The Battle of Carrhae 53 BC

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When the Romans faced off against the Parthians at Carrhae in 53BC, the desert shook and the skies darkened. Carrhae ranks amongst the worst Roman military defeats ever, its legacy ensured the continued existence of the Parthian state and contributed to the continuing rise of Caesar and the foundation of the Roman Empire.
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[@HistoryTime]

*Watch my latest full length history documentary here* :- kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWSrommLlquEp80 Hi Guys! This was the first video I ever made (Just under a year ago). Hit that subscribe button to check out the new stuff! (50+ new videos coming this year on a huge variety of different subjects)

[@cernunos8153]

History Time what was the music that played at about 4:20?

[@Rommel296]

Edward Gibbon noted that even in 1453 the state was STILL called "Roman Republic"!

[@jamesburke3413]

Thank you for creating this video. Ever since hearing Mark Anthony mention Crassus' death at the hands of the Parthians in that HBO series Rome I was curious about the details behind his death. Another reason for my curiosity about Crassus' demise is his depictions in the Stanley Kubrick film Spartacus and the three Spartacus series on the Starz Network. While I realize both film and television are just as much fiction as fact, I really despised Crassus (or rather those aforementioned depictions of him) and was gratified to learn that he was ultimately defeated and disgraced by people he would've killed, subjugated, and enslaved for Rome. Great video. Keep up the good work.

[@namelessentity5851]

It's weird how Surena conducted this battle, so Masterful on how he sent the Archers in a cyclical attack. Also goading with feigned attacks, like the tides in water. That must have played Hell on the Romans nerves. As tough as the Legionnaire's were, psych warfare is a mfer to fight. Surena was a very crafty Cat, and although anytime I have war-gamed, I preferred shield-wall donnybrooks over getting fancy. Like the 'rumble' scenes in nostalgia movies, I like my battles to just be about savagery. Weird thing is, I know that is the reason why Surena would always defeat me in battle every time. But, so be it. It is the principal of the matter. Challenge him to some chest and gut bumping, and a free form 'shit talking contest. In that fashion, I would rule him.

[@69TheGG]

History Time hello love you’re stuff ! Can we get a video on Alexander the Great pls I’ve heard his name before but never knew what he actually did or achieved. Also can we get some newer history ones like Napoleon and or hitler etc etc thank you!

[@tasty8186]

I know this video is "old" and you've since refined the process, but even then this is more informative and easier to follow than so many other historical channels. Thanks!

[@darkhero5296]

Crasus was dreaming of becoming the next Alexander but he woke up in a nightmare..

[@chaptermastermoloc4171]

Of the triumvirate he was the lesser. He got jealous of Caesar and Pompey and their achievements and decided to up his game by conquering Parthia, but his ambitions exceeded his abilities, he, his son and men paid the price. Interesting enough, Caesar was planning a Campaign on Parthia before going on a case in of getting stabbed to death.

[@mkelley230]

My favorite battle story! Crassus wanted gold and the Parthians gave him what he deserved. Same battle where there was another secret weapon: silk banners.

[@Ladybug-uf7uh]

Really? Your first video? No matter what the trolls say or do, ignore them. This was an amazing history lesson. I've started with your first one and will continue until I catch up to your latest one. It never hurts to learn. Thank You for uploading this video!

[@momcat2223]

Hey, same here - beginning on 01-Jul-19 - because of a KZbin recommendation for the video re a massive Bronze Age battle in Germany's Tollense Valley. Really looking forward to catching up & seeing what else I'll learn in doing so!

[@mahmoodgharibi2564]

Sorena is a smart person with a beautiful face And he had a great physique and he was tall He was a real Persian who fought with 10,000 people against 43,000 and won

[@codyschubert8165]

I’m a new Follower and I went all the way back to your first video to start viewing em there, well done folks

[@bearded_wolf_5893]

Well done, this is one of the best and most encompassing videos on this subject, thanks.

[@alibaloch3184]

Amazing details and very well researched. Amazed

[@jeremyday9056]

For your first video this is very well done! Some of the background music was questionable, but hey, we live and we learn. 😅 I feel like no matter the audio or video quality of the video, you have a way of explaining history in such a clear, concise way, that I find it much more enjoyable and easy to follow than any other source.

[@unimatrix501]

if this was your first i would have guess you did this on a daily basis! really great video!!!!

[@C0wb0yBebop]

7:19 When your cell phone goes off during your KZbin video editor.

[@HistoryTime]

Yeah - I had no idea what I was doing back then :D

[@bandit5272]

lmao

[@siamakp1207]

Rome the greatest empire world has ever seen Persians: Hold my beer

[@formerlybernard6460]

england; hold my beer.

