Caesari minimum Phrahatis filium ferens, quem neglegentius custoditum rapuerat.

6 With him absent, the Parthians had constituted as king a certain Tiridates, who, upon hearing of the advent of the Scythians, fled with a great band of friends to Caesar, who at that time was waging war in Spain, bringing to Caesar as a hostage the youngest son of Phraates, whom, being guarded too negligently, he had carried off.

7 Quo cognito Phrahates legatos statim ad Caesarem mittit, servum suum Tiridaten et filium remitti sibi postulat.

7 On learning this, Phraates immediately sends envoys to Caesar and demands that his slave Tiridates and his son be returned to him.

8 Caesar et legatione Phrahatis audita et Tiridatis postulatis cognitis (nam et ipse restitui in regnum desiderabat, iuris Romanorum futuram Parthiam adfirmans, si eius regnum muneris eorum fuisset) neque Tiridaten dediturum se Parthis dixit, neque adversus Parthos Tiridati auxilia daturum.

8 Caesar, both when the legation of Phraates had been heard and the demands of Tiridates ascertained (for he himself also desired to be restored to the kingdom, affirming that Parthia would be under Roman jurisdiction, if his kingship had been by their favor), said that he would neither hand over Tiridates to the Parthians nor give aid to Tiridates against the Parthians.

9 Ne tamen per omnia nihil a Caesare obtentum videretur, et Phrahati filium sine pretio remisit et Tiridati, quoad manere apud Romanos vellet, opulentum sumptum praeberi iussit.

9 Lest, however, it should seem that in every respect nothing had been obtained from Caesar, he both sent back to Phraates his son without price, and ordered that for Tiridates, so long as he wished to remain among the Romans, opulent maintenance be provided.

19 Post haec finito Hispaniensi bello, cum in Syriam ad conponendum Orientis statum venisset, metum Phrahati incussit, ne bellum Parthiae vellet inferre.

19 After these things, the Spanish war having been finished, when he had come into Syria to settle the status of the Orient, he struck fear into Phraates, lest he should wish to bring war against Parthia.

11 Itaque tota Parthia captivi ex Crassiano sive Antoni exercitu recollecti signaque cum his militaria Augusto remissa.

11 And so, throughout all Parthia the captives from Crassus’s or Antony’s army were collected, and the military standards were remitted to Augustus along with them.

12 Sed et filii nepotesque Phrahatis obsides Augusto dati, plusque Caesar magnitudine nominis sui fecit, quam armis facere alius imperator potuisset.

12 But also the sons and grandsons of Phraates were given as hostages to Augustus, and Caesar accomplished more by the magnitude of his name than another commander could have accomplished by arms.