[A.D. 1 (a. u. 754)]

The emperor’s reply, addressed simply to “Phrataces,” without the title of king, directed him to lay aside the royal name and withdraw from Armenia.  The Parthian, however, instead of being cowed at this, wrote back in a generally supercilious tone, calling himself “king of kings,” but the other only “Caesar.”—­Tigranes did not at once send any envoys, but when Artabazus somewhat later fell sick and died he despatched a letter, not writing the name “king” in it, and asked Augustus for the kingdom.  Influenced by these considerations and in fear, likewise, of war with the Parthians, the emperor accepted the gifts and bade him go with good hopes to meet Gaius in Syria.]

[-10a-(Boissevain)] ... other party from Egypt that campaigned against them they repulsed, and did not yield till a tribune from the pretorian guard was sent against them.  He in progress of time checked their incursions, and for a long period no senator governed the cities in this region.

Coincident with these troubles there was a new movement on the part of the Celtae.  Some time earlier Domitius, while still governing the regions adjacent to the Ister, had intercepted the Hermunduri (a tribe that for some unknown reason had left their native land and were wandering about in search of a different country), and he had settled them in a portion of Marcomania; next, encountering no opposition, he had crossed the Albis, cemented friendship with the barbarians on the other side, and set up an altar to Augustus to commemorate the event.  Just now he had transferred his position to the Rhine, where, in pursuance of an intention to have his subordinates restore certain Cheruscian exiles, he had met with misfortune and had caused the other barbarians likewise to concieve a contempt for the Romans.  This was, however, the extent of his operations during the year in question, for because of the Parthian war impending no chastisement was visited upon the rebels immediately.

Nevertheless the war with the Parthians did not materialize.  Phrataces heard that Gaius was in Syria, equipped with consular powers, and was furthermore uneasy about home interests in which even previously he had failed to discern a friendly feeling; hence he hastened to effect a reconciliation, secured on the proviso that he himself should depart from Armenia and his brothers remain over seas.

[A.D. 2(a. u. 755)]

Now the Armenians fell into conflict with the Romans the following year, in which Publius Vinicius and Publius Varus were consuls.  The restraining influence of the fact that Tigranes had perished in some barbarian war and that Erato had resigned the sovereignty was nullified as soon as they were delivered to a Mede, Ariobarzanes, who had once come to the Romans in company with Tiridates.  They accomplished nothing worthy of note save that a leader named Addon,[7] who was occupying Artagira, induced Gaius to come close up