and son of Vonones, who still remained at Rome in a position between that of a guest and a hostage.

"They were not ignorant," they said, "of the treaty which bound the Romans to Parthia, nor did they ask Claudius to infringe it." Their desire was not to throw off the authority of the Arsacidse, but only to exchange one Arsacid for another.

The rule of Gotarzes had became intolerable, alike to the nobility and the common people.

He had murdered all his male relatives, or at least all that were within his reach--first his brothers, then his near kinsmen, finally even those whose relationship was remote; nor had he stopped there; he had proceeded to put to death their young children and their pregnant wives.
He was sluggish in his habits, unfortunate in his wars, and had betaken himself to cruelty, that men might not despise him for his want of manliness.

The friendship between Rome and Parthia was a public matter; it bound the Romans to help the nation allied to them--a nation which, though equal to them in strength, was content on account of its respect for Rome to yield her precedence.