[-16-] Such is the Parthian state.  Crassus, as has been stated, invaded Mesopotamia and Orodes sent envoys to him in Syria to censure him for the invasion and ask the causes of the war; he sent also Surena with an army to the captured and revolted sections.  He himself had in mind to lead an expedition against Armenia, which had once belonged to Tigranes, in order that Artabazes, son of Tigranes, the king of the land at that time, should, through fear for his own domains, send no assistance to the Romans.  Now Crassus said that he would tell him in Seleucia the causes of the war. (This is a city in Mesopotamia having even at the present day chiefly a Greek population.) And one of the Parthians, bringing down upon the palm of his left hand the fingers of the other, exclaimed:  “More quickly will hair grow herein, than you will reach Seleucia.”

[B.C. 53 (a.u. 701)]

[-17-] And when the winter set in,[62] in which Gnaeus Calvinus and Valerius Messala became consuls, many portents occurred even in Rome itself.  Owls and wolves were seen, prowling dogs did damage, some sacred statues exuded sweat and others were destroyed by lightning.  The offices, partly through rivalry but chiefly by reason of birds and omens, were with difficulty filled at last in the seventh month.  Those signs, however, gave no clear indication as to what the event would be.  For affairs in the City were in turmoil, the Gauls had risen again, and, though the Romans knew it not as yet, they had broken into war against the Parthians:  but to Crassus signs that were both evident and easy to interpret appeared as he was crossing the Euphrates opposite Zeugma.[63] That spot has been so called from the campaign of Alexander, because he crossed at this point. [-18-] The omens were of the following nature.  There is a small shrine and in it a golden eagle, which is found in all the legions that are on the register, and it never moves from the winter-quarters except the whole army goes forth on some errand.  One man carries it on a long shaft, which ends in a sharp spike for the purpose of setting it firmly in the ground.  Now of these so-called eagles one was unwilling to join him in his passage of the Euphrates at that time, but stuck fast in the earth as if planted until many took their places around it and pulled it out by force, so that it accompanied even involuntarily.  But one of the large standards, that resemble sheets, with purple letters upon them to distinguish the division and its commander, turned about and fell from the bridge into the river.  This happened in the midst of a violent wind.  Then Crassus, who had the rest of equal length cut down, so as to be shorter and consequently steadier to carry, only increased the prodigies.  In the very passage of the river so great a mist enshrouded the soldiers that they fell over one another and could see nothing of the enemy’s country until they set foot upon it:  and the sacrifices both for crossing and for landing proved very unfavorable.