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The Chronology of the Wars in Armenia, A.D. 51—63

Bernard W. Henderson

The Classical Review / Volume 15 / Issue 04 / May 1901, pp 204 - 213 DOI: 10.1017/S0009840X00030080, Published online: 27 October 2009

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0009840X00030080

How to cite this article: Bernard W. Henderson (1901). The Chronology of the Wars in Armenia, A.D. 51—63. The Classical Review, 15, pp 204-213 doi:10.1017/S0009840X00030080

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Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/CAR, IP address: 147.188.128.74 on 10 Jun 2015 204 THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. table of the law) ? In this case they supply that St. Paul himself uses rbv wXrjcriov in another particular in which the Apostle §10 for ' neighbour'; he does not only reproduces Our Lord's answer to the lawyer quote it: and in § 9 has «" TIS eripa ivroXrj, (St. Mark 12 § 31). Not only, then, does where he is summing up the commandments he quote dyftinjcreis rbv trXtjcriov crov d>s iavrbv, that come in the Second Table. but refers to it as a second commandment. T. NICKLIN. This view is supported by the circumstance

THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE WARS IN ARMENIA, A.D. 51—63.

II.—A.D. 54-60. of auxiliaries, sent THE first few years of this period give us him by Quadratus very little difficulty: the last are the most from Syria: and all perplexing of this whole period A.D. 51-63. cohorts and alae then in Cappadocia. A.D. 54 (Dec.) -57. The client kings of Tacitus' Order of Events :— Lesser Armenia, Commagene, Rome Aegeae in Cilicia, after Corbulo's appointment: who hands over to whether or no before his departure him half his forces for the East cannot be told. Hence as directed by Nero. we may continue :— Consequent division of A.D. 55 (? summer). Revolt of Vardanes. forces: The Parthians evacuate In Syria with Quad- Armenia. ratus : 2 legions (viz. Corbulo arrives in Cap- X Fretensis and XII padocia. Fulminata) and part „ 55. Messages sent to Volo- of auxiliaries. geses by both Cor- In Cappadocia with bulo and Quadratus, Corbulo: 2 legions demanding ' pacem (viz. Ill Gallica and quam bellum mallet VI Ferrata): part datisque obsidibus THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. 205 solitatn prioribus re- grataque amicitia . . . vetere Armeniae verentiam in popu- possessione depelleretur.' (xiii. 37, 4.) lum Bomanum con- tinuaret.' xiii. 9, 1. To which Corbulo answers as follows :— Vologeses hands over ' Suadet Tiridati precibus Caesarem as hostages ' nobilis- adgredi: posse illi regnum stabile et simos ex familia res incruentas contingere, si omissa spe Arsacidarum,' either longinqua et sera praesentem potior- ' quo bellum ex com- emque sequeretur.' (xiii. 37, 6.) modo pararet an'ut aemulationis suspec- From these passages it appears that the tos per nomen obsi- giving of hostages in A.D. 55 amounted to a dum amoveret.' xiii. ' redintegrata amicitia': that in A.D. 58 9,2. Tiridates can talk of a vetus possessio of Corbulo and Quadratus Armenia: and that Corbulo practically quarrel at length as admits his previous ' regnum ' in denying its to which deserves stability under existing conditions. the credit for making Tiridates, that is, must have remained in Vologeses give hos- possession of the throne of Armenia in A.D. tages. Nero seeks 55 despite the withdrawal of Vologeses and to heal the breach, his Parthian troops. But it seems he never xiii. 9. acknowledged the Roman suzerainty. The Vologeses evidently did not desire question now at issue between Rome and war at once on Corbulo's arrival. Parthia was the right of ' bestowing that When he gave the hostages the throne as a gift,' as Tacitus puts it. Tiri- revolt of Vardanes probably had dates may be de;.facto recipient of the donum. already broken out and gave him Who is to be recognised as lawful donor, cause to be suspicious of his nobles i.e., as suzerain ? (xiii. 9. 2). Otherwise there existed Tiridates, remaining in possession of the no reason for his desire to post- Armenian throne, does not, despite Vologeses' pone the war, a desire distinctly giving of hostages, recognise the Roman to his foe's advantage. As the claim to suzerainty. At a time then when envoy from Syria reached him be- Vologeses has got the better of Vardanes' fore the envoy from Cappadocia, he revolt and has his hands free again, it is was probably in the S. of Ar- important for Corbulo to bestir himself and menia, engaged in withdrawing impress upon Tiridates the uncertainty of his troops who had accompanied his tenure, somewhat to Tiridates' surprise Tiridates on his last seizure of the and indignation. To ' recover Armenia' in throne (cf. previous paper). Roman official language need not mean more than the obtaining of this recognition of Tacitus tells us nothing more of Armenian Roman suzerainty. And of course if the affairs until under the year A.D. 58 he Vologeses who is King of Parthia after 58 resumes the subject thus :—• A.D. is not Rome's old opponent but a new ' Eius anni principio mollibus adhuc king, the need and opportunity for Roman initiis prolatatum inter Parthos Roman- action are alike emphasized. But on the osque de obtinenda Armenia bellum whole the numismatic evidence in favour acriter resumitur, quia nee Vologeses of this supposition seems to me outweighed sinebat f ratrem Tiridatem dati a se regni by the historic evidence against it. (Cf. expertem esse aut alienae id potentiae Gardner ' Parthian Coinage,' p. 52). donum habere, et Corbulo dignum mag- Thus far we therefore obtain these nitudine populi Romani rebatur parta results:—- olim a Lucullo Pompeioque recipere.' xiii. 34, 4. A.D. 55. Revolt of Vardanes. Vologeses evacuates Armenia. Corbulo The position of Tiridates in this interval arrives in Cappadocia. Agree- A.D. 55-58 thus becomes of interest. After ment between Vologeses and Corbulo's first campaign he sends to ask Corbulo. indignantly „ 55-58. Tiridates in possession of Ar- menia. ' Cur datis nuper obsidibus redinte- „ 58. End of Vardanes' revolt. Be- 206 THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. ginning of war ' keenly' in of Commagene is ordered to co-op- Armenia. erate. Pharasmanes and the Moschi also make incursions into Armenia At this point the ohief chronological in the Roman interest. Vologeses difficulty begins. cannot come to the aid of Tiridates, because himself detained by the A.D. 57-60. Hyrcanian revolt.