XXI. While Crassus was considering and reflecting on these matters,
there comes an Arab chieftain, Ariamnes[67] by name, a cunning and
faithless man, and of all the misfortunes that were by chance combined
to ruin the Romans the chief and crowning mischief. Some of them who
had served with Pompeius knew him as one who had received favours from
Pompeius, and was supposed to be a friend to the Romans; but he now
came to Crassus with a treacherous intent, and with the privity of the
royal generals, to try if he could draw him far away from the river
and the foot of the hills, into a boundless plain, where he might be
surrounded by the enemy; for nothing was further from the intentions
of the Parthians than to attack the Romans right in front.
Accordingly, the barbarian coming to Crassus (and he was a plausible
talker), spake in high terms of Pompeius as his benefactor, and
praised the force of Crassus; but he blamed him for his tardiness,
inasmuch as he was delaying and making preparation, as if he would
have occasion to employ arms instead of hands and the most active
feet, against an enemy who had long been trying to get together, as
quick as they could, their most valuable property and their best
slaves, and to move off to the Scythians or Hyrkanians. "And yet," he
said, "if you intend to fight, you ought to press on before the king
recovers his courage and all his forces are concentrated; for now
Surena and Sillakes have been thrown in your way to stand the attack,
and the king is no where to be seen.
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