d baths, and taverns? Have you forgotten that
you are crossing the confines of the Arabs and Assyrians?" Thus the
barbarian amused the Romans, and before his treachery was discovered
he rode off, not, however, without the knowledge of Crassus, after
making him believe that he would serve the Roman army, and put the
affairs of the enemy in confusion.

XXIII. It is said that on that day Crassus did not appear, as is the
custom of Roman generals, in a purple dress, but in black, which he
immediately changed on observing what he had done: and it is also said
that the men who carried the standards had much difficulty in raising
some of them up, for they stuck in the ground as if they were firmly
rooted there. Crassus ridiculed all these omens, and quickened his
march, urging the infantry to follow after the cavalry, till at last a
few of those who had been sent forward as scouts came up, and reported
that the rest of them had been cut off by the enemy, and they had
escaped with difficulty, and that the Parthians were advancing with a
large force, and full of confidence. This threw all the army into
confusion, and Crassus was completely confounded, and began to put his
men in order hastily, and with no great presence of mind: at first, as
Cassius recommended, he extended the line of the legionary soldiers as
far as possible in the plain, and making it of small depth, in order
to prevent the enemy from attacking them on the flank, he distributed
the cavalry on the wings; but he changed his plan and, drawing his men
together, formed them into a deep square of four fronts, with twelve
cohorts on each side. By the side of each cohort he placed a body of
horse, in order that no part of the army might be without the aid of
the cavalry, but might make the attack equally protected on all sides.
He gave one of the wings to Cassius, and the other to young Crassus;
he himself took his station in the centre. Thus advancing, they came
to a stream called Balissus,[70] which was neither large nor copious;
but it was a joyful sight to the soldiers in the midst of the drought
and heat, and by comparison with the rest of their laborious march
through a country without water. Now most of the commanders thought
that they ought to encamp and spend the night there, and learn what
was the number of the enemy, and the nature and disposition of their
force, and so advance against them at daybreak; but Crassus, being
prevailed upon by the importunity