[-6-] This was the treatment that Pompey[13]out of the fullness of his power accorded Phraates, thereby indicating very clearly to those desiring personal profit that everything depends on armed force, and he who is victorious by its aid wins inevitably the right to lay down what laws he pleases.  Furthermore, he did violence to the title of that ruler, in which Phraates delighted before all the world and before the Romans themselves, and by which the latter had always addressed him.  For whereas he was called “king of kings,” Pompey clipped off the phrase “of kings” and wrote “to the king,” with merely that direction, in spite of the fact that he had given this title to the captive Tigranes even contrary to their custom when he celebrated the triumph over him in Rome.  Phraates, consequently, although he feared and was subservient to him, was vexed at this, feeling that he had been deprived of the kingdom; and he sent ambassadors, reproaching him with all the injustice he had done, and forbade him to cross the Euphrates.

[-7-] As Pompey made no reasonable reply, the other immediately instituted a campaign in the spring against Tigranes, being accompanied by the latter’s son, to whom he had given his daughter in marriage.  This was in the consulship Of Lucius Caesar and Gaius Figulus.

[B.C. 64 (a.u. 690)]

In the first battle Phraates was beaten, but later was victorious in his turn.  And when Tigranes invoked the assistance of Pompey, who was in Syria, he sent ambassadors to the Roman commander, making many accusations and throwing out numerous hints against the Romans, so that Pompey was both ashamed and alarmed.  As a result the latter lent no aid to Tigranes and took no hostile measures against Phraates, giving as an excuse that no such expedition had been assigned to him and that Mithridates was still in arms.  He declared himself satisfied with what had been effected and said that he feared in striving for additional results he might meet with reverses, as had Lucullus.

Such was the trend of his philosophy:  he maintained that to make personal gains was outrageous and to aim at the possessions of others unjust, as soon as he was no longer able to use them.  Through dread of the forces of the Parthian, therefore, and fear of the unsettled state of affairs he did not take up this war in spite of many solicitations.  As for the barbarians’ complaints, he disparaged them, offering no counter-argument, but asserting that the dispute which the prince had with Tigranes concerned some boundaries, and that three men should decide the case for them.  These he actually sent, and they were enrolled as arbitrators by the two kings, who then settled all their mutual complaints.  For Tigranes was angry at not having obtained assistance, and Phraates wished the Armenian ruler to survive, so that in case of need he might some day have him as an ally against the Romans.  They both understood well that whichever of them should conquer the other would simply help on matters for the Romans and would himself become easier for them to subdue.  For these reasons, then, they were reconciled.