n as from political necessity;
and historians, always tender in the judgments which they pass on kings
under such circumstances, would probably have condoned or justified his
conduct. But the taste for bloodshed grows with the indulgence of it.
In a short time the young king had killed all his remaining brothers,
although their birth was no better than his own, and there was no valid
ground for his fearing them; and soon afterwards, not content with the
murder of his own relations, he began to vent his fury upon the Parthian
nobles. Many of these suffered death; and such a panic seized the order
that numbers quitted the country, and dispersed in different directions,
content to remain in exile until the danger which threatened them should
have passed by. There, were others, however, who were not so patient. A
body of chiefs had fled to Antony, among whom was a certain Monseses,
a nobleman of the highest rank, who seems to have distinguished himself
previously in the Syrian wars. This person represented to Antony that
Phraates had by his tyrannical and bloody conduct made himself hateful
to his subjects, and that a revolution could easily be effected. If the
Romans would support him, he offered to invade Parthia; and he made
no doubt of wresting the greater portion of it from the hands of the
tyrant, and of being himself accepted as king. In that, case he would
consent to hold his crown of the Romans, who might depend upon his
fidelity and gratitude. Antony is said to have listened to these
overtures, and to have been induced by them to turn his thoughts to
an invasion of the Parthian kingdom. He began to collect troops and
to obtain allies with this object. He entered into negotiations with
Artavasdes, the Armenian king, who seems at this time to have been more
afraid of Rome than of Parthia, and engaged him to take a part in
his projected campaign. He spoke of employing Monseses in a separate
expedition. Under these circumstances Phraates became alarmed. He sent a
message to Monseses with promises of pardon and favor, which that chief
thought worthy of acceptance. Hereupon Monseses represented to Antony
that by a peaceful return he might perhaps do him as much service as by
having recourse to arms; and though Antony was not persuaded, he thought
it prudent to profess himself well satisfied, and to allow Monseses to
quit him. His relations with Parthia, he said, might perhaps be placed
on a proper footing without a war, a