Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Battle of
Carrhae, fought in 53 BC near the town of Carrhae, was a major battle
between Iran's Parthian Empire and the Roman Republic. A Roman invasion
force led by Marcus Licinius Crassus was decisively crushed by Parthia's
Spahbod Surena. It was the first of many battles between the Roman and
Persian empires, and one of the most crushing defeats in Roman history.
Crassus, a member of the First Triumvirate and the wealthiest man in
Rome, had been enticed by the prospect of military glory and riches and
decided to invade Parthia without the official consent of the Senate.
Rejecting an offer from the Armenian King Artavasdes II to invade
Parthia via Armenia, Crassus marched his army directly through the
deserts of Mesopotamia. His army clashed with Surena's force near the
town of Carrhae, present day Harran.
