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THE CAMPAIGN OF CORBULO
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and therefore withdrew into Tigranocerta. Monaeses and his Parthian forces cut off convoys carrying food to the city and shortly thereafter appeared before its walls. An attempt to storm it proved unsuccessful, and siege was begun. When Corbulo heard of these events, he threatened Vologases with an invasion of Mesopotamia unless the siege was raised. Corbulo's messenger reached the Parthian king at Nisibis. Vologases was inclined to seek peace, since the Romans were so well prepared and the besieged city so strong, and since forage for the Parthian cavalry had been destroyed by a plague of locusts. For these reasons an agreement was reached, and it was announced that Vologases was sending ambassadors to Rome to request control of Armenia. Monaeses was ordered to abandon the siege of Tigranocerta, and the Parthian monarch returned to his own country. The Roman concessions were not immediately disclosed: Tigranes and the Roman legion. which supported him were likewise to withdraw from Armenia. The soldiers spent the winter of 61/62 in temporary quarters on the Cappadocian frontier.[1]

In response to the request of Corbulo, L. Caesennius Paetus was appointed governor of Cappadocia. A division of troops was made; the IV Scythica, the XII Fulminata, the V Macedonica (which had recently been withdrawn from Moesia), and certain auxiliaries from Pontus, Galatia, and Cappadocia

  1. Tac. Ann. xv. 5 f.; cf. Dio Cass. lxii. 20.