Crassus,  moreovn-,  had  reached  the  gato'  of  the  citr,
the  tribune  Aleius  attempted  to  stop  him  by  foKt;
but,  failing  in  this,  he  immediately  proceeded  to  pt''
form  a  rHigious  ceremony  of  the  most  appalling  «••
ture,  by  which  be  devoted  the  commander  iima,
and  all  wbo  should  follow  him  on  that  service  >•
the  wrath  of  the  infernal  goda  and  a  apeedy  dcrtw
tion,  l^ndiaAiayed,  however,  hy  either  denanciUMsi
or  omens  (etf. Csonna),  CnMos,  enhaikmg  st  Vm-
disium,  proceedod  into  Asia  by  Macedonia  ssd  iks
Keltespont. Aa  the  enemy  wfflo  not  prepsred  *«
this  unprovoked  invasion,  the  Romans  met  with  do  n-
sisunce. At  first  Crassus  overran  the  greater  ptrt  «
Mesopotamia;  and,  had  ho  taken  advantage  of^
conatemation  mto  which  hit  sodden  sppearsBce  m
thrown  the  Parthiane,  be  might,  with  the  greslert  we,
have  extended  his  conquest  to  Babylonia  itsdf. But
the  seaeon  bemg  far  advanced,  he  did  net  think  ii  a
pedtent  to  proceed. On  the  contrary,  having  left  «
the  difierent  towns  and  stron^idds  a  detachncsi^
7000  foot  and  1000  horae,  he  retutned  imb  Sjm,»*
took  np  hia  wintw-qoarlera  ia  that  pnmoce. Tbsi
retrogiade  movement  waa  a  fatal  etrol. His  a<^^
tiona,  too,  during  the  winter  were  highly  cwworwj
having  more  of  the  trader'  in  them  than  the  gei>»
Instnd  of  improving  the  discipline  of  the  soldien,
keeping  them  in  proper  exereWe,  he  spent  bis  tins  is
making  Inquiry  relative  to  the  revenoes  of  the  citin,
nd  iawe^^thttraBmntwfaiBh  bofiMod  ibw

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ORA


—|4ii<f  ffi— In  tiip  mriag  the  Bsan  oo»-
«iiid«r  tMk  tbs  fiflld,  on  lbs  ttamrar>  of  Symi  with
nnD  kffoot,  foar  ibmund  hime,  an  equal  mat-
kcr  af  1^  or  irnsobr  troops. With  this  fom  h«
igua  pMHi  ih»  SaphntM,  wbn  be  wu  jeined  bjr
w  Antmn  chief,  when  IMirtvrch  eaUa  Ahumee,  bat
wtM  H  elMwhem  umed  Acbenit  «r  Al^naa ;  md  in
tkM  bariMriu,  owi^  to  bia  Imowiedge  of  the  ccwn-
117,  tod  hi*  waim  mkI  fjraqucDt  tapnuatsom  of  attlwh*
■aol  10  Uie  RotMBi^  Cnanwunfortanataly  placed  the
MoMMt  ceoUaiioe. The  rcssk  nuar  eaaUy  be  for»-
•Ma. 