‘You are well informed,’ I said brusquely.
‘Information is power, King Pacorus, perhaps even more than military might.’
The third course, desserts, was a lavish affair of cakes, fruits, pastries stuffed with raisins and nuts, snails, oysters and scallops. While the senators gorged themselves, the priests frowned and shook their heads, and my men and the Roman officers found much in common with each other, Crassus ate little and drank sparsely. He kept his emotions in check and I felt as though I was being subtly probed and tested throughout the whole evening, though not in an aggressive way. Publius was very courteous and though Cassius was dour and boring Crassus was charm itself. He was a most interesting and complex character.
The next day Publius took Spartacus and Scarab hunting while I sat with his father, Vagises and Cassius to relay to the Romans Orodes’ offer. To be truthful I would rather have been chasing animals with my two younger companions. The terrain around Antioch was teeming with bears, wild boars, antelopes and gazelles and I was sure that they would have more success than me.
The gathering was held in a spacious circular meeting room that had marble columns around the sides decorated with floral motifs. Greek armour and shields hung from the walls themselves — relics of a bygone era — while the ceiling was adorned with large gold images of eagles — emblems of Antioch’s current rulers. I sat beside Vagises on one side of a large rectangular oak table with a perfect, polished surface. Crassus sat directly opposite me and Vagises stared at Cassius. Ajax sat on the other side of Crassus and smiled at me as slaves served us wine diluted with cool water and offered us cakes and yoghurt. The atmosphere was both convivial and tense.
Crassus spoke first. ‘Well, King Pacorus, perhaps you would be kind enough to elaborate more on the reason for your visit here, agreeable though your company is, and the nature of King Orodes’ offer.’
Cassius already looked bored and yawned without covering his mouth, earning him a frown of disapproval from his commander.
I smiled at Crassus. ‘First of all I would like to convey my gratitude for the courtesy you have shown myself and my men, especially in this time of difficult relations between Parthia and Rome.
‘It is with those relations in mind that King Orodes is most concerned. He does not desire war between our two great empires but rather wishes to pursue the path of peace. He believes that war between Rome and Parthia would serve neither side but would rather lead to great and unnecessary bloodshed that would be detrimental to both. He realises that you have incurred considerable expenses in transporting your army to Syria and is therefore prepared to offer a sum of ten thousand talents of gold in return for your pledge that you will suspend hostilities for a period of one year.’
Cassius’ eyes lit up at the mention of such a huge sum but Crassus, who had been studying me carefully, sat impassively. I began to think that he had not heard my words but then he folded his hands across his chest.
‘That is a most generous offer and one that would normally deserve careful consideration.’ He drew himself up. ‘However, these are not normal circumstances, King Pacorus, far from it. No less than the honour of Rome itself is at stake and that cannot be bought.’
That was debatable because I knew that to Crassus everything had a price, but I was eager to know more about his reason for dismissing Orodes’ offer so quickly.
‘I was not aware that Parthia had insulted Rome’s honour,’ I said.
He looked at me sternly. ‘Were you not? Then let me elucidate. It is common knowledge that the region known as Gordyene was Roman territory that had been granted to the Armenians, our valued allies. It was subsequently invaded by a Parthian army that committed many outrages and forced the Armenians, who were greatly outnumbered, to withdraw.’
This was not how I remembered events.
‘Aggression against one of Rome’s allies,’ Crassus continued, ‘is an act of violence against Rome itself and cannot go unpunished.’
‘The Kingdom of Gordyene is Parthian,’ I said firmly, ‘not Armenian or Roman and it was not invaded but rather liberated from foreign rule.’
Crassus smiled thinly. ‘And then there is the matter of Judea.’
‘Judea?’ I replied. ‘That does not concern King of Kings Orodes or Parthia.’
Crassus leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. ‘No indeed, but you have taken a keen interest in its affairs, have you not?’
‘I take an interest in all things that happen near the borders of my kingdom,’ I said casually.
‘Such as arming the Jewish rebel Alexander Maccabeus with weapons that were produced in your armouries at Dura,’ suggested Crassus. ‘An act that is nothing short of a declaration of war against Rome. And imagine my surprise when I myself campaigned recently in Judea, only to discover that this rebel, whom my predecessor had crushed, had received reinforcements from the Parthian hinterland.’
‘Life is full of surprises,’ I replied.
Cassius was staring at me with hateful eyes, which I found not in the least intimidating while Vagises looked bored.
Crassus grew more serious. ‘The fact is, King Pacorus, that I am charged with avenging the many wrongs that have been committed against Rome by yourself and Parthia and have no choice but to wage war until these wrongs have been righted. My hands are tied in the matter.’
‘So your intention is to wage war against Parthia?’ I asked, already knowing the answer.
He nodded gravely. ‘It is.’
‘And what is the purpose of that war?’ I probed.
He seemed thrown by this query and cleared his throat. I surmised that he coveted Parthia because he wanted control of the Silk Road and all the riches that would bring him, though he would never admit that it was simple greed that motivated him. He thus sought to disguise his real motive by portraying his presence in Syria as being the guardian of Rome’s honour. If Rome had any honour!
‘I will state my reasons for waging war on the Parthian Empire when I stand in the royal palace at Ctesiphon,’ he replied grandly.
Vagises laughed and showed the palm of his left hand to Crassus, pointing at it.
‘Hair will grow here before you see Ctesiphon.’
Cassius smirked and Crassus was confused but my fears had been confirmed. Having plundered Jerusalem’s temple Crassus was in no mood to let further riches slip out of his hands, and the fact that I had mentioned that Orodes was willing to pay him ten thousand talents of gold had only increased his avarice. His mind must have been racing with thoughts of the treasury at Ctesiphon, which he no doubt believed to be stuffed with gold though the truth was very different. And Ctesiphon was only a month’s march from Syria. How tempting a target it must have appeared to him.
‘Wars are easy to start,’ I said, ‘but harder to end.’
‘Rome’s wars end when the enemy has been vanquished,’ said Cassius smugly. ‘As the Carthaginians, Armenians, Syrians, Jews and the people of Pontus have learned, to defy Rome is folly.’
Crassus was nodding in agreement and then rested his hands on the table.
‘Let us for a moment be logical. We know that Parthia is weak as a result of years of internal strife and that it is beset by external foes. The Armenians occupy the northern half of the Kingdom of Hatra while my own forces occupy towns that were once part of that kingdom, a kingdom that I believe was esteemed the strongest in the Parthian Empire.’
He spread his hands. ‘Now it lays prostrate and helpless before its enemies. The truth is, King Pacorus, that Parthia’s star is waning. Your high king would be well advised to consider that.’
Vagises beside me stirred with anger but I laid a hand on his arm.
‘It is true that the empire has been plagued by civil war,’ I said. ‘But that war has now ended and its instigator Mithridates is dead. The empire is united under King of Kings Orodes. You speak of the Armenians but you should know that it was not a great army that evicted them from Gordyene but a mere boy in command of a few thousand soldiers that I gave him. And now that same boy has grown into a man who torments Artavasdes as a lion harries a wounded prey.