—37. 2-4. A. Order of Events in Tacitus:— [i.e. Corbulo's second plan of cam- paign consists of pursuit &c. by A. ' Eius anni principio (viz: 58 A.D.) flying columns. This is so far mollibus ad hue initiis prolatatum successful that—] inter Parthos Romanosque de obtin- F. Tiridates makes overtures to Corbulo enda Armenia bellum acriter resum- and proposes an interview. Corbulo itur.' i.e. Active hostilities begin.— assents, but (cf. Caesar and Ariovis- xiii. 34. 4. tus) takes such precautions that B. Corbulo's chief difficulty is the lack of Tiridates' intended treachery fails discipline &c. in his army, especially and the interview is a fiasco.—37. 4- in the Syrian legions sent him (in 38. 7. 55 A.D.) by Quadratus. Many unfit G. Renewal of hostilities. Tiridates fails are discharged. Hence new levies in in an attempt to intercept Corbulo's Galatia and Cappadocia. A legion convoys coming from Trapezus and summoned from Germany.—35. 1-3. thus cut his line of communication. [This was probably Leg. IV Scy- —39. 1. 2. thica : and as in xiii. 40. 3 Cor- H. Corbulo—to put an end to the war— bulo has under his command determines to attack Armenian forts part at least if not all the Leg. [i.e. his third plan of campaign], thus X Fretensis, which in the ori- abandoning his direct pursuit of ginal division remained in Syria Tiridates. Three main divisions of with Quadratus (cf. supra), it is the Roman army are constituted for possible that the new legion's this purpose, under Corbulo himself, arrival in Syria caused the trans- Cornelius Flaccus legate, and In- fer of Leg. X to Corbulo]. steius Capito, camp - prefect,—xiii. C. Winter: Corbulo, despite the fierce 39. 2. cold, keeps his troops under canvas I. Storming of Volandum by Corbulo's ' donee ver adolesceret.' The auxiliary division, and taking of smaller forts cohorts are sent on garrison duty to by the other two. ' Unde orta fit spots under supervision of Paccius fiducia caput gentis Artaxata ad- Orfitus; strict orders are given grediendi.'—39. 2-7. against engaging the enemy. Orfitus J. March to Artaxata. Tiridates makes a disobeys these and suffers a reverse. vain demonstration en route and 35. 5-36. 5. then flees away to Media.—39. 7— [Corbulo evidently winters in hos- 41.2. tile territory, viz. Armenia. The K. Surrender (next day) of Artaxata.— severity of the winter agrees 41. 3. with this]. L. Burning of Artaxata to the ground by D. Spring : Beginning of active hostilities. Corbulo, as he had not enough men Tiridates with the aid of troops sent both to garrison the city and to pro- him by Vologeses carries on an active secute the war, and if evacuated its guerilla warfare, always eluding Cor- capture would have been worth- bulo's attempts to catch him, his less. forces being ' equestres copiae' (xiii. ' Adicitur miraculum velut numine 40. 1.). This continues a long while oblatum: nam cuncta Artaxatis Armenians.—26. 2. before September (N,. O). W. Corbulo makes arrangements for his 9. Tigranocerta surrenders at once: but security. He leaves a garrison for Legerda has to be taken by storm (P). him in Armenia and makes various 10. The campaigning season in Armenia frontier readjustments in order to ends in October at latest. enlist the neighbouring client-kings 11. Corbulo finally retires into Syria in . in his support.—26. 3. A.D. 60 (X). 208 THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. 12. Thus there are three campaigns among ' While the whole space outside the which all the events must be in some town up to its buildings was bright manner or other distributed, viz : those with sunlight, the enclosure within the of the three years 58, 59, 60 A.D. walls was suddenly shrouded in a black cloud, seamed with lightning flashes.' A". The ' Miraculum' at Artaxata :— (Church and Brodribb) One other preliminary question must be considered at somewhat greater length. This description of a cloud-sunlight effect, Egli (p. 285) identifies the ' miraculum' however curiously regarded as a 'miracle,' which preceded the destruction of Artaxata must necessarily, if we hold to the de- (L) with an eclipse of the sun which scription, be regarded as inconsistent with occurred on April 30th, A.D. 59. According any possible effect of an eclipse of the sun, to Pliny (N. H. ii. 70. 72, 180), Corbulo in however partial. To follow Egli (p. 334, Armenia saw this eclipse ' inter horam diei 340 etc.) and proceed to reproach the un- decimam et undecimam.' lucky Corbulo for being ' strangely ignorant, The identification of this eclipse of the and not knowing an eclipse of the sun when sun with the Artaxata miraculum leads he saw it' seems to me an indulgence in a Egli to give to the capture of the city the perversely topsy-turvy argument. Corbulo very precise date mentioned, viz: April may have been ' child of his age ' (the age 30th A.D. 59. be it noted of Pliny), but if he saw no Certainly could this be accepted it would eclipse of the sun at Artaxata, the proba- form an excellent starting point for chrono- bility is that there was no eclipse of the logical considerations both backwards and sun to see. If he saw a novel effect of forwards. But it is entirely impossible to cloud, sunshine and storm, he described it, accept this identification. Tacitus, who clearly and well.1 himself knows of this eclipse (xiv. 12, 3) We must, however reluctantly, abandon entirely fails to identify his ' miraculum' the precise date for the capture of Artaxata, with it, and his description of the latter is April 30th, A.D. 59. decisive :

