What happened at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BCE?

The Battle of Carrhae (53 BCE) was a disastrous military engagement between the Roman Republic and the Parthian empire. Initiated by the Roman politician Marcus Licinius Crassus as an unprovoked invasion, the conflict took place near the city of Carrhae in modern-day Turkey.12

The Parthian commander Surenas utilized superior tactics, employing light horse archers and heavy cataphracts to overwhelm the Roman legions. The Romans, trapped in a dense square formation, were decimated by constant volleys of arrows. After the death of his son Publius in a failed counterattack, Crassus attempted to retreat to Carrhae.13

Following a failed negotiation and betrayal by a guide, Crassus was killed during a final parley with Surenas. Of the 43,000 Romans engaged, approximately 20,000 were killed and 10,000 captured. This defeat, the worst for Rome since the Battle of Cannae, destabilized the political balance in Rome, ultimately contributing to the collapse of the Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.134