AHC: make Crassus' campagin as successful as possible

How could Licinius Crassus preform better during the parthian campaign? what would be the consequences of a successful parthian war on Crassus, the Triumvirate and the Republic as a whole?
 
He was supposedly offered a deal by the King of Armenia for a large amount of troops and safe passage through his Kingdom. In OTL, Crassus declined but if he had taken it it would’ve improved his odds by a fair bit. Probably the best he could do was take Mesopotamia (although whether it can stay part of the Roman sphere through the turmoil that almost certainly will follow in one way or another is an open question.)
 
Honestly, if you simulated this campaign over and over, 9 times out of 10, Crassus wins. He had a huge numerical advantage, the support of some local rulers, and the Parthians were undergoing their own civil war at the time. This was ultimately mitigated by the fog of war. Crassus did not know the full extent of his numerical advantage, and the excellent supply lines enjoyed by the Parthian force. Furthermore, the skill of the Parthian commander, Surena, shouldn't be underestimated. His tactical ability led to a victory over a force nearly four times more numerous. So let's look at a few misconceptions.

1. Crassus was militarily inexperienced - MYTH! Crassus nearly singlehandedly finished the civil war of 82 BCE for Sulla when he led the decisive maneuver at the Battle of the Colline Gate. He also more-or-less singlehandedly ended the Third Servile War, so that's not nothing.

2. Crassus foolishly ignored Armenian efforts to lend troops - MYTH! The Armenians ultimately faced the invasion of the primary Parthian army at the same time that Crassus was in Mesopotamia, and it's unlikely that if Crassus had taken the northern route into Parthia, the Armenians would have provided any significant effort beyond dragging the Romans into a broader war they didn't want.

3. Crassus plunged into the desert for no good reason because he was duped by a treacherous informer - MYTH! Crassus was following the conventional Roman strategy of pressuring the enemy into a swift engagement and winning decisively. I mean, all you have to do is google, "Roman commander being too hasty to engage" to see what I mean. The famous ones are the failures (Cannae, Carrhae, Adrianople, etc), but there are an equal number of successful uses of this strategy (Charonaea, Zama, Trajan's Parthian War, etc). Sure, he was mistaken this time, but his actions were in line with the conventional strategic wisdom. This is especially important when considering the poor quality of Crassus' supply lines. He didn't have the infrastructure in place to take advantage of the Euphrates, so his supplies were purely from under and tribute. A quick, decisive war was his only realistic chance of winning.

4. Crassus ignorantly believed that his infantry could defeat a force of purely cavalry - MYTH! Parthian armies were not, as is sometimes believed, made purely of cavalry. The Parthian force at Carrhae was unusual for that reason, and the Parthian king Orodes sent the force merely to delay Crassus while he engaged and defeated the Armenians. The Parthian victory at Carrhae was as much of a surprise for them as it was for the Romans. Furthermore, the armies of Sulla and Pompey had easily defeated the Eastern armies of Pontus and Armenia in quick engagements earlier in the 1st century BCE, so Crassus had every reason to believe that his victory was equally assured.

So ultimately, the Parthian victory was not due to any decisive blunder on Crassus' part, but rather the brilliance (and luck) of the Parthians. So, with a POD where Surena dies or is deployed to a different theatre, Crassus' chances of victory are much more likely. Of course, Mesopotamia was not tenable in the long-term because of the impending civil war (which would have broken out eventually, whether between the first triumvirate or some later Roman strongmen), but Crassus likely could have held onto it for at least a few years, if his campaign had succeeded.
 
Last edited:
Top