B. The Schemes pro-posed :-

[III. FURSEAUX (II. P. 111- I. EOLI. (P. 282-290). 115 ETC.) [Adopted by Schiller without II. MOMMSEN (B.T. II. IV. 'COMPROMISE.' P. 53, 54). [Following Nipperdey, who criticism or discussion] however does not divide up A.D. 59, 60 so precisely]. i

i. Q-X are all closely i. The account in Tac. i. Insisting on A'8, i. Insisting on connected and thus Bk. XIV. 'evi- there must be a i A' 5, viz.: L = 58 must be in same dently describes break between P-Q. A.D. year — viz. : A.D. merely one single i.e. Q-X = A.D. 60. A'2, viz.: D = 58 60. campaign.' ii. The break in Tac. A.D. ii. P and Q must belong i.e. N-X = A.D. 60. narrative between A'6, viz.: L, N, to different years, ii. As Corbulo sees the M-N implies a O, P, all are in as P is late in the eclipse of 59 A.D. break in time. same year, year [A' 8]. on Armenian soil i.e. P = A.D. 59. we get necessarily And insisting on A' 6, the account in Tac. iii. Insisting on A' 5, K D-P = 58 A.D. L and O-P must Bk. XIII. embra- must have occurred ii. Thus leaving Q-X be in the same year. ces 2 campaigns in A.D. 58. for 2 years A.D. Thus the break in separated by the And besides to couple 59-60. Tac. narrative be- winter C. D-P together is Of this 2 arrange- tween M-N does Thus A-C = 58 A.D. too much for one ments are possible. not imply a break D-K = 59 A.D. year. (1) A.D. 59. no events in time. A.D. 60. Q-X.

1 If Pliny's words ' circuitu globi alia aliis dcte- of an eclipse conld hardly be confined within the small gente et occultante ' are to be taken to refer to the circuit of a city wall. But as Corbulo certainly was in same phenomenon as that which Tacitus thus de- Armenia when the eclipse occurred, and Pliny, how- scribes, we must credit Pliny with the mistake of ever distant, would scarcely have made the error, it identifying Corbulo's miracnlum with the eclipse, is better to dissociate the Pliny and Tacitus passages supposing it probable that Tacitus reproduces Cor- entirely. bulo's own accurate description. For the shadow THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. 209

III. FURNEAUX (II. p. 111- I. EGLI. (P. 282-290). II. MOMMSEN (E.T. 11. 115 ETC.) [Adopted by Schiller without P. 53, 54). • [Following Nipperdey, who IV. 'COMPROMISE.' criticism or discussion]. however does not divide up A.D. 59, 60 so precisely). iii. But D to P is too iii. Corbulo then must Thus L and N-P = or (2) A.D. 59. Q-U. much for one year have wintered in A.D. 59. A.D. 60. V-X. and D is 58 A.D. Artaxata, march- and D-K + M=A.D. iii. The winter C is that And the winter being ing for Tigrano- 58. of A.D. 57-58, as a natural time for certa in the spring iv. The winter C is thus suits A' 2. the negotiations of of A.D. 60. that of A.D. 57-58, F—hence divide as suits A' 2. D-F. 58 A. r. v. Corbulo then must G-P. 59 A.D. have wintered in iv. K-L = April 30. 59 Artaxata. A.D.

I. SUMMARY. II. SUMMARY. III. SUMMARY. IV. SUMMARY.

A.D. 57 A-B A-B A-B Winter 57-58 C C C 58 D-E A-B D-K + M D-P Winter 58-59 F C

(1) (2) 59 G-P D-K L + N-P Q-U

60 Q-X L + N-X Q-X Q-X V-X

OBJECTIONS. OBJECTIONS. OBJECTIONS, OBJECTIONS.

