Margins
Carrhae 53 BC book cover
Carrhae 53 BC
Rome's Disaster in the Desert
2022
First Published
3.81
Average Rating
96
Number of Pages

Part of Series

Explores the critical battle of Carrhae, a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats. The Battle of Carrhae is from a heady moment in Roman history – that of the clever carve-up of power between the 'First Triumvirate' of Caius Iulius Caesar, Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Roman general who had famously put down the Spartacan revolt). It is a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats at the hands of the Parthians, not far from a trade-route town hunkered down on the fringes of the arid wastes of northern Mesopotamia, sending shock waves through the Roman power structure. In this work, classical historian Dr Nic Fields draws out the crucial psychological and political factors (including Crassus' lust for military glory and popular acclaim) that played a key role in this brutal battle. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Parthian general Surena's horsemen completely outmanoeuvered Crassus' legionaries, killing or capturing most of the Roman soldiers. The detailed battlescene artworks reveal the tactics and techniques of the Parthian horse archers, and Roman and Parthian equipment and weaponry, and the approach to battle is clearly explained in 2d maps and 3D bird's-eye views.

Avg Rating
3.81
Number of Ratings
16
5 STARS
19%
4 STARS
50%
3 STARS
25%
2 STARS
6%
1 STARS
0%
goodreads

Author

Nic Fields
Nic Fields
Author · 38 books
Dr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines. Having left the Navy, he went back to University and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School of Archaeology, Athens, and is now a lecturer in Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh.
548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved