Nikolaus Overtoom. “Reassessing the Role of Parthia and Rome in the Origins of the First Romano-Parthian War (56/5–50 BCE)”
Nikolaus Overtoom. “Reassessing the Role of Parthia and Rome in the Origins of the First Romano-Parthian War (56/5–50 BCE)”, JAH 9, 2, 2021, p. 238-268.
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1Here Overtoon discusses the historical context of Crassus' disastrous campaign against the Parthians investigating the reasons that convinced the general to embark himself on such a daring adventure. The author puts into discussion the traditional post-eventum explanations expressed by the ancient sources, concerning Crassus' longing for military glory and money, explanations, must be said, more popular among contemporary generic historians of the Roman World, than among scholars working specifically on the Roman Near East or Parthia. Overtoom focuses his attention on the civil war between the brethren Mithridates and Orodes, which took place after the assassination of their father, the old king Phraates III and their takeover of the kingdom. Mithridates about to lose the throne and looking for foreign military help asked the Roman governor of Syria Gabinius for help thus involving the Roman Republic in the internal strife. Gabinius, endowed with the formal authority to start a war prepared for the invasion before more urgent affairs in Egypt required his presence. Crassus, therefore, found himself in the position of continuing the war against Orodes already started by his predecessor. A success would have put on the throne of western Parthia a king friend of the Roman people.
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Référence électronique
Leonardo Gregoratti, « Nikolaus Overtoom. “Reassessing the Role of Parthia and Rome in the Origins of the First Romano-Parthian War (56/5–50 BCE)” », Abstracta Iranica [En ligne], Volume 44 | 2022, document 14, mis en ligne le 30 décembre 2022, consulté le 11 septembre 2024. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/abstractairanica/55599 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/abstractairanica.55599
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