Main :— Main :— Main:—• Main:— Entire neglect of A' 5. 1. Entire neglect of Entire neglect of A' 6. Entire neglect of A' 10. Minor:— A'2. Minor: — For ex hyp. there is 1. « Neglect of the 2. Ditto of A' 5. 1. ? Too few events are far too much for Break in Tac. narra- 3. Ditto of A' 6. ascribed to 59 A.I). A.D. 58. tive between L-N. 4. Ditto of A' 8. 2. ' Tacitus where he Minor:— But Tac. himself in 5. Ditto of A' 10, condenses as a rule To (1): The break in N closely connects For anticipates' (Monim- events does not cor- the two (A' 6). 1. B can hardly satisfy sen.) respond with any 2. The miraculum- the acriter bellum But ex hyp. N-P be- break in the narra- eclipse identification resumitur. long to 59 A.D. i.e. tive. (cf. supra). 2. For ex hyp. Arta- the year before that To (2) : A forced solu- But the rejection of xata falls in A.D. under which Tac. in tion of which there this leaves the gene- 59. xiv. 23 seems to is no hint in Tac. ral scheme untouch- 3. For ex hyp. Corbulo place them. And the 'Anticipa- ed, if depriving it winters in Artaxata. Applies also to I. tion Kule' through- of a positive argu- 4. To allow time for out is hopelessly ment in its favour. all events Q-X in ' broken. 3. See III. same year Tigrano- certa must surrender at least in early summer.

C. Consideration of the Rival Views :— buted among the years. Active hosti- lities begin, as Tacitus says, in A.D. 58. I. Egli'e View : That year is filled up with Corbulo's first In itself this scheme is very attractive, plan of campaign, which we are expressly The events are well and probably distri- told was tried for ' a long time,' and his MO. CXXXII. VOL. XV. p 210 THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. second plan which involved certainly great reached Rome in 58 A.D. The scheme puts preparations and organisation,

