ABSTRACT
A proper understanding of Roman–Parthian relations requires consideration of the subsequent period, in which the Sasanians conquered the Arsacids c. 224 CE and offered a more formidable challenge to the Roman Empire. The Romans outlasted the Arsacids, but these later events caution scholars from Roman triumphalism. They also reveal the consequences of the Roman strategy vis-à-vis Parthia. Roman–Parthian peace was long-lasting, but the accompanying rhetoric of war encouraged a reality of violence, and that reality contributed to the fall of the Arsacids, which only led to a greater confrontation with the Sasanians. The strategy of aiming for peace while rattling the cage of war remains operative today, for example, in the confrontation of the United States and Iran. It remains an open question whether the result will be comparable.
