When Crassus
was going to send for a horse, Surena said there was no occasion; "for
the king gives you this." At the same time a horse with golden bits
stood close by Crassus, and the grooms raised him up and mounted him,
and then followed, quickening the horse's pace with blows. Octavius
first laid hold of the bridle of the horse, and, after him, Petronius,
one of the tribunes, and then the rest got round the horse of Crassus,
endeavouring to stop it, and dragging away those who pressed close
upon Crassus on each side. This led to a struggle and tumult, and
finally to blows; Octavius drew his sword and killed the groom of one
of the barbarians, and another struck Octavius from behind and killed
him. Petronius had no weapon, and, being struck on the breastplate, he
leapt down from the horse unwounded; and a Parthian, named
Pomaxathres, killed Crassus.[86] Some say that it was not Pomaxathres,
but another, who killed Crassus, and that Pomaxathres cut off the head
and right hand when Crassus was lying on the ground. But these are
rather matters of conjecture than of certain knowledge; for of those
who were present some fell there fighting about Crassus, and the rest
immediately fled back to the hill. Upon this the Parthians came and
said, that Crassus had been punished as he deserved, but Surena
invited the rest to come down and fear nothing: whereupon, some of the
Romans came down and surrendered, and the rest dispersed themselves
under cover of night, of whom a very few escaped; the rest the Arabs
hunted out, and put to death when they caught them.
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