II. Mommsen's View : III. Fumeaux'8 View: This scheme is hopeless : there is practi- This view is also attractive and possible cally nothing to be said for it. It combines in itself. 58 A.D. is its full year, while all the main objections which can be urged perhaps there is not quite enough left for against any scheme, and departs altogether 59 A.D. which the march from Artaxata to from Tacitus. Tacitus says the war begins Tigranocerta and the capture of Legerda are actively in 58 A.D. The scheme sets the supposed entirely to occupy. In its account first operations to which this description of A.D. 57-58 (spring) and A.D. 60 it is could possibly be applied in 59 A.D. Tacitus identical with Egli's scheme. True it sup- implies that the news of Artaxata's fall poses that Tacitus, writing annals of A.D, 60, THE CLASSICAL EEVIEW. 211 harks back to include those of A.D. 59. But D. Conclusion: if this be a blemish, it is common also to Egli's scheme as well. Other rearrangements besides this sug- Looking at the matter from the stand- gested ' Compromise' can # be made. But point of the distribution of events among no one that I have devised but presents one the years it is slightly inferior to the first or other of the difficulties named and added scheme. From the more important stand- evils besides. point of the evidence it is precisely on a We may therefore confine our attention level with this in so far as it satisfies all to the four schemes set forth above. And the ten criteria* save one only. The great now we may reject the second and fourth difficulty in this scheme is that it makes views as distinctly inferior to the first and Corbulo winter at Artaxata, a fact of which, third. as has already been pointed out, Tacitus Therefore we are compelled to make our seems entirely ignorant. The 'utendum choice between the first and third, viz : recenti terrore' passage will, it is true, Egli's and Furneaux's. Each is attended square with this view as well as with Egli's, by one great difficulty, involving a contra- inasmuch as the terror is caused by the diction of one point of time suggested by * destruction' of Artaxata, which ex hyp. Tacitus. That is, it is impossible to devise takes place in the spring of the year 59 a scheme satisfying all ten Tacitean criteria. just before Corbulo's march to Tigranocerta. At least some one of these must be rejected. And as a whole year is devoted to this Either Tacitus is mistaken when he march, Corbulo can be made to arrive at declares that the news of the fall of the latter city in the autumn, as required. Artaxata reached Some in 58 A.D., or when But the one difficulty remains—that to he implies that Corbulo burnt Artaxata separate the capture from the burning of immediately after its capture and marched Artaxata by six months runs counter to forthwith for Tigranocerta. the general impression produced by the nar- Thus (1) following Egli, we must believe rative. that Tacitus ascribes to A.D. 58 proceedings in the Senate IV. ' Compromise': really belonging to A.D. 59. or (2) following Furneaux, we must As then the first view is opposed to one, believe that Tacitus is ignor- and tfie third view to another, of the main ant of the fact that Corbulo Tacitean criteria, I devise this fourth scheme winters in Artaxata after as an example of an attempt to reconcile capturing that city in A.D. 58. these criteria, viz: to allow the news of Artaxata's fall to reach Rome in 58 and set Which of these is more probable ? the march to Tigranocerta in this same Considering Tacitus' probable sources, (1) year. for the proceedings in the Senate (2) for The result, it must be admitted, is not Corbulo's campaigns, I accept with small very happy. By it we get a really impos- hesitation the first alternative. sibly full year of events for 58 A.D., con- For Senatorial proceedings Tacitus doubt- sidering the brief campaigning season in less used the records of the Senate. And Armenia, and then are left with two years in view of the whole tenor of the narrative on our hands with not enough events for a mistakenly implied date is here not very them both : with the result that we must unlikely. Having inserted in his Annals either make one completely blank year, in its right place, under the year 58 A.D., which is historically impossible, or spread the beginning of active hostilities and Cor- the butter very thinly over the two years' bulo's pursuit after Tiridates, Tacitus both slice, making an arbitrary division some- harks back a little to explain Corbulo's where or other. It seems hardly possible previous preparations, and then1 carries the that this can have been Tacitus' own idea of narrative forward to the next year to em- the division of the years, viz: that xiii. brace Corbulo's first great and notable suc- 37-41 +xiv. 23-25 belong all to one year cess, viz. the Artaxata capture, without a while two years' events are compressed into break. Naturally