Battle of Carrhae

The victory of the Parthians over the Roman General Marcus Licinius Crassus at Carrhae in 53 BC is perhaps the single most significant event in Rome's engagement with Parthia. The loss of Roman standards associated with Crassus' campaign in 53 BC was not only embarrassing, but also perilous for the Romans, who were concerned that any hint of military weakness would instil confidence in their adversary, to the detriment of Rome. The memory of this disaster became Rome's obsession and served as the impetus for a number of subsequent Roman invasions. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"88783","attributes":{"alt":"Detail from the breastplate of Augustus Prima Porta, showing a Parthian man returning the aquila lost by Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae ( Andreas Wahra/ CC BY-SA 3.0)","class":"media-image","height":"700","style":"width