[@jamesknash1979]

Genghis khan: hold my fermented yak milk

[@excaliburironforce9908]

​@@formerlybernard6460 Americans " hold my 🍺 " 😅🤣🤠

[@formerlybernard6460]

@@excaliburironforce9908 lol. we said 'Empire' not 'clown show'.

[@eodyn7]

@@formerlybernard6460 You're on an American website...

[@Strideo1]

This channel is great. I'm surprised you don't have even more subscribers.

[@brentw741]

Wow you have a great channel educating people and making positive changes in the world.

[@jeremytillman3567]

Great video . I would love if you did a longer one on Spartacus.

[@MrSpitfireMustang]

Great info! Great effort on your first vid!

[@willienolegs8928]

Outstanding job! Continue on.

[@achsahkaleb4844]

brilliant first video. you are a natural. love your voice.

[@davidegaribaldi1503]

really interesting and well done video!

[@HistoryTime]

Thanks mate very kind! lots more videos up now :)

[@sadwingsraging3044]

Excellent first video! Looks like you have built a nice vidempire of your own. Well done!

[@nikzad2167]

thanks, a great video. hope to see more

[@HistoryTime]

Thanks mate! Tons more videos uploaded now :)

[@martynparkman8332]

Nice one, enjoyed it, thanks.

[@michaelfisher7170]

Crassus gets to be the goat in this one, but I think a lot of it is undeserved. He did have military chops, but he'd been gathering cash for twenty years between his last campaign and Carrhae, so he was rusty, but he had a good force with veteran subcommanders. I think the tipping point of the encounter was the nature of the enemy forces, and its an open question whether any Roman commander could have done better against a mounted force, if they'd had the same army Crassus had. His scouts found the enemy track leading into the east and he pushed his men to follow for a good while, tiring them out. The hollow square formation had been used successfully by both Marius and Caesar in their campaigns. The one legitimate criticism I think Crassus gets is splitting his forces, sending his son to counter the Parthian horse. Once Publius fell the wind went out of the Roman sails. The Parthians just had the initiative and never lost it.

[@michaelfisher7170]

@john doe Mark Anthony was a decent commander, and he lost his supply train, getting far too ahead of it to protect. Armenian troops assigned to its protection ran when King Phraates' army found and attacked it. The king of Armenia abandoned Anthony after that. The addition of the Armenian help wasn't any help to him, and not a guarantee of victory. Phraates caught Anthony and forced his retreat, harassing him all the way back to Roman territory.

[@drsbrettsavage]

Very well done

[@MrPagandog]

Nice vid. Thanks

[@karney6583]

Ego is the downfall of many great men.

[@2ezee2011]

good job!!

[@ishxyzaak]

this guy is so good at narrating story

[@mervynally459]

Loved it

[@oscarargute9899]

good job

[@semk2248]

You should do one on the battle of Cannae

[@kimmcroberts9765]

I cannot beleive tnis was your first. Wow and tks.

[@RobbyHouseIV]

Well done. Regarding Crassus & Syria, he was actually the Proconsul of the Roman province of Syria, not Consul. As far as I know, a Consulship is one of only two annually elected positions exclusive to Rome which empower the two biggest vote winners with great executive/parliamentarian powers (Imperium) to lead the Roman Senate for a period of one year. Once a consul's term of office expired it was common for them to then lobby members of the Senate to vote or appoint them as Proconsul for a term usually 3 to 5 years in length to the growing list of Roman provinces across the Mediterranean world as Rome's power and might grew. Just thought I'd mention that. Anyway, keep up the good work!

[@romelnegut2005]

Like and subbed.

[@mikko.g]

Damned good by first video standards.

[@yaboyed5779]

Could you cover Edessa 260 ad where Valerian was captured by Shappur I believe

[@mcgyverb1664]

What was the fool thinking??? He struggled with Spartacus in Rome, and only brought 7 legions to Parthia, no wonder they served him some melted golden coffee.

[@aryanwitheredone]

So the Roman (all of them) didn't know anything about Parthia and Crasus thought that the military form of Parthia is as same as Pontos & Armenia. They didn't have any information about Parthian Horse Archers.

[@67claudius]

It would be interesting a nice video about the Cimbrian wars.

[@averagebears4352]

Back where it all began. Time for a journey!

[@HistoryTime]

Wait for when my phone goes off half way through. Fun story - the audio was all one take cos I didn’t know how to turn off recording

[@averagebears4352]

@@HistoryTime I caught it 😂 still extremely interesting though I’ve of course watched it before. Making my way through though so can’t wait.

