Meantime a great wind burst upon them, bolts of lightning fell, and the bridge, before they had all passed over, was destroyed.  The occurrences were such that any one, even if extremely ignorant and uninstructed, would interpret them to mean that they would fare badly and not return.  Hence there was great fear and dejection in the army. [-19-] Crassus, trying to encourage them, said:  “Be not alarmed, fellow soldiers, that the bridge has been destroyed nor think because of this that any disaster is portended.  For I declare to you upon oath that I have decided to make my return march through Armenia.”  By this he would have emboldened them, had he not at the end added in a loud voice the words:  “Be of good cheer:  for none of you shall come back this way.”  When they heard this, the soldiers deemed that it, no less than the rest, had been a portent for them, and fell into greater discouragement; and so it was that they paid no heed to the remainder of his exhortation, in which he belittled the barbarian and glorified the Roman State, offered them money and announced prizes for valor.

Still, even so, they followed and no one said a word or committed an act to oppose him, partly by reason of the law, but further because they were terrified and could neither plan nor carry out any measures of safety.  In all other respects, too, as if predestined to ruin by some Divinity, they deteriorated both in mind and body.

[-20-] Nevertheless, the greatest injury was done them by Abgarus of Osrhoene.  He had pledged himself to peace with the Romans in the time of Pompey, but now chose the side of the barbarians.  The same was done by Alchaudonius the Arabian, who always attached himself to the stronger party.  The latter, however, revolted openly, and hence was not hard to guard against.  Abgarus favored the Parthian cause, but pretended to be well disposed toward Crassus.  He spent money for him unsparingly, learned all his plans (which he reported to the foe), and further, if any course was excellent for the Romans he tried to divert him from it, but if disadvantageous, to urge him to it.  At last he was responsible for the following occurrence.  Crassus was intending to advance to Seleucia by such a route as to reach there safely along the side of the Euphrates and on its stream, with his army and provisions.  Accompanied by the people of that city, whom he hoped to win over easily, because they were Greeks, he could cross without difficulty to Ctesiphon.  Abgarus caused him to give up this course, on the ground that it would take a long time, and persuaded him to assail Surena, because the latter was near and had only a few men.

[-21-] Then, when he had arranged matters so that the invader should perish and the other should conquer (for he was continually in the company of Surena, on the pretext of spying), he led out the Romans, blinded by folly, to what he said was a victory in their very hands, and in the midst of the action joined the attack against them.