Pacorus

by Peter Darman Book 14 in the Parthian Chronicles series.

First published 2020

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4.6(955)

Set in the Roman-Parthian frontier around 20 BCE, when Rome and Parthia negotiate the return of the standards lost at Carrhae, the Romans took my freedom, albeit briefly. But Parthia took my youth, my best years, my friends and my family. And now it wants me to surrender the things that made all the sacrifices if not worthwhile, then at least bearable.
It is thirty years since the Battle of Carrhae and the wheel of fate has come full circle. Pacorus heads the Parthian delegation that will oversee the exchange of the eagles captured from Crassus for the young son of the empire’s king of kings. Much more is at stake than the life of a young boy, however. It is a decisive moment in history for Parthia and Rome are on the verge of agreeing a permanent peace.
But the gods are not passive observers to the will of men and they send gifts to the King of Dura to tease him and sow doubt in his mind. And a rising Roman star by the name of Tiberius is determined to make a name for himself at the expense of Pacorus. The scene is set for a showdown between the pair and a decisive clash between two of the greatest empires of the ancient world.

Around 20 BCE Augustus and Phraates IV reached a diplomatic settlement under which the legionary standards lost by Crassus were returned to Rome. Tiberius represented Roman power in the east and the recovery was celebrated by Augustus as a major victory without a new invasion. For an ageing Pacorus, the settlement brings the memory of Carrhae into direct contact with a younger Roman generation determined to turn diplomacy into prestige.