the country by reason of him supplying them, but would also advance
safely, having in their front many mountains and continuous hills, and
ground unfavourable for cavalry, in which alone lay the strength of
the Parthians. Crassus was well enough satisfied with the zeal of the
king and the splendour of the proffered aid; but he said he would
march through Mesopotamia, where he had left many brave Romans; upon
this the Armenian went away. As Crassus was taking his army over at
the Zeugma,[64] many extraordinary claps of thunder broke around, and
many flashes of lightning came right in front of the army; and a wind,
mingled with cloud and hurricane,[65] falling on the raft, broke up
and crushed to pieces a large part of it. The spot also, on which
Crassus intended to encamp, was struck with two thunderbolts.[66] A
horse, belonging to the general, which was caparisoned in splendid
style, violently dragged along the man who held the reins, and
plunging into the stream, disappeared. It is said also, that the first
eagle which was raised, turned round spontaneously. Added to this, it
happened that, as they were giving out the rations to the soldiers
after crossing the river, lentils and salt were given first, which the
Romans consider to be symbols of lamentation, and are accustomed to
place before the dead; and, as Crassus was haranguing the soldiers, an
expression escaped him which greatly alarmed the army. He said he
would destroy the raft over the river, that no one among them might
return; and though he ought, upon seeing the imprudence of his words,
to have recalled what he had said and explained it to the soldiers, he
neglected to do so, through his arrogant temper. Finally, when he was
offering the usual expiatory sacrifice, and the priest had put the
viscera into his hands, he threw them away, on which, observing that
the standers-by were greatly disturbed, he said with a smile, "Such is
old age; but no arms at least shall drop from its hands."