[@deliriumbee4678]

I would love if u made a video for the Spartans life and course through the ancient times 🤗

[@HistoryTime]

Stay tuned! There will be many more videos on Greeks and Spartans !

[@topgears7775]

Sanji Kun true Spartans did not had horse tail on helmets ,researches never proved that Spartans were heavy armoured and had cool helmets, in fact the helmets been first used by Assyrian Nobel soldiers and 1000 years later by median and persian heavy cavalries, and 1000 years later again by Roman legionarries, Spartans only had their unique shields and war taktics... I 'll see how much you will use true facets based on scientific research for your Spartan video 🙄

[@alexanderlittle9786]

Hey man, very good video. I am seriously considering creating my own page with similar videos. im glad youre getting so many views; it is well-deserved!

[@Masaru_kun]

you shouldnt youll suck at it

[@briansanchez1740]

I was confused and thought this was the Hannibal battle...the names are very similar

[@choseon9]

Brian Sanchez That would be cannae you're thinking of.

[@bkjeong4302]

The only common thing, aside from the similar names, is that a huge number of Romans got slaughtered in both battles.

[@wailrimouche1171]

"Largest Empires the world has ever know" even at this point in time the Macedonian and the Achaemenid Empire Empires were larger...

[@gasmaskerhub2075]

Rome was greater though :)

[@donjasjit]

Typical western mentality. Totally ignore the huge Chinese empires of that era.

[@ryansmith8345]

@@gasmaskerhub2075 Not greater than the Achaemenid empire.

[@SousouCell]

Surena was a Real tactical genius........his infinite ammo cheat made the day . Too bad orodes II got him killed ; out of jealousy ; after this victory.

[@tommyodonovan3883]

What does gold taste like Crassus.

[@rigulur]

oooh this is why Parthian Tactics is an upgrade in AOE2

[@potcrak1]

Good first vid H T.

[@kevinmccarthy8746]

You can find different answers on that question of who is the richest Guy or Roman? This roman expert said Augustus was worth 4. ? trillion. Because he owned everything as emperor.

[@poletooke4691]

Why is there an upside down cricket meme right at the start

[@richardque4952]

Crassus believe the parthian will adapt similiar infantry tactic very similiar to his predecessor king darius.but was confronted by all cavalry formation .whom he has no idea how to fight.

[@eodyn7]

Amazes me how many people don't realize that 300 was based off of a graphic novel/comic book. It was never meant to be perfectly accurate to history.

[@Rajj854]

the Scythians were among the earliest mounted archers. Alexander defeated them and then recruited them into his army. They fought for him in the battle of Hydaspes

[@mehrdad5767]

Sorena

[@omarsuleyman2826]

The Parthians were Great Army

[@bobbyrick6481]

Rome lost

[@mehmedabdulmecidalqahtani5421]

Omar Suleyman I am arab of parthian descent

[@supremelordoftheauspicious2928]

mehmed abdulmecid alnajjar Really? How do you know? Last parthian clan went extinct more than a 1000 years ago.

[@aryanwitheredone]

@@supremelordoftheauspicious2928 I'm agree because I born in a region that Parthia raised but I don't say that I'm Parthian because I don't know my MAIN & ANCIENT nationality.

[@laceypelham7535]

great job even if you do sound like your parents told you to go to bed and you made this video under the bed covers.

[@arya1357]

What about the word “partisan”? (Parti)(San)... “san” means; shooter, in Persian! Is there any correlation? Anyone?

[@SpartanHoplite360]

Why didn’t Crassus bring foot archers

[@michaeldaley4777]

A. Norman that is what skirmishers are. Soldiers with ranged weapons including bows, slings, and other projectiles. Crassus had some, but not much. He went for raw power so he brought mostly cohorts. Calvary and skirmishers weren't big in Rome, tactics were also seen as tricks. The reason why Caesar was so good is he broke the norm and balanced his army with Calvary (mostly Gaulic-Germanic) and skirmishers and relied on tactics more than raw power.

[@aryanwitheredone]

Roman military formation based on veteran infatry.

[@Dreska_]

When you bring heavy infantry to a horse archer fight

[@AliHassan-vd6zj]

Surena to Carassas: You are not Alexander and this is not ancient Persia

[@eodyn7]

The Roman Alexander was busy in Gaul.

[@aryanwitheredone]

@@eodyn7 And he never got in to Iran flat

[@theodoros9428]

Crassus I want to go in India Parthians sorry the road is bloked

[@ace1776]

Crassus was on crackus.

[@amuktadir1991]

At battle of carreah I saw shocked when I saw that rome moved iraq.

[@albianalbi9170]

So crassus was the ancestor of Duce 😁😁

[@gutar5675]

So Crassus pretty much ran the Roman mafia

[@BlueBird-wb6kb]

Rome needed more Calvary..

[@aryanwitheredone]

No because cataphracts could easily beat them if you don't believe me, see how seleukids used Persian-Hellenic cataphracts & defeated Ptomeltic Egyptian.

[@armankamal332]

If each archer threw 100 arrows on that day, then 900,000 arrows must have thrown at Romans on that day. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@bobbyrick6481]

Rome got there ass kicked!

[@bobbyrick6481]

Marcus son lost his head.

[@rucussing]

Rome got their ass kicked there!

[@geesixnine]

Poor leadership, poor results

[@frumentarii6542]

Thats persian for you

[@slightlyconfused876]

Shame you used pictures of Roman troops from 100 years after the battle, otherwise very interesting.

[@kkavehma1]

I suspect your joke about Persians being savages with giants might go over many people heads. I am Persian and esp 300 movie (NOT the original historical story) is really annoying and ignorant. Herodotus actually respected Persians as advanced civilization. He lived most his life in ancient Persian empire territory.

[@ethericboy]

This is the "umpteenth" video about the battle of Carrhae. There seems to be wide agreement on that Marcus Crassus was killed when at the meeting with the Parthians someone pulled at the reigns of his horse sparking violence resulting in a skirmish where the small group of Romans were all killed.

[@HistoryTime]

This is the first actually if you look at the dates :)

[@s.keikhosro_5555]

Serena partian are more handsome than romance

[@mehrdad5767]

✋✋ hhh this is parhtian

[@aryanwitheredone]

Actually Parthian Archer

[@richardque1036]

King of armenia trying warn crassus the battle will be different ,

[@spencer871]

Lovely episode as usual but before people get up your ass, I think in English we would pronounce the Persian capital as "Tess-phoon". Don't worry, until I heard an Azeri say it, I said it just as you did. Love ya m8 from Canaida.

[@iranpersianempire2676]

🇮🇷🇮🇷🇮🇷🇮🇷

[@stargatis]

Wow! An unpopular power-hungry crook who got his fortune in shady real estate deals. 🤔

[@igolfjtweetler4097]

Disaster all in.

[@artinfarmani5829]

Parthian & Persian = Iranian

[@nimash6273]

Why doesn't Holywood make a movie about this battle? Oh i know.it will prove the myth of greeko-roman supremacy and invincibility wrong.right?!

[@HistoryTime]

Couldn't agree more!

[@douchebag7787]

Rome would go on to defeat the Parthians in numerous wars and make territorial gains in mesopotamia. In truth they were dominant over the Parthians.The later Sassanian empire was much more powerful and did challenge the limit of Roman power.

[@douchebag7787]

Many factors culminated to the defeat of Crassus. Army composition, bad leadership on the Roman side, great leadership on the Parthian side.

[@douchebag7787]

Also horse archers were only ever so effective. Later Roman Generals like Ventidius Bassus and Lucius Verus made use of foot archers to outshoot the Parthians. After the introduction of these combined arms forces it became incredibly difficult for the Parthians to halt Roman incursions. Still the Parthians did very well considering the circumstances.

[@Redslayer86]

And the Sassanids were facing a weakened slowly crumbling Rome. (really, only the eastern empire/Byzantine empire). Not sure why the original poster here is mad that Rome is shown as a power house when that's exactly what it was for many centuries lol.

[@topgears7775]

First of all an answer to some of comments: As you belive that ''Persia'' were located at desert, that means you have zero knowledge of eastern history and geografia, Persia has more mountain than any country in europ and american continant, its deserts are only 25-28% of the lands, more than half of its historical area (daily Iran, Iraq, Kowait ,Armenia, Afghanistan, Southern Turkmenistan and EAstern Turkey) is mountains and the rest are covered with jungles and grasslands and Palm and coasts.Romans brought bulls,Tigers and leopards to rome, they brought caspian and arabian horses to rome! they brought the first militerry equipments to rome from middleeast and africa! and most important, If cyrus tablets ''how to establish an empire'' did't brought to europe by greecs, no Roman empire was established! Start to like our history as it happened not as you like to imagen it! i like Roman empire even they were copying greecs and persians for their most! Horsmanship and archery as replacing melee warriors in persian militarry started long ago at median and assyrian empires and developed by parthians and later sassanids to become a native tradition!,was lands of wild horses all arround the Iranian platue and caspian coasts!... I waited for surenas legend for long time! thanks so much :)

[@topgears7775]

Excuse me? So if you are so aware of knowledge ,why did you even watch this video? ... mr FREAK! Did you even know that when Thomas jefferson was done wiriting the the US Constitution at 1828 sayed ''when we was writing the US Constitution down we hade two main patterns infront of us, Nickolo makiavely & Cyrus the greate, we and we choise Cyrus the greate! ... see? dont be aware of knowledge, every thing freaky inside your mind,that you are aware of is not what it is outside of your freaky mind.

