Books
War
Roman–Parthian Wars
53 BCE–217 CE
Rome and Parthia competed for power across Armenia, Syria and Mesopotamia from the late Republic into the imperial period. Campaigns varied from major invasions to diplomacy and proxy rule.
The wars exposed the different strengths of each power. Rome could concentrate heavy infantry and siege resources, while Parthian cavalry, distance and local alliances made permanent conquest difficult.
Thunder of the Gods sends Marcus Aquila and the Tungrians into the eastern military world, where Roman officers must adapt to heat, distance and different tactical conditions. The conflict also connects Roman adventure fiction to the wider Near Eastern frontier.