Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

4o8 HISTORY OF PERSIA chap.
the terms of the surrender of all the fortresses held by
the Romans and the evacuation of Armenia, pending fresh
negotiations with Rome. The disgraced legions retired to
the Euphrates, where they met Corbulo and the relieving
army.
Once again the old Roman spirit reasserted itself, the
ambassadors from Parthia were dismissed, and Corbulo
was given full powers to conduct the war. He marched
into Armenia, where negotiations were again opened, and
peace was made on the terms that Tiridates should proceed
to Rome and receive his crown from the hands of the
Emperor. This treaty was made in a.d.
Tiridates did not
6 2 and was
reach Rome
duly observed, although
until A.D. 66.
The Investiture of Tiridates by Nero^ a.d. 66.— Tiridates
travelled to Rome by land in great state, with an escort
of three thousand Parthian cavalry, his journey costing
the Roman treasury some six thousand pounds daily
for a period of nine months. The actual ceremony of
investiture was of extreme magnificence, and Tiridates,
duly crowned, returned to Armenia in triumph. As
Rawlinson points out, the acceptance by Rome of an
Arsacid ruler in Armenia far outweighed the nominal
bestowal of the crown by Nero. In any case, the peace
between the two great empires was not again broken
for over half a century, and, as the course of events
showed, Rome was most ready to come to terms with
her formidable opponent, who on her side was unwilling
to incur the hostility of the Western Empire.
An Obscure Period of Parthian History^ a.d. 66-108.—
After the treaty with Nero, the history of Parthia, owing
mainly to the peace between the two is
great empires, so
obscure that even the names of the Kings become un-
certain. A few facts, however, illuminate this dark period.
In A.D. 69 Vespasian, who was governor of Judaea, decided
to bid for the empire, and Volagases
offered to place forty
thousand Parthian cavalry at his
disposal but his ;
generals
had already won the day in Italy, and he courteously refused
the offer. Again, in a.d. 71, Volagases
sent Titus a crown
of gold to commemorate his conquest of the Jews.