[@bobbyrick6481]

Rome lost!

[@bollox679]

WTF are you even on about?? Listen to the video you fool! The video maker explains everything "Mesopotamian desert' he is not insulting Persia in any way!

[@aryanwitheredone]

Actually Horsemanship & Archery started in the North-east, North-west & North of Caspian sea by the nomadic barbarians.

[@Ghost-fv4pk]

Parthians kill Roman legions easily but taking a hard time to kill Sparta and Athens😂

[@aryanwitheredone]

So Persian were at that time not Parthians. & Their military formation weren't same at all (except cataphracts). And killing Hoplites with horse archers is much easier than with Infantries

[@ricovermal398]

Nice video but Arab's war tactics rely on chivalry and mobilty not horse archery.

[@ricovermal398]

mad dog no, look at 12:35

[@topgears7775]

rico vermal Aryans are not arabs, the last empire's of messopotamia Persia and Parthia were accualy most civilized and advanced of all ancient times ,before the Muslim invation of middleeast entire world dreamed to become something like them...

[@topgears7775]

batu khan Mohammed had respect for persian and himself trained by the selman e parsi ,read his own life book you belive your prophet more

[@topgears7775]

batu khan I agree ,monarky is devil . and as we know the empires fail by hands of its own ppl not the enemy ,ppl of boarders opened the gates to muslims to let the muslim capture the king ,becouse he did not follow the rulles of the early kings and he started to gather gold and glory for himself. He died at the end.. But the most important with the Sassanid empire that with out forn Sassanid military developments Islam would not last long,the reasone is... technology they had developed for a tusand years conflicts between the empire against turk hords of russia (kazak,uzbeck)and Romans, brought them so much skills and mind blowing knowledge of architecture, military, medical and kemistery, that even after fail of the empire, been profits of Islamic world for an other tusand years!

[@topgears7775]

batu khan I've seen it, sassanid last king was known as bad king, but doesn't mean sassanid empire was bad too, in case arabs conquered our Iraq and kowait and syria ,that's why we are shia,becouse only time arabs were friendly with Persians were at Ali kalifate, Omar and abubakr raided entire Iraq and syria and kuwait, that's why they speak arabic today!

[@mednejad]

I was really into the video until you used the movie, 300 and the racist depictions of Persians in that movie as a source. 300, a twisted fantasy of its creators. In it, the powerful victory of great Xerxes and his Greek allies against the uncivilised, slave-keeping Spartans has been twisted to make the thuggish brutes of sparta (who numbered 3000 not 300) look like freedom fighters. This is absolute opposite of reality. It's was the Persians who frowned upon slavery and their civilised greek comrades, who heroically gave their lives in their thousands to break through the 3000 Spartans who had a higher and strategic geographical vantage point. Persians won that war and captured Greece, yet this silly clip claims the achemanian empire was weak. If this silly movie was made about Jewish people it would be called antisemitic and rightly so. A definite dislike from me.

[@hannibalbarca2928]

Parthians not iranic.Parthians race unknown

[@hannibalbarca2928]

@Distant Darkness There is no information in the world encyclopedia about the race of the Parthians.

[@aryanwitheredone]

Do you even Know who are Aryans? They were three Tribes. 1-Persia 2-Parthia 3-Madia And plus Elams, they were tha main Iranians.

[@ftahmasebi9059]

Parthians and Persians were closely related from Indo-European or Aryan race. They were speaking Middle Persian language which was slightly different than the classical Persian, people speak today in Iran. The only difference was that Parthians settled in the Northeast and Persians settled in south part of the empire in Iranian plateau so yes they were Iranians.

[@hannibalbarca2928]

@@aryanwitheredone medes and elam are not Iranic.Parthia monarchs are not iranic but the state is iranic.

[@hannibalbarca2928]

@@ftahmasebi9059 The expression aryan simply means noble and is purely indo-iranian propaganda, and there has never been a nation called aryan in history.only persian rulers identified themselves as noble, which means aryan.

[@oscarargute9899]

good job