ion of the Armenian kingdom, and
Vitellius found himself unmolested on the Euphrates. Tiberius, however,
was anxious that the war with Parthia should be formally terminated,
and, having failed in his attempts to fill the Parthian throne with a
Roman nominee, was ready to acknowledge Artabanus, and eager to enter
into a treaty with him. He instructed Vitellius to this effect; and that
officer (late in A.D. 36 or early in A.D. 37), having invited Artabanus
to an interview on the Euphrates, persuaded him to terms which were
regarded by the Romans as highly honorable to themselves, though
Artabanus probably did not feel them to be degrading to Parthia. Peace
and amity were re-established between the two nations. Rome, it may be
assumed, undertook to withhold her countenance from all pretenders
to the Parthian throne, and Parthia withdrew her claims upon Armenia.
Artabanus was persuaded to send his son, Darius, with some other
Parthians of rank, to Rome, and was thus regarded by the Romans as
having given hostages for his good behavior. He was also induced to
throw a few grains of frankincense on the sacrificial fire which burnt
in front of the Roman standards and the Imperial images, an act which
was accepted at Rome as one of submission and homage. The terms and
circumstances of the peace did not become known in Italy till Tiberius
had been succeeded by Caligula (March, A.D. 37). When known, they
gave great satisfaction, and were regarded as glorious alike to the
negotiator, Vitellius, and to the prince whom he represented. The false
report was spread that the Parthian monarch had granted to the new
Csesar what his contempt and hatred would have caused him to refuse
to Tiberius; and the inclination of the Romans towards their young
sovereign was intensified by the ascription to him of a diplomatic
triumph which belonged of right to his predecessor.

Contemporaneously with the troubles which have been above described,
but reaching down, it would seem, a few years beyond them, were other
disturbances of a peculiar character in one of the Western provinces
of the Empire. The Jewish element in the population of Western Asia had
been one of importance from a date anterior to the rise, not only of
the Parthian, but even of the Persian Empire. Dispersed colonies of Jews
were to be found in Babylonia, Armenia, Media, Susiana, Mesopotamia, and
probably in other Parthian provinces. These colonies dated from the time
of Nebuchadnezza