there follows on this an xiv. 26, 1-4 : and thus the sole justification account of the reception of the news in Borne, for some such compromise-view, viz: wherein he 'anticipates' (cf. Mommsen's fidelity to Tacitus, vanishes away, leav- ' general rule') events of A.D. 59. The ing us with an impossibly full year to '(Deinde' with which afterwards he resumes face. the tale of events in Home of 58 A.D. may p 2 212 THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. be regarded as a mere literary connecting Tigranocerta only late in the year's cam- particle, or a pure slip of the pen. paign. It is Corbulo's own account which This supposition presents no very great penetrates to the surface through and de- inherent improbability. But such an im- spite of Tacitus' unmilitary narrative, and probability does seem involved in the only herein lies its value and its strength as alternative to it, viz. Furneaux's view that evidence. Tacitus is ignorant that Corbulo wintered in Somewhere or another Tacitus omits to Artaxata. mention the passing of a winter. It is far For his account of Corbulo's campaigns more probable to suppose with Egli that this it seems clear that Tacitus consulted Cor- was a winter occupied by negotiations than bulo's own despatches from the seat of war. with Furneaux that this was a winter during Such a sentence as ' Corbulo post deleta which Corbulo's army rusted inactively at Artaxata utendum recenti terrore ratus ad distant Artaxata, if we consider the sources occupanda Tigranocerta' goes straight back of Tacitus' account. to those despatches and reveals the general's Hence I reject the third view and choose hopes and strategy. Now had Corbulo the first. Rejecting of course the positive wintered in Artaxata after taking the town date, April 30th, it champions, as based and not burnt it until his evacuation (ex on Egli's untenable identification of the hyp.) in the following spring, it is hardly Artaxata miraculum with the eclipse, and possible that this fact would net have ap- thus securing, as I have suggested above, an peared with .some prominence in his de- additional advantage for the very scheme spatches. It is impossible surely that Taci- itself, I propose, following Egli otherwise, tus should have summarised them in so mis- this scheme for the most probable chronology leading or ignorant a manner, omitting en- of the years A.D. 57-60:— tirely to notice the use to which Corbulo put the captured city. Strategically again, in A, B. A.D. 57. Corbulo's preparations view of the general's hopes and intentions, for war. it was not only better for Corbulo to winter C. winter 57-58. Corbulo winters un- near his base of operations, the Cappadocian der canvas in Ar- frontier, at Tigranocerta than far away in menia. the inclement North at Artaxata, but also D-E. 58. The first year's cam- it is far less probable that his march from paign, in which the Armenian Bloemfontein to the Armenian Corbulo tries two Pretoria was resumed only after a six months' plans of action, interval of inactivity than that he destroyed neither with great the former at once for very excellent strate- success, save that gical considerations. These considerations Tiridates enters in- duly make their appearance in Tacitus' nar- to negotiations. rative, albeit Tacitus is far removed as the F. winter 58-59. The negotiations — poles asunder from being in any sense a with no result. strategist or military historian. Nor could G—P. 59. Hostilities resumed. any delay be caused to Corbulo's intentions Corbulo's new plan to finish the war by a rapid advance by com- of campaign. Cap- missariat troubles or the thought of his ture of Volandum lines of communication. For his army, as and the forts. Sur- we are expressly told, lived on the country render and destruc- as it marched through it, however scanty tion of Artaxata. the provender in consequence, and Corbulo Corbulo's rapid in his dash from Artaxata sundered his force march to Tigrano- from his line of communications to open a certa. Surrender new line in the south by his occupation of of the city in Tigranocerta. autumn. Storming This rapid and immediate advance from of Legerda. the one city to the other is as irresistibly winter 59-60. Corbulo winters in implied throughout Tacitus' narrative as it Tigranocerta. is strategically far more probable than the Q-X. 60. Invasion of Tiridates opponent view. It is implied alike by the from Media. Cor- details he gives of Artaxata's treatment as bulo's march to by the obvious fact (though so curiously meet him and his neglected by Mommsen) that he reached enforced retreat. THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. 213 Q-X. 60. Corbulo over-runs winter 60-61. Corbulo in Syria. Armenia. Arrival Tigranes in Ar- of Tigranes. Settle- menia. Tiridates in ment of the country. Parthia. Corbulo withdraws BERNARD W. HENDERSON. to Syria. Merlon College, Oxford. (To be concluded.)

SOME SUGGESTIONS ON CALPURNIUS SICTJLTJS.

I. 73-76. uidi genus omne ferarum, Exsultet quaecumque Notum gens ima hie niueo's lepores et non sine cornibus iacentem apros, erectumue colit Boream, quaecumque uel hie raram siluis etiam quibus editur alcen. ortu (vii. 57-59). uel.patet occasu medioue sub aethere feruit. The description of this animal' as rare even in its native forests' might be thought in- These lines mean that every inhabit- sufficiently distinctive. But in itself that ant of the world's five zones must rejoice would be no reason for doubting the Hie in the new accession and the era of peace raram of the vulgate in view of the passage and prosperity which it is to usher in. The of Pausanias ix. 21. 3, which I transcribe in turn of the first of the clauses introduced Dr. Frazer's translation. by quaecumque is obviously antithetical, * iacentem erectumue' (so Baehrens, the 'There is a beast called the elk, in appear- MSS - que). But there is no antithesis in ance between a stag and a camel; it is a the second. Forpatet we must read tepet native of the land of the Celts. It is tbe which is properly opposed to feruit. So at only beast we know of that cannot be v. 41 for 'pat enti', preserved in one family tracked or seen afar off by man ; but some- of the inferior MSS (w), the other family (v) times when men have gone out to hunt writes t ep enti. other game, chance throws an elk in their way. It smells man, they say, while it is It is possible that the same change still a great way off, and plunges into should be made at Tibullus 2. 5, 59 in the gullies and the deepest caverns. So the very difficult, and perhaps unexampled hunters surround the plain or mountain in ' patent ortus.' a circle of at least a thousand furlongs, and II. 51 sqq. taking care not to break the circle, they gradually close in, and so catch the animals O si quis Crocalen deus afferat! hunc ego inside the circle, the elks among the rest. terris, But if the elk happens not to have its lair hunc ego sideribus solus regnare fatebor there, there is no other way of catching it.' eecernamque nemus dicamque ' sub arbore numen More ground for suspicion is, however, hac erit; ite procul (sacer est locus) ite to be found in the strange variants of some profani.' of the MSS. The lost Codex Ugoleti (Schenkl's A) had side by side with Hie For erit Maehly proposed est, but a more raram the name of the fabulous wild pertinent and an easier correction would be animal Mantichoram (juxvri\6pai or /JUIVTI- •era*. The sense is that ' the place is sacred X