Ch. 2 Moved by these
considerations Vologeses called a council, placed Tiridates by his side, and
began to speak as follows:
"This man before you, born from the
same father as myself, having waived in my favour, on the ground of age, the
highest title of all, was established by me in the possession of Armenia, which is accounted the third grade of power. As
for Media, Pacorus was already in possession of it.
And I thought to myself that I had duly arranged our family and home so as
to guard against the old feuds and rivalries of brothers. The Romans thwart
me, and though they have never with success to themselves disturbed the
peace between us, they are now again breaking it to their own destruction. I
will not attempt to deny one thing. It was by just dealing rather than by
bloodshed, by having a good cause rather than by arms, that I had wished to
retain what my ancestors had won. If I have sinned through irresolution, my
valour shall make amends for it. Assuredly your strength and renown are at
their height, and you have in addition the repute of obedience, which the
greatest of mortals must not despise, and which the gods highly esteem."
As he spoke, he encircled Tiridates' brow with a diadem, and to Moneses,
a noble, he entrusted a highly efficient body of cavalry, which was the
king's customary escort, giving him also some auxiliaries from the Adiabeni,
and orders that Tigranes was to be driven out of Armenia. He would himself abandon his feud with the
Hyrcanians, and raise his own national force in all its warlike strength by
way of menace to the Roman provinces.
