command,
save that friendship is determined by deeds and not by words; and that
accordingly when he should reach Syria he would do what was proper.

And being of this mind he proceeded through Asia, Syria, and adjoining
provinces to Seleucia. Upon his coming to Antioch, Abgarus the Osrhoenian
did not appear in person, but sent gifts and a friendly communication.
For, as he dreaded both him and the Parthians, he was trying to play a
double game and for that reason would not come to confer with him.]

[Sidenote:--19--] Parthomasiris behaved in rather violent fashion. In his
first letter to Trajan he had signed himself as king, but when no answer
came to his epistle, he wrote again, omitting this title, and asked that
Marcus Junius, the governor of Cappadocia, be sent to him, implying that
he wanted to prefer some request through him. Trajan, accordingly, sent
him the son of Junius, and himself went ahead to Arsamosata, of which he
took possession without a struggle. Then he came to Satala and rewarded
with gifts Anchialus, the king of the Heniochi and Machelones. At Elegeia
in Armenia he awaited Parthomasiris. He was seated upon a platform in the
trenches. The prince greeted him, took off his diadem from his head, and
laid it at his feet. Then he stood there in silence, expecting to receive
it back. At this the soldiers shouted aloud, and hailed Trajan imperator
as if on account of some victory. (They termed it an uncrowned, [Footnote:
Reading [Greek: haselinon] (Bekker) = "without the parsley crown" (such as
was bestowed upon victors in some of the Greek games).] bloodless victory
to see the king, a descendant of Arsaces, a son of Pacorus, and a nephew
of Osrhoes, standing beside Trajan without a diadem, like a captive). The
shout terrified the prince, who thought that it heralded insult and
destruction for him. He turned about as if to flee, but, seeing that he
was hemmed in on all sides, begged as a favor not to be obliged to speak
before the crowd. Accordingly, he was escorted into the tent, where he had
none of his wishes granted. [Sidenote:--20--] So out he rushed in a rage,
and from there out of the camp, but Trajan sent for him, and again
ascending the platform bade him speak in the hearing of all everything
that he desired. This was to prevent any person from spreading a false
report through ignorance of what had been said in private conference. On
hearing this exhortation Parthomasiris no